Rose Parade Preview

Today I wen't with David and his parents to the Rose Parade float decorating event which is going on in well, several locations around Pasadena. We headed over to the Rose Bowl where we got a good look at a couple of the floats before they head out onto Colorado Blvd on Monday. The behind the scenes peek was nothing short of impressive. All of the decorations have to be natural materials hence the millions of roses and flowers that don the floats and cars. In addition to the floral findings, we saw fruit, bark and even potatoes (as cobblestones on the Cal-Poly float!) used as decor. Many of the solid color patches on the floats are actually tiny shreds of flower petals dusted over the surface. Hundreds of volunteers were sitting at folding tables snipping tips of flowers into color coded boxes.

Love

Inspiration! DIY Mexican Themed Wedding Invitations

Well, technically, these aren't the invitations....they are going to end up being our 'Save the Date' cards. However, elements from my shopping down at Olvera Street and Paper Source will have their presence in the invites as well. Just not sure exactly how. What I do know is that I picked up some of these goodies for a pretty good bargain.....I just have to be able to dedicate the time in the next couple weeks to assemble, design and mail these babies out.

David suggested a really cool idea of creating a stamp with all the important information via this site. I did some researching and found other folks who did some things very similar and they all looked incredible! A great blend of mixing a hand crafted feel with something sleek like a print.

Will share the outcome when it happens!

an honest to goodness update

Aside from posting some pictures of holiday fun, I really haven't written much on here lately. The primary reason news has been absent from the site is because its real life feed has been running on extreme. From end of year business at not one but two jobs, coming down with a 24 hour bug, travelling, engagement and wedding planning, running a PR at the Christmas Run to well, assembling everyday nuts and bolts.

I have a tiny window of time before the New Year to take care of housekeeping tasks such as dismantling the christmas tree as well as larger scale things such as securing a date and location for a June wedding. As I waded into the shallow end of the waters of the wedding world, I quickly realized that I am behind a pack of swimmers who have already perfected their front stroke. Venues are booked months in advance at some places....and when I say months, perhaps I should upgrade the unit of measurement to years to illustrate the point. However, it is what it is and I am ready to make the most of it and have fun while doing so.

I start back part time coaching with The Help Group tomorrow and then back to full time at the school on Tuesday. Once Tuesday hits it will be go-go-go for the next 6 months. No joke.

Despite all the hullabaloo, I still am planning on keeping at my running. Christmas Day, I ran around Black Mountain in Cave Creek Arizona for a 9 mile trail/hill terrain workout. Prior to that, the big running news was that I ran the Venice Christmas Run and averaged a 8:16 pace for a 10K PR of 51: 16. Boom! Could not believe it! I just returned from the track workout at Caltech and left feeling positive about the workout despite having tummy pains due to a spicy Mexican lunch. Up on deck is the 13.1 Half on January 15th. We shall see how this goes.......

PS....Check out the cute design on the Christmas Run shirts:

smiles

Marvimon

On Tuesday I have booked an appointment to check out the Marvimon House as a potential wedding location. While it may be a bit more than ideal budget wise, it surpasses any aesthetic expectation I had in mind. Succulent walls, taxidermy, vintage lanterns and well, it used to house Italian race cars in the 20's. Hopefully the dates and times will work in our favor.......

Holiday Story

Well, I finally returned to the land of Pacific Standard Time. It was a bittersweet return that was full of both the excitement of being in my own home as well the sadness of leaving friends and family, some of whom I really only get to see once yearly. Tis the season of love though with the recent engagements of both me and David and also Danielle and Morgan. Here are some candids as Danielle and Morgan share the news to friends:

exhausted

i have had one sort of week. not bad. not great. i guess a week with what feels like a hundred completely different experiences and not al all mine. i have been witness to some pretty unique stories and events with my 2o some clients this week. if my ethics were out the window, i would be sharing those experiences with you, reader, but nay......professionalism sure is a bore.

Update: New gear, new injuries, new frustration.....

Lets start with the good: I picked up a cute Asics running bag at A Runner's Circle. Going to workouts at places that originate elsewhere than my home require carrying gear. My cute totes, while stylish, just don't cut the mustard as most of them are sans zippers. I had checked out a couple places, both in person and on-line and realized that the Asics bag was the way to go. Size wise, durability and price. Sure, the North Face duffles were kind of the best, but I could use the 50 price difference to do something else....like buy more vinyl (more on that later). And more importantly, Asics has for me, proven to be the best running shoe out on the market. For that, I will gladly carry a bag that dons the mark of the brand.

With speak of new workouts, I should give a shout out to the Los Feliz Flyers Running Group. I decided to be adventurous and join a group that both suited my running needs and more importantly, crazy schedule. The Flyers have a 2 hour run at the Caltech track each Wednesday night starting at 6:30. The first 30 minutes are for the runner to do 2 or so easy miles on the track and then at 7 , the club breaks off into groups to do more structured runs focused on improving speed, technique etc. For the first workout, we did what was called a 23232. Two laps, rest. 3 laps rest then two laps...you get the idea. Having a coach call your splits really hit home how fast I used to be! The group rocks and I am really glad I took a risk and went solo to the run.

The downside is that the track workout coupled with an increase in both Spin and Yoga has taken a toll.....on my right rotator cuff. Thursday's hellish commute home on Interstate 10 was amplified by the fact that I all of a sudden had a decrease in mobility in my right arm. When I got home, I realized that the mobility loss was also accompanied by shooting pain which unfortunately got worse overnight. A trip to Kaiser on Friday diagnosed me with an inflammation in the cuff and sent me home with a both prescription for Advil as well as a runners worst nightmare.....rest. I will be starting physical therapy in the next week. An evaluation with the sports medicine doctor is also in order. I can jog lightly, but no overhead activity (Spin, Yoga) for a couple weeks. Argh.

And when to schedule these new and temporarily routine appointments? I need to do some serious schedule changes pronto......

Keep you posted.

Zinfandel Pot Roast....in the Le Creuset!

Perhaps it was the winter weather, but I finally busted out the Le Creuset. The last time we used the lil' guy was at New Year's Eve when we made Coq Au Vin. Not being such a natural in the kitchen, I found myself flipping through my Art of Braising cookbook and found a delicious pot roast recipe almost identical to this one. The roast, while taking about 45 minutes of face time, required a full three hours in the oven. While it may not be a great everyday recipe, it served to be perfect for a cold Sunday evening. Now we have delicious leftovers for days to come.

Runner's Diet

I must admit.....while I enjoy eating healthy, it hasn't been a consistent practice of mine. Many things in the past have impacted my stray from the better foods, most of all, time. Oh....and laziness too. Just a couple weeks ago instead of walking across the street to the Vons near my work, I opted for a Pop Tart to satisfy my need for sugar. Breakfast has tended to be something of an afterthought while racing to leave my house by 6:18AM and typically pops into my head while in line at the Starbucks as the muffins and chocolate croissants glare me in the eye. My AM willpower has traditionally been stronger and rarely did I fall victim to one of of those S.O.B.'s. I was on a big Luna Bar kick but recently, I realized that processed soy is not a friend to the migraines so away they went.

So here I am. Very serious about running my first marathon in roughly 20 weeks and in a total rearrangement of lifestyle choices from sleep, to schedule and now, diet. I have been reading up on running diets and interestingly enough, many of the foods listed are also ones that are suggested for migraine sufferers such as Omega 3 fatty acids. I had just recently stocked up on the Bob's Red Mill Muesli (contains all the grains plus the miracle flaxseed!) and have been religiously eating it in yogurt each morning. There. That covers a healthier breakfast!

With the importance placed on the Omega 3's, I have been eating fish on a more regular basis. Tuna and Cod Fillets are what are easiest. I have been buying the frozen breaded fillets from Whole Foods and found them to be great with some lemon and a side of veggies. Probably not as good as fresh frozen but there is that time complication of mine! I have also been making an honest effort to get more fresh fruits and juices. Oh...and nuts too. Also, in paying attention to the migraine factor, I have been attempting to purchase foods without additives and spending the extra for the organic produce. The last migraine I had a couple weeks back had me nauseous just looking at foods with high amounts of bad-for-you food chemicals. A box of microwave popcorn pushed me over the edge. I kid you not.

The funny thing is I have been pretty on point the past few days and with the food I have been eating, I have somehow naturally dropped the breads and chips and crackers that I am used to filling up on. I feel pretty good and I had a tremendous run this afternoon. Only 4.75 miles, but I ran the uphills like nobody's business and got some good speed towards the end. I felt as if I could have kept going but I wanted to pay close attention to the lingering soreness in my lower legs from the trail race Sunday.

With all that being said, I've got to leave in one vice for sanity's sake and while I can cut out the Pop Tarts and potato chips, I will still allow myself to have an occasional soda........

Maliboo-yea

Today's run at the Malibu Canyon Trail Race was great. There were surprises as well as things to be expected. When I arrived to the state park around 7:30 this morning, the temperature was a chilly 47 degrees. 47. That is the coldest I have experienced thus far this fall. I was so happy because I could totally justify my purchase at TJ Maxx yesterday: a black running fleece with thumbholes. The thumbholes are perfect for covering the top half of the hands during chilly weather and came in handy this morning.

After a quick check in and stretch, we watched the marathoners and halfers take off promptly at 8. Us 10K runners gave them an ample 10 minute head start as to avoid any mix up during the first turn-off as the 10k was to turn in a different direction. Once the race began, I was ready. The first mile was fairly easy although I was maintaing an easy stride in anticipation for the hills to come. Once we hit the first big climb, the pack thinned out with the faster runners leading the way and the walkers trailing behind. While each runner established their own unique pace, one thing that happened almost in unison was the removal of the fleeces. Like clockwork, in the middle of the first climb, at least 4 fleeces took up residence around their runner's waist. As this happened, I too felt the heat building up and followed suit.

Around the second climb, I had to drop to a speed walking pace. The incline was so steep and the terrain was rough. I continued a mix of speed walking and running throughout the middle two miles. Maintaing a consistent speed was tough. As I was running, I realized that one of the most difficult things about trail running is the mental exhaustion. In a road race or road run, I tend to look ahead in a way you would while driving. On the trail, I was hyper focused and constantly scanning the ground beneath to avoid loose patches of gravel, roots and rocks. I couldn't zone out the way I normally do when I run so there was a physical AND mental challenge with this run. There were portions where the trail was single track so I had to either speed up or slow down depending on who was in front or behind me. There were times were I was running far faster than I would have liked to (on the downhill single track portions) knowing the chances of tripping and falling and possibly going face first into a rock. Luckily, that didn't happen.

I finally reached a point in the race where I was in the 2 mile home stretch....on fire roads and asphalt! Knowing how much I walked, I figured I was going to get a pretty crappy time. A PR course this aint! However, I took full advantage of the more familiar running surfaces and hauled it to the finish line. Lucky for me right as I was coming to the fire road, this song popped up on the ole iPod:

(I really need to figure out the beats per minute of this song because considering I crossed the line at 1:17, I must have been back to better than road race pacing time to make up for my super crappy time in the hills. )
With The Cult as my soundtrack, I sprinted to pass this woman who was what appeared to be light years ahead of me and eventually caught back up to two guys who I was pacing myself behind. I was so inspired, I hit my back button and listened to it again. I kept The Cult pace up and then Jay-Z helped me finish the race.

At the finish line, Coastal Trail Runs had us covered! Cinnamon rolls, brownies, candy, Cliff bars, PBand J sandwiches, fruit, waters, sports mix....everything that one could possible dream about eating after a run like theirs. I decompressed, had some PB and J and Cliff Bar Sports Drink Mix (not bad) and walked to my car feeling pretty good.

I arrived home to have some freshly made Chemex coffee. I took a shower, went to work and my client wanted to go on a mile hike......uphill. Go figure. I did and while it was painful on the legs, it was nothing compared to the course this morning.

Verdict? Coastal Trail Runs rock!

Small Personal Items and Running Jams

With the Malibu Canyon Trail run tomorrow, I realized that I needed to figure out a better method for carrying things. I also realized that it might be a good idea to carry the cel phone in case of a wrong turn in the Santa Monica Mountains. This need brought me back to A Runners Circle this Saturday morning. I found myself a bit overwhelmed over at the running belt wall, but in the midst of decision making my eye was drawn to the candy colored SPIBELTS. Honestly, the first one that caught my eye literally had candy colored polka dots on the pocket. However, my inner desert child directed me over to the turquoise one. I have to say...I love the simplicity of the streamlined waist band and the stretchy pouch. We shall see how it holds up tomorrow.

I have also been in the business of updating my iPod with some more running jams. I am very picky about what songs keep me going the distance but once a song has been granted access to the running playlist, it seems to have found a permanent home. I never grow tired when Lupe's "Gold Watch" pops up during a run. In fact, the more I hear it, the harder I want to run. With that being said, I never grow tired of finding new songs of that caliber. Most recently, as in yesterday, I made the decision to add three songs:

Run the World


This song is a favorite with some of the high school girls I work with. For good reason. Inspirational and catchy. Enough said.

Orange Crush


Yes. Follow me as I kick some butt throughout the streets of Los Angeles.

And the Winner Is


Not just a title....this song is currently my number one song. As I was running along Colorado yesterday, this gem popped on and I was able to hold on a pretty significant speed increase. ITS A CELEBRATION BITCHES!!!!

Totally M.I.A.

The title of this post pretty much sums up where I have been in the blogging world as of late. I have good reason though.....in addition to the school year getting back in full swing over in Culver City, the second job at the Help Group is also in full swing. So, while I see roughly 19 kids at my full time job for therapy each week, I am now driving all over Los Angeles and working with three additional clients in their homes as a Life Skills Coach. The coaching position is much less clinical and focuses more on learning skills that help the clients with whatever social or occupational deficits they may be having challenges with. So in other words, none of this 'tell me about your mother'.....coaching is more along the lines of 'let's see how to organize this backpack more efficiently.' It is a nice change from the heaviness that tends to linger around my daytime office when the kids leave.

Things are busy and I am on the freeway for way too many hours of the week. I did however go for a run today AND watch my DVR of the season finale of Breaking Bad. A pretty nice Monday evening....I am really appreciating the evenings when I can just come home after my day job! ;)

I did also buy a pair of Vera Wang boots. One of the perks of having a paycheck arrive each week!

(Imagine these but in black!)

I have a feeling that for awhile my posts may be fleeting until I master the art of juggling all of these events around!

Dog Days

The final three days are here before the school year gets back into full swing. I have taken baby steps back into the working world as I recently just started a new part-time (nights and weekends) job as a Life Skills Coach with the Help Group here in Los Angeles. However, once Thursday hits, both full and part time jobs are in effect. I am in for a busy year.......

With that being said, I am making the most of relaxing these days and am enjoying the company of some furry friends:

Migraines

I'd just like to post a small rant about Migraines and how much they, well, suck. After running some early morning errands, I returned home round 8:30 AM ready to make some coffee in the Chemex and eat some Cocoa Krispies. Just as I stepped over the threshold, I noticed the all-too-familiar visual cues that a headache was coming on. I retired to the couch, put a head wrap on and prepared for an extended period of non-movement. While the headaches themselves are brutal, the real nuisance is the nausea that coincides. If I remain real still, I can combat the need to throw up. However, when I mean still, I am talking no adjusting to get comfortable, no turning over, absolutely no getting up to get water and no flat laying down.

Today was unusually awful. Perhaps it was a mix of heat and stress (house still in shambles after flood) and a glass of Pinot Noir on Friday...who knows. All that I do know is that I was out of commission longer than usual today....roughly 8 hours. Around 5, I began meandering around the house and by 6:30 I was ready for dinner. I did catch up on some romantic comedies (Rumor Has It and Julia and Julia), a couple episodes of Entourage as well as a teen romp on Comedy Central (Accepted). What a day!

While the migraines have subsided over the years, they do tend to come in clusters and vary in intensity. While perusing some sites this afternoon about potential triggers, I read that Frozen Yogurt was a culprit. I guess that means no more late night runs to the Yogurt Haven like I did yesterday. Boo. But who really know, I actively eat several offenders on the list (Chocolate, Avocados, Strawberries, Cheeses) and they haven't seemed to cause issues. Over the years, the only foods I can pinpoint with certainty to migraines I have had are pastrami, pepperoni, sausages and other cured deli meats, Diet Coke and too much red wine (usually I can get by with one glass).

For the most part, they still remain a mystery. An annoying and painful mystery.

The Windsor

On my last day in Phoenix, I met my good friend Cindy at a relatively new bar/restaurant (or shall I just use the new buzz term 'gastropub' ) called The Windsor. Not really knowing what to expect aside from the promise of a decent happy hour (5.00 pitchers before 5), I drove down from Cave Creek round 3p.m. When I arrived, I was reminded for a second of another Phoenix based bar, The Vig. Similar in the way of their upscale-ly brick construction and spacious patio. However, The Windsor up-d the kitch factor by having succulents in old oil cans, gas barrels and even a military canister of sorts. Pretty cute. As we showed up round 4, the place wasn't too packed and it was easy to grab a cozy booth. The music was loud enough but not overbearing at all. Major points for coziness and a place to catch up!

We decided to utilize one of Cindy's free appetizer coupons on the Fondue (pic below) and additionally order a Fatoush Salad and a pitcher of Stella. Before our food arrived, we were treated to some delicious AZ pistachios on the house.

The fondue was excellent! It was served with pulled pork (great), chopped up pretzel (amazing!), apples (good) and sausage (did not try.....recipe for migraine!). The salad was good as well. The pitcher provided us with about 2 and 1/2 pints and for 5 bucks I have no complaints.

Passion Flower

At some point last year, probably May or June, my friend Rick brought me over a small passion vine. Having just recently started a garden, the vine was quickly welcomed into the yard and found a home in the patch. While the vine grew considerably over the course of 13 or 14 months, I never saw any evidence of blooms until now. The funny thing is, prior to our move a few weeks ago, I dug the vine up and transplanted him into a large garden box with trellis. After a couple of days, I noticed that the vine began wilting and leaves were turning brown. Perhaps the transplant had caused stress. I moved him out of the sun for a bit and gave him some water. After finding what seemed to be a sturdy place for him to grow here at the new place, he began to bounce back. He still resides in the giant box, but now has the additional support of the deck rails to branch out on. Just yesterday when walking by, I noticed a closed bud. I was equal parts bummed and elated as I am planning on leaving town tomorrow and thought I would miss the opening. I was wrong. I fed him some coffee grounds and gave him a big drink before taking off to run errands. When I came back, I glanced at the vine and saw this:

Quite possibly the most impressive flower I have ever seen. Any feedback on how to increase the blooms on these incredible vines?

Much Less Wordy

For those who respond much better to images:

http://allisonwear.tumblr.com/

Refinish

In other news, we got my table refinished. Sitting on the porch at the old house didn't do well for the little guy. A trip to Old Friends Antiques in Canoga Park was just what was needed. The owner rebuilt the base to sturdy it up and also refinished the wood all the while keeping the vintage look of the table. Hooray!

Minor Setbacks

While things may have been stressful, initially the move was as expected. We had been living in a sea of boxes at both the old and new place. After what seemed like weeks, we began to establish a sense of normalcy (sans sofa) here in Eagle Rock. Certain key players in the furniture placement game had found their home, decor slowly began making its way on the walls and in the various nooks and crannies and the house began to garner a home status.

After getting a working washer and dryer into place, we ran into some plumbing problems. At first they were minor, and then well, things upgraded to major. While things at first appeared isolated to the laundry room, the flooding of the downstairs from the toilet proved otherwise. On Thursday night into the wee hours of Friday morning, we were on bucket brigade to get the water out of the downstairs. Our trash can was like a buoy, floating up and down as we waded by each time bucket in hand. To make a long story short, our landlord rocks, flooring has been removed, there are huge dryers to air out the drywall via hundreds of hole that have been drilled for exactly that purpose and visits from contractors, plumbers and water damage experts have been taking place each day. The silver lining? Our sofa is finally arriving. That arrival will perfect the upstairs sanctuary that has been created due to our downstairs mishap!

Welcome Home...

I will be the first to admit...I have seriously been out of the loop. With the ending of the summer school session coupled with the enormous task of moving, my online presence has definitely diminished. However, that lull is over for the moment as all of our belongings are in place at the new Eagle Rock pad. While I have posted some pics in an earlier post, I wrote very little about the house. Prior to my friend Nicki moving to the neighborhood, I never knew such a gem of a community existed. While from Eagle Rock Blvd, the hood looks pretty normal, once you head up the hill, the scenery changes dramatically. Lush landscaping and giant trees occupy each turn. Our house is on the side of a hill which means while you drive up to the house, you have to walk down a cobblestone staircase to get to the front door. The house works with the hill having the upstairs level with the front door and the downstairs is built into the hill.

Moving has sucked it out of us. In all senses of the word. It has been a delight to hang on the porch and just re-coup. Seeing as how we are currently without a dining table, we have been more than happy to dine on the patio.

As you can see, aside from the patio, things are definitely a work in progress. We are waiting for some key pieces of furniture and because of that, hanging our larger artwork is on hiatus. However, I think the slower pace has been the theme of this entire move. From securing the place to moving in to unpacking, the tempo has been low-key. For us, not rushing has been key to getting some pretty cool things....lease to the house included.

Things Seen.......

a) Apparently they have special soda cans just for NYC

b) Lots of folks walking in the rain

c) Some folks (West Coasters!) taking shelter in the rain.

d) The statue. Far in the distance. View from Red Hook.

e) An old tram car

f) A cute baby

g) A wedding cake topper representing an actual and accurate height difference

h) Post-Wedding brunching in Ojai

NYC Proper: Part 1

As mentioned yesterday on Modern Day Bullfight, a proper post about the trip to NYC was in the works. David and I spent 4 excellent (and hot and rainy) days in the Lower Eastside at an amazing hotel called Hotel on Rivington. The hotel, among its many incredible amenities, is equipped with tempurpedic mattresses to ensure a quality nights rest in the midst of a slew of late night hot spots. Yes. It was noisy at night with folks on Rivington well after 4 AM on all 4 nights. However, because of our busy days, sleeping wasn't an issue.

Immediately after checking in, David and I, having not eaten all day, hit the streets to find some slices. After eating some official NYC pizza, I took some time to snap some shots in our area.

Thursday evening found us dining with David's friends Max and Ariane at a little Mexican restaurant called La Esquina. Being from both LA and Phoenix (aka the land of the worlds best Mexican food), we were hesitant to do Mexican in NYC. However, we were persuaded fairly easily to go and both enjoyed our food and the amazing atmosphere. After such a long day, we walked home through Little Italy and called it a night around 11PM.

The next morning found me wishing I had my camera with me. The reason I did not? I laced up the Asics and hit the streets by foot to experience the finest city running any zip code could offer. On foot, I travelled almost 7 miles that took me through the lower eastside, by the Hudson, into the city's civic center and eventually onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Incredible! Running up to the arches of the bridge was one of the highlights of the trip for me. And the desire for my camera? This hit when I came across several padlocks latched on to the bridge's arches in clusters. After close inspection, I saw that there were lover's inscriptions on the locks and through the internet, learned that the keys had been ritually thrown into the river.

Sneak Peak: NYC

Because our returning flight from NYC arrived around midnight last night (following an 11 AM checkout) and I wound up working a pretty full day today (following a necessary 6 AM wake up time), a proper post about the trip will have to wait until tomorrow. After arriving home from work today to and walking Frito to the churro truck, the combo of sugar and severe lack of sleep hit. I crashed and woke up at 11:30. I leave you with this fun-filled image from Katz Deli.....full of going-ons.....an apt metaphor for this weekend. Til tomorrow..........

n.b. while the pastrami at Katz was killer....it also was the catalyst for a killer migraine. too many nitrates this weekend. pastrami, sausages at breakfast, sausage at Otto.....the list continues.