10 - friday

  

race weekend is here!  I just got back from picking up my number.  Kennedy Plaza, the start/finish line, was swarmed with race people, but inside the Westin the expo was completely empty (what was I expecting at 3:30 on friday afternoon?).  they had a massage station set up, with lots of sports masseuses standing around looking totally bored.  if I wasn't wearing a dress (how awkward), I would have totally plunked myself onto a table for a free rub-down.

so, not the world's greatest race swag, but then again, my expectations fell precipitously when I found out that the race sponsor had changed.  and the lawn gnome my mom fished out of my neighbor's trash the last time I had her over made the picture, so at least I have that going for me.

but enough about the race.  I am over the moon excited because tonight is my first PawSox game of the season!  my very good friend Olivia and I get so into the PawSox every year.  at $11/ticket for awesome seats and a fantastic ballpark (home of baseball's longest game!) who can blame us?  we got to see Kevin Youkilis from the fourth row behind home plate last season, while he was in Pawtucket rehabbing an injury.  that's just not something you can get at Fenway.  there will be fireworks after the game, too.  the weather is perfect and is supposed to stay like this all weekend.

9 - thursday

I was standing at the sink in my kitchen, finishing my coffee and loading my breakfast dishes into the dishwasher (that didn't last long empty) when I heard an ENORMOUS ruckus coming from next door.  so naturally I ran for the nearest window to see what all the commotion was.  our neighbors have a gigantic bull mastiff, Sandlot-style, named Zeus (I made that up, I have no idea what his name is, I just think he would make a good Zeus), and he was outside doing his morning business when he apparently decided, enough with this tiny backyard, today is the day I bust free and join the rest of the dogs on the other side of the fence in the dog park.  so Zeus went thundering through the fence (literally busted a hole in it), rounded up as many new dog friends as he could, and brought them all home with him.  what I witnessed was the ensuing scene - lots of Patagonia-clad, coffee-thermos clutching, embarrassed soccer moms trying to round up their dogs from this tiny yard while they all jumped all over the place and each other.  suffice it to say there was a lot of barking ("but I don't waaaant to go back to the dog park, mom!") and a lot of leash-yanking.   if I'm going to photodocument my life, I really need to get better at having my camera handy.

--

this morning is absolutely begging to have its picture taken.  it was cold when I went out for my run at 6:30 (45 degrees) but it's supposed to be in the mid-sixties all day.  the leaves are all opening so there are big, crisp shadows on everything.  blooming flowers, blue sky... simply beautiful.

I work in the same small, oceanside town were T and I both grew up, and mornings like these are especially nice on the waterfront.  I took a walk down to the docks when I got to work and snapped these pictures.  the first is the railroad bridge by the old jail, which I love, and the second is the fisherman's cove.  the rhode island clam company is right up the street from the fisherman's docks, and I love watching them dump the clams out of the nets on the trawlers, but there was all kinds of construction going on there (I felt weird taking pictures in heels and a suit while the traffic cops and construction guys were milling about.  another day.)

8 - wednesday

happiness is...

....a clean kitchen.  

I have two roommates, one of whom I'm quite sure doesn't know we have a dishwasher, and has never cleaned the apartment.. ever.  today's clean kitchen and empty dishwasher/drying rack are brought to me by me, but I am happy nonetheless.  a clean kitchen and empty dishwasher make me happy like clean, folded laundry and a freshly made bed do.  take note, t... pleasing me is THIS easy!

7 - tuesday

it was absolutely pouring rain this morning when I woke up, so I dragged myself out of bed (seriously, it was a lot of effort for 6am) and ran in the gym instead of outside.  I had planned on some cheery picture of all the things blooming outside, maybe a witty comment about "April showers," but it all kind of looked sad and soggy.

white grapefruit is my favorite food. it drives t crazy that I peel it like an orange, because it doesn't peel well and kind of makes a huge juicy mess, but I love it, and it makes me happy.  even when I have juice dripping down my chin like an 8-year old.

6 - monday

why hello there, monday morning, you snuck up awfully fast.

at least I finally got around to grocery shopping yesterday, so I could kick off the week with my Favorite Breakfast: plain greek yogurt drizzled with a half-tablespoon of organic sunflower honey, topped with granola and a handful of fresh blackberries.  love.

5 - sunday

the countdown is ON!  last week, when I was visiting T, we had this conversation:

me: let's get double downs!
t: ew, no, are you serious?
me: YES I'm serious, I want one.  if you don't get one with me I will just have to get one when I go home. (the KFC is down the street from me)
t: seriously, for your own sake, don't have one, that's gross.
me: what about after my half marathon?
t: (thoughtful pause) ok, fine.

I've found the loophole in the universe!

two important pieces of information:

first, I have been training my little behind off for the Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon on June 26.  I have also decided that 2010 is *my* year, so I've been eating very healthfully. I'm running the Cox Half Marathon next Sunday, May 2, as part of my training, and for the past 3+ years the half has been sponsored by a chicken salad company.  this year, though, it's being sponsored by a public health fitness promotion campaign called Shape Up RI.  this means no chicken salad sandwiches at the finish line, and makes me so so sad.

second, I should qualify my desire for a double down by noting that I work in a very fancy Italian restaurant, that nine times out of ten I would rather cook for myself than go out to eat, and that I am something of a gourmet ingredients snob (see also: obsession with food blogs).  but I am a complete sucker for fast food.  I had McDonald's for breakfast on Friday (what? I own up to it).  the commercials make me so hungry.  I'm like the ideal marketing demographic.  the double down has been taunting me (don't even get me started on how badly I wanted the mashed potato bowl with the corn and the cheese and the chicken and the gravy all layered on top of one another, another KFC treat that I proudly resisted caving to) and since I can't have chicken salad, I will obviously be getting a double down.

in seven days. yeah c'mon.

3 - friday

betcha didn't know I took this sniper shot while we were chatting this morning, did you?

today is the day that handsome and brave boyfriend leaves, and today's photo is if me trying not to lose it (again) as we talked this morning.  I love you and I am SO proud of you.  hurry home quick!

2 - thursday

this morning sucked.  I'm the accounts payable director/human resources manager/inventory supervisor/stuff nobody else wants to do do-er in the restaurant where I work, and I spent last week on vacation. today is the thanks I get for taking time off.  it's 11:03am.  I am (finally) eating breakfast and having coffee now, instead of my preferred 7:30, because I have been going nonstop since I got up at 6.  63 new e-mails, two computers, my crackberry, an adding machine, and a huge stack of paperwork with my name on it.

can I have vacation back now??

1 - wednesday

what a beautiful morning to start.  it's springtime in providence, and all the leaves on the trees outside my house are starting to flower and uncurl.  (thank goodness for claritin.)  I will not share the OTHER picture I took this morning, which was of my oh-so-comfortable bed, where I still wanted so badly to be instead of heading to work.

in between cameras

my last digital camera was stolen in 2007 while I was studying abroad, so I was overdue to bite the bullet and get a new one.  a couple of weeks ago I caved in and bought a new, pretty little Samsung TL105.  having not had a camera for so long, though, I've gotten lazy about taking pictures.  this forces me to get back to it :)

I admit readily that I kind of ripped off the concept for my blog from this fantastic project started between two friends, to share a photo a day for one year of their mornings, from 3191 miles apart.   my very handsome and brave boyfriend, a lieutenant in the air force, is deploying today (eeek!) for the next few months, and I loved the idea of sharing with him one picture from every day between now and when he returns. I started the project this past wednesday, our first morning apart, and will post at least a photo a day for all of our mornings in between.

this blog is also a way for me to document what is shaping up very nicely to be some of the most fun times I've ever experienced: freshman year of "real life," my first year out of college.  I'm 23, I'm having a blast, and I'm surrounded by great people all. the. time.  why not take pictures and talk about it?

(ok, it also an excuse for me to post links to some of my favorite food blogs.  it's an obsession.  but more about that another time.)

welcome to my mornings.