Week in Review:

1. Just got back from a 4 mile run. Normally we (Hannah and I) go in the early morning but today we hit mid-day and it was slightly brutal. By mile 3 I was wishing running had never been invented. I had to push the jogger because Craig had to be at work and my hands got all sticky when I had some juice drink...you get the picture.

Not helping was the knowledge that in just over two months' time, I plan on running 9 miles longer than I ran today; and some part of my brain is still trying to convince me that I'm going to enjoy the experience.

While I didn't have any particular aches or pains, I was walking like a newly born zombie when I got home so I made the decision to take an ice bath and make sure my legs got the TLC they needed.

Let me tell you, lowering myself into that frigid water was very nearly the hardest thing I have ever done! It is not unlike natural childbirth! I KID YOU NOT. Of course, the gasping horrifying pain only lasts a few minutes until you get used to it - where childbirth lasts considerably longer than that - but it is an eye-bugging few minutes.

2. A new thrift store opened up very near to my house recently and while the inside is largely uninspiring, there is a rack outside that says 99 cents on it and I've been itching to go through that rack and see if I can find anything to upcycle.

So I did. And, I did!

For myself, I found a great brown knit skirt that will be perfect for the warmer weather until I shed these pounds (damn the scale! I've gained back all 5 pounds I lost, PLUS TWO MORE!). And for the boys, I picked up 7 different tops and sweaters in various adult sizes, that I will take apart and make into two hoodies. Behold:

The orange and cream ones on top are the ones that will be the base - I've got them cut and pinned for re-sizing and then I'll be adding stripes and skulls and hoods with the fabric from the shirts along the bottom.

3. Maxine recently got a "cease and desist" order from me; referring to the twenty pounds I have gained since she moved back to the States. She, being a foodie, is really the perfect scapegoat. While I wash dishes, I daydream about lovely dresses and gothy designs and adventure/love stories. While she washes dishes, she daydreams about menus and food and shopping for food or kitchen utensils and parties (namely, the food that would be served at said party).

To be fair (I am always fair) I have always eaten a lot of sweets. But my propensity for having sweets in the house already, combined with her desire to bake things, has equaled a dirty bomb of jiggly proportions to my physique. The self control must be got!

However, on the flip side of this coin is the fact that she is also an amazing cook and very savvy with her food budget. So, I have gotten fat, but I have also learned to make some really yummy foods for dinner.

Like last weeks Bolognese. *eyes roll back into head*

And this weeks' homemade gnocchi! :

cooked and crumbled potatoes, flour, salt, egg (that's my photo - I was v proud of my potato mountain).

kneaded 4 minutes, makes a dough (my fingers had like an inch layer of goo on them), separate that into 8 sections, roll them, cut them, and make the fork shapey things:

Boil 2 minutes! voila! I used a recipe from Everyday Food - bacon and roasted tomatoes and garlic! parsley and fresh parmesan!

my family was all in heaven.

So, thanks Maxine! Thanks for daydreaming about food and food shopping and food things. A little bit of the good stuff is rubbing off on me!