Now and Later

I discovered tonight that I actually enjoy running. Maybe it's because I've been doing a form of training for the past 3 weeks or so and perhaps it is finally something that my body responds incredibly positively to. Up until this point, running has been something that I do to stay in shape, avoid the diabetes that runs in the family, relieve some negative emotion, a way to discover neighborhoods, etc. - but I've never felt like I run because I love running - but alas, I now do. I am a runner. And along those same lines, I have gotten a keen itch that I want to continually have something to look forward to (in regard to fitness). I recently decided that I want to do a triathlon. I still do - but after reading books on it and researching what is needed for it, I have decided to postpone simply because of the lack of disposable income. If I, say, won the lottery and had an abundance of extra money floating around - Well, sure. I would get the essentials (and probably some non-essentials because I could.) But I will just wait for now and instead focus my workouts around running and cross-training - namely, introducing my legs to long distances and speed on the bike and also learning how to not flounder like a beached whale while I swim. It's a work in progress, but I've been devoting some quality time to it. My new goal in mind, however, is crazy and exciting. I have decided to run a marathon in every state by the time I'm 50. (50 before I'm 50 - get it?) I've always wanted to travel around - I don't care where, just discovering some place new that I've never been to. And what better way to discover a place than to devote 26.2 miles running around? I also decided that my 51st marathon will be the yearly marathon held in Athens, where the marathon came to be. Suffice to say I have my work cut out for me - but I'm looking forward to it. The Chicago Marathon this year is going to be held on October 10, 2010 (10-10-10) - so I'm pretty sure I will register for that little nugget and get this goal in action.

And great timing - I just finished a huge project at work, involving the creation, experimentation and execution of the new dessert menu for the restaurant at the Marriott and it. has. been. stressing. me. out. I have discovered throughout this process that I, in fact, am not a foodie. I don't necessarily crave foods or have specific comfort foods - in fact, when asked by my boss what my favorite dessert type comfort food it, I couldn't think of one. I still can't. I don't necessarily enjoy eating desserts - I usually eat a dessert because it's there in front of my face. I don't really go out of my way to make things for myself. I like to make things and pawn it off on people - I enjoy the creation aspect, I enjoy making the final product brilliant and I enjoy seeing people enjoy it. So - back to this menu - imagine me sitting down with a blank sheet of paper planning out 4-5 main desserts, 4 pies, 4-5 ice creams and a specialty drink, all with appropriate garnishes and plating presentations. *sigh* I felt like I was in school again and it seemed that I was putting more pressure on myself than I needed. The more I worked on it, the more I drew a blank. So I was given suggestions to help the creative flow. One, which I loved, was going through cookbooks, recipes and articles and picking out ones with interesting flavors. For instance, I saw an apple-oatmeal muffin that was flavored with maple syrup. So I wrote down 'Apple, Oatmeal, Maple' and thought about desserts that I'd enjoy that would include those ingredients. (The final product, by the way, is an Apple Oatmeal Stout Cake: The same idea as an upside down cake, with sauteed apples (in a maple sour cream sauce) on the bottom of an aluminum baking cup, then putting oatmeal cake batter (flavored with Guinness) on top. Bake that off, then when it comes out of the oven, turn it over on the plate (in all it's warm gooey gloriousness) and add house-made granola and a scoop of house-made maple ice cream.) So, while the entire process, in hindsight, was a great experience, I'm just exhausted from trying to get it all to work out and getting the menu up and running. Thanks to the incredible help the entire way from a co-worker, we were able to start the new menu today. No matter where you were, I'm sure you personally heard my sigh of relief this morning around 11:30 this morning when I finally set everything up and had finished the tasting with the restaurant staff. But like all things in life, you can never just stop and enjoy the moment - I got word today that we need to start thinking about the new menu for spring. Good times.

So - work is well. Health is well. And big news - I'm finally getting my ass back to Utah to see my family. It's funny how time has flown. I got caught up in work as soon as I got here and when I was able to have time off with the slow months at the beginning of the year, I couldn't afford to make it back there. God bless the tax return, because I booked my ticket and will be back in April. I imagine it'll be an emotional time, not only because it will have been roughly 9 months since I've seen them all last, but also because of our plans to run the Salt Lake 5K that weekend. The last time we did that, we were part of around 75 people, grouped together as Team Sadie, decked out in pink shirts (and facial hair in my brothers case) - Sadie was in a stroller, also decked out in Team Sadie apparel and pushed by T throughout the race. Two years later, we've decided to group up as a family and do this in remembrance and honor of Sadie - And I like to imagine that this year Sadie will be running along side us.

Anyway, I've had an exhausting day and need to take a breather away from the glow of a computer screen. In the words of a hymn, 'Happy day, all is well'.

(Did I really just reference a hymn? And of all the ones to reference, 'Come, Come Ye Saints?'. I'm keeping that line in because it's too random to delete.)

Until next time!