A Court of Cori & Her Little Life [See What I Did There?]

Another off-and-on super rainy day today... *meh.

At one point today, I looked under my desk and realized that the girl who lives there, is way cooler than me. Hah. I really need to take things home, but it made me chuckle at the fact that I could very well introduce myself for the most part, using just the contents beneath my desk. I don't know if that's sad or not, but it's true no less. 

hi, i'm cori.

After work, it was straight to the gym. I've been intentionally silent about the past several months of gym endeavors, mainly because I didn't have anything to say. I'm definitely not an all-the-time gym selfie person, but I came to another milestone tonight and for my own benefit, I need to stop and recognize it. I've admitted to myself that I wasted a lot of time last year avoiding awareness of my body and what it's always been capable of, and just before Thanksgiving last year when I set foot back in the gym for the first time in a couple years, I promised myself I wouldn't ever let it get to a point where I was starting over, again, like I pretty much am now. 

With that being said, I pushed myself a little further tonight, just to the edge - just to that fine line before I sacrificed form for safety - I don't cross that line. I was able to bump up weights in a few areas and felt like my bum shoulder [and its metal plate & 9 screws] was actually ready and willing to go along with me tonight. I still look like a Maple tree trunk with twigs for arms, but the goal is to balance that out by Summer, and I am dead set on that happening. 

one day at a time ♥

 AND, I finished ACOMAF! [A Court of Mist and Fury]

photo cred: instagram @queen.aelin.galathynius

I borrowed this shot from an Insta user because it's beautiful, and as I closed ACOMAF tonight, I realized that this was, for me, one of the most poignant chapters in the entire book. It's the only chapter seen through Rhysand's eyes, and the way that author has built these characters into the iron-clad, devastatingly loyal family that they are, is heartbreaking in a way. Between Lord of Shadows and A Court of Wings and Ruin both coming out in May, I'm not sure which one I'm more excited to have maybe not or maybe definitely already pre-ordered. As of tonight, I'm kind of leaning towards ACOWAR. 

OH, and ya'll were definitely right; Tamlin's not all he's cracked up to be. Rhysand on the other hand... :) 

Happy almost hump day! 

xo | cms 

Refreshed

Every so often, there comes a day when my skin feels especially like my own, and I feel an added amount of gratitude for it. Today was one of those days. I'm not really sure what it was, other than that God knows the things I need, when I need them.

24 jan 2017

I was in the middle of a midday decompression (aka, lunch hour), and caught myself in the mirror of a dressing room for what felt like the first time at all today. The vertical mirror lights reflected off my eyes and for a split second, it registered that I looked very cat-like. I laughed and took a selfie, because that's what you do in those situations, right?

It wasn't until almost 6 hours later that I finally posted the thing, and the response I got was a quick but real reminder of how the encouragement I needed would come from a handful of strong, empowering women that I have the privilage to know in both real life and through their social media feeds. Another friend from years gone by also surfaced - one who, as part of an even smaller collection of people, stood by me through some of my weirdest years in college, as I grappled with my identity as an adopted Asian-American. It's not to say that I don't feel good on other days, but even with compliments and positivity trickling back in, I felt as humbled as ever by the notion that a simple selfie could prompt others to speak words of light and positivity.

That's what it is, really. It's the constant flow of negative energy that has clouded my social media feeds. It's the uncertainty for our future that weighs on our shoulders - some more visibly than others. It's the division that we see broadcasted across the country, and the fear that we try our best to swallow or ignore, that we are as a country, heading towards complete and absolute self-implosion. It's those thousands of voices that creep into my head when I least expect them to, and I start to lose sight of my own course and the one true voice of reason that really matters.

I went to the gym with this newly-recovered momentum of confidence, and was approached by another person to share the circuit I was doing. I gladly did so, since it had been shared once with me. Another encouraging moment. I finished an exhausting workout and headed home to a protein bar, dinner and my Bible:

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ::2 Timothy 1:7::

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ::1 Thessalonians 5:11::

I know this entry is a bit all-over, but as I've said a dozen times before - I love ya'll, but these entries are as equally for my own reference at any given point tomorrow or next year, when I need to be reminded of where my feet and heart stood at any particular time.

And today I feel refreshed. A little lighter in body, heart, soul and mind. A little stronger. A little better than I was yesterday, and a little more confident that I am empowered to be empowering. My hope is that each of you beautiful people out there can find the same peace, and then share it in your own world.

Good Night!
xo | cms

Cable Work ;)

Here's the exact three stages of my gym time today: 

1: SUPER READY LET'S GO BECAUSE GAINS DON'T HAPPEN IF I STAY HOME ON THE COUCH! 

and also, who's coming with me?!

2: Doing the work. This is one of my favorite little burners, and although I kinda lost count during the video, I would recommend doing at least 3 sets, with 10 walking out and 10 walking back. Deep squat and try to keep your back straighter than I did here :p. The resistance band makes me concentrate on not letting my knees bow in or my feet lance out, and the ankle weights are there because I forgot to take them off before I started. Yes, they look silly and no I don't care....

3: Two hours later, after my legs have sworn off the rest of my body and I almost wrecked twice going home because said legs were too tired to drive...

this is standard for me.

I don't usually post gym-related things, but after just a couple months, I'm feeling the results of what I've done so far, and I'm not about to stop there. But yeah, I'm wiped. ZzZ. 

xo | cms

It Is What I Make It!

I have a traditionally long-standing love-hate relationship with Monday. I know I'm not alone. 

One of my staff called off today, so the first thing that welcomed me was the unexpected re-arrangement of original plans, postponed until tomorrow. There's nothing quite like an 8AM surprise like that..

(Can we?) 

Since I know that answer is no, I do what the rest of us do: grin & choose to make the best of what is in front of me. And today, that was MONDAY. The good news though, is that in the middle of the madness, we were able to coordinate a FULL HOUR [saywhatomg?!] for lunch, for each of us today. That's saying a lot, because around here, that's not a real thing, so when we're able to indulge ourselves for the full hour, it's a nice change of pace. 

lunch break!

After work, I checked the work load at the door and headed out to pick up my favorite little shopper's assistant: 

notice the sign back there: they're real! :D

Monday evenings at our house are usually uneventful, and tonight thankfully followed suit. We spent the evening being present with each other, and I realized in our little living room that I have everything I need in this rocky little thing called life. My day was challenging, but at the end of it, I'm home, in our house, with my family. It's a side note, but I feel like a drop of gratitude doesn't hurt, especially on a Monday. I have not earned these things, and I do not deserve them.. and I am wholly thankful for them. 

And I am also thankful for the second season of Shadowhunters, which allots for an hour of my Monday evening each week for the next 11-12 weeks now. Tonight we finally got to see MAIA!

maia roberts | alisha wainwright

Yes, yes, YES GIRL.

Oh, and to top it off, after small fry went to bed, Mama got up and went to the gym. I have no idea what came over me, other than that I am fully determined to get back to my college soccer body. I'm not sure if I'll come out on the other side as exactly that, but I'm gonna be close. 

it's not much, but we're workin' on it... #shoulderday

Whew. It's late, I'm tired, and tomorrow is Tuesday. 

Ciao! 

xo | cms

Work. Oh, Yeah, That Too :)

 My picking this book up is Britta's fault. I want to share the spoilers with everything and everyone within earshot, because I love it so much. Today, I purposefully toted it to work with me, and enveloped myself in a half hour of stillness on my lunch break to continue reading. I'm nearly finished, which makes me sad in its own way, but it's a familiar feeling I have with so many of my favorite books.

lunch break reads♥

With work checked off the day's list, it was time to get home and get back to the gym.
I haven't worked out since 2016. [heheh..] < It's corny, I know, and we're in the first month of not 2016, but the sinus infection that I had last week would've made for quite the scene of me wheezing and eventually/inevitably either passing out or vomiting all over the equipment. BUT, now I'm back, feeling my face again [which is a relic I don't appreciate until it's impossible to do, I've realized], and ready to get back on track with the task of hunting down all.ze.gains. ALL ZE GAINS.

cashed.

Whhhheeew. I'm spent. Not a bad way to end hump day.
We're on the home stretch now - two more days til the weekend! :)

xo | cms

Bright Eyes, Beats & Box Jumps

I started off today in a way that I've never done before: Working out at CYOFL with Jessica!

If you don't know what CYOFL is, it's Create Your Own Finish Line, owned and operated by the one and only Jessica G! She's hardcore when it comes to fitness, but not in the maniacal way that you'd think. This girl is all about working everything, from the inside out, so the details that will ultimately make or break your body don't go overlooked: posture, form, balance, flexing, stability muscles, breathing... all of it. I don't have enough good things to say about this girl's work, but if you feel inclined to check her out, you should totally DO IT!

let's do it! 

I'll even make it easy for you: CLICK HERE to see it on Facebook!

Anyway, I arrived and we got started, with some trampoline running, planks, pull ups, TRX, deadlifts and of course.. box jumps. My personal favorite :) 

That is not a bad way to start off the day; I will say that.
I'll say this: nothing kick starts a day like a workout, especially when you're in the right company, with the right music, and of course the right exercises to kick your butt! ;)

Today = Owned.
Tomorrow? Bring it On. ♥

xo | cmd

Uh Huh...

Marianne sent me this via Pinterest today:

Guys.. I can't. The truth in this is that I need this logo'd over everything I own. I need this. For sure.

Instead of wearing that around like I wanted to today, I took the expected route and went to work, then the gym, and then home... [rinse & repeat, amiright?]

Dinner was an easy selection, and part of what I love about workouts: less guilt on the carb side...

spaghetti carbonara

^ That's a stock photo; tonight we used veggie noodles and did not take a moment in the space between the stove and shoving it in our mouths to photograph. Noted, for next time though.

Phewwwwwwww.... yeah.
See ya tomorrow!

xo | cmd

Seeester & Nieeeester Birthdays | Hickies!

If you read that title, you're immediately asking what HICKIES have to do with... whatever the rest of that supposedly says.

I'll start from the beginning:

TODAY is my dear sister's birthday!
It is ALSO her daughter Cynthia's birthday, because they are special that way and share the same birthday! I think it's pretty daggone cool ♥

♥♥ happy birthday, beauties!! ♥♥

Today was gorgeous. The sun was out all day, but wasn't scorching. Elisa and I made a mini trip out on lunch to Michael's and Fusion, where we made a celebrity spotting of President Ono! [If you don't know who that is.... his first name (for real) is Santa, and I'll leave it up to you to see why he's a person of much-deserved respect here in our community.]

santa ono 

He is pretty freakin' awesome. Let's just be honest. I'm proud to be an alumni of UC, based on his presence there alone... even if he wasn't the president when I was there. Let's not split hairs ;).

I stayed a little later at work than I typically would, but felt accomplished for it and headed home with just enough extra oomph to get myself changed and ready for the gym. It didn't hurt that I'd bought these a week or so back.. and they arrived today!

my new hickies!

^ Funky name, awesome invention. I put them on a trial run for tonight's workout, and won't be looking back to traditional laces anytime soon. Thumbs up to these guys on an awesome little hack that I'll be sporting for the rest of my gear, if at all possible!

At home, Rob made a quick sell off some Craigslist postings; he's all about divesting extra stuff for the Summer, and I'm pretty happy with that choice, too. He also managed to get the front yard mowed, along with a few other miscellaneous things; I got dinner reared up and tackled a few planning things for a certain special date in 2016 ;)..

Needless to say, it's been a successful Monday. See you tomorrow!

xo | cmd

My BiPolar City

Here's the course of a typical day here in Norwood [& really, in all of Cincinnati]:

8:00 AM. 

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

11:15 AM

1:45 PM

3:45 PM

Get the drift? 

If there's one thing you've got to accept and not fight living in the midwest, it's the weather. Seriously. We're about as close to bipolar as you can get without professional intervention. 

Fortunately, I have a collection of a few thousand of my closest friends here in Cincinnati who get the joy of suffering through all of this together. 

Now PICK ONE, CINCI. 

xo | cmd

Grown-Up Calamity Days? Nope. :/

Guess who got all dressed up today, and then had nowhere to go?

rub it in.. just ruuuub it in, kiddo.. haha

It was a cold one today. When it's this cold, the kiddos don't go to school. I'm know I'm not the only one who remembers this happening in my childhood just about ... NEVER.

Guess who got to spend a large part of her afternoon traipsing through the remnants of this beautiful weather? [Although said she didn't actually mind it.... ]

i love my job! ♥  

With the snow overflowing out of my wheel wells [& just about everywhere else in the city], I voted for a change of pace for the evening; instead of bundling up, I went a few layers lighter for a quick circuit at the gym with Rob beforewe decided on dinner. The snow had set in heavy by the time we wrapped up at the gym, so at the last minute it was decided that we'd stop somewhere on the way home:

nom nom nom

Phew.
It's still snowing! I imagine this will be fun in the morning, so I'm calling it a night for now.. Be SAFE out there, blogbots!!

xo | cmd

Monday in Corinthians (:

Today came and went in a flash. At work, it felt like we moved at one, consistently frantic pace all morning, and when I stopped to check the time, it was 4:15. Am I complaining? No (:

I ran a couple of errands after work before meeting up with Rob at the gym for a pretty good leg session. We stopped to grab a couple things at the grocery store afterwards, came home and made some chicken noodle soup, and now we're here, unwinding.

And I just dug into some scripture that one of my best friends now has tattooed on her arm because of how much she loves it. This happes to come out of the book of Corinthians, from which my first name also was derived [thanks, Mom & Dad!], and I can easily see why Ali loves this so much.

"For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory"
- 2 Cor 3:10

my dear friend ali's new tattoo!

There are a lot of ways to mull this one over; of course the first would be in context with the way it was written [go, go read the rest of it!], but for me, it's a concise reminder that the things of today hold no candle to the final prize for our faith. I'm definitely built in the human mold, so it's easy for me to lose sight of the fact that the here-and-now is temporary in contrast to the eternal glory of the Lord we serve.

It's Monday.
Deep breath, recite it.
Repeat.
Go. (:

Love you, blogbots.
Make it a great week!

xo | cmd

New Family Members!

... The Express family, that is.

Today we opened our office to a couple who will be the newest members of the Cincitucky Express family [Cincinnati + N.KY]. They'll be taking over a territory that was vacated by another owner a year or so back; today we welcomed them to our office to conduct interviews for their first staffing consultant.

welcome to the express fam!

Quick rewind to this morning... just really quick:

ohio.

^ Ohhhhhio, STOP IT!
Yeah, that's snow. Yeah, it was like, I dunno, almost 60 yesterday? Yeah, it's April. I know I'm not alone in wishing this crap would just..... go..... away. *Sigh. Mother Nature- 1, Ohioans Wishing for Warm Weather - 0.

Anyway, we lightened the drab start with the new owners; that's a special occasion for us, which also means food. If there's one unspoken Express standard, it's the provision of food at everything that could be considered a gathering. Shoot, we have office lunches here every single Friday. Today it was Chris bringing donuts, a pot of coffee to go around, and a bowl of greek yogurt+berries+honey. Nom, nom freakin' nom!


beauty in a bite!

After work, it was off to start my Easter preparation. That meant a trip to the dollar store to pick up a collection of plastic eggs, miscellaneous little trinkets and toys to fill them, some last-minute things for Syd's Easter basket and a few other things. I may have gone slightly overboard this year, but hey... that's the fun part!

Happy Tuesday, friends!

xo | cmd

Defying The Monday Gravity (:

Here's a good sign it might be Monday:

hello, monday.

^ Main artery roads closed on the morning commute? Sure. Detours? Sure. Hello, Monday....

Today consisted of off-and-on rain for the better part of the 8-to-5, which always proves to challenge our productivity, but we managed to finish everything. The upside of a rainy day is the lack of desire to go anywhere for lunch. Fortunately, I'd prepared in advance not for the dreary day, but for a new week of healthier office eating. That's right... my mason jar salads are baaaaack!:

happy lil' mason jar!

I was most excited for an after-work trip to the gym with Rob; it's rare that the two of us can coordinate our schedules like this after work. We plowed through a solid workout, which happens to be the first time he and I have done this together. (:

rendezvous!

Oh, and we have had leftovers from the weekend, so guess who didn't have to cook tonight! ;)

This soggy little Monday didn't turn out so bad after all. It's hard to believe that Easter is this weekend, though. Whoa. I have some preparation to do!

xo | cmd

"She Is Not Her Circumstance"

Two things for today:

 

➊

I read something absolutely beautiful today. It was simple, and I felt so compelled to share it that I wanted to do so across all fronts, including here.

If you have a spare couple of minutes, read THIS.
It's a simply-written entry by "Erika," one of many writers for the Christian-based blog, A Deeper Story. I have read a few entries there, authored by various writers, and just added them to my following list. Erika shares an encounter that could have amounted to nothing, had she ignored the opportunity to bless herself with the time spent with her new friend, Diamond. You'll have to read the whole thing for that to make sense, but I'll warn you, it's something of a tear-jerker.

I read this, over and over.. and let the words mull around in my brain for a little while. I picture Diamond, a girl whose distorted sense of direction in this world was positioned that way before she had a chance to learn up from down. I picture her as a child, gathering in the world from the vantage point of a child born to drug addicts, to whom she was likely a fleeting priority, if not a nuissance most days. I envision her crying herself to sleep on the nights when she desperately ached to have a strong, sheparding arm guiding her back to a place of hope and comfort, and I am honestly sad. My heart hurt for her as I read that. I see a teenage girl with a skewed sense of self-worth, giving herself over to lustful temptations because she's never learned how to deny them. A child raising a child, and then two, and then three. And then losing them because she is following her parents' footsteps of addiction and disappointment. I see the world meeting her for the first time at the end of a bad day; she's now an adult and the culmination of her entire life up to this point is nothing she could ever explain to someone in the few seconds it takes for them to form an opinion of her. We see Diamond every day, whether it's obvious or subtle.

Reality check.
We are NOT called to decide who does and doesn't "deserve" grace and mercy from us while we are on this earth. By what standards are we going to be measured when we're gone, anyway? The stuff we've collected while we were here? No. The amount of money left in our bank accounts? No.

Our legacy will be measured and defined
by the impact on those left to share it for us.

 

Whoa, is right. I can't look at my daughter and ever imagine her wanting for something that to me seems so ... obvious. Like a hug. Or a safe place to sleep at night. Or for me, as her mother, to keep the world at bay for her safety when I am supposed to. No, I can not imagine that. Nor can I imagine my own life being so upside-down that the idea of stability is just about foreign, something I dream about at night but have little hope of ever actually achieving. There is a very important, pretty much cardinal reminder here: Whether you exercise an open-mind because of your faith, or if you choose to do it solely out of the concept of encouraging another person rather than berate them, just... do it. When we're little, we think we'll live forever. We won't, but there's still enough time to make it count. ♥

And..

➋

I was met in real-life with the perfect illustration that she in fact is not her circumstance. This coincidentally happened on the same day that I read that blog entry up there ^^. I'm sure there's no real coincidence in it all, more of a chronological unfolding of life-application, if you will. I wasn't quite sure how to condense the situation into a brief blurb, but I did what I could:

rant... rant.

^ Now, a couple of things.
First, I was floored by the number of people who chimed in on this. I left the gym pretty ruffled over the whole ordeal, especially since I blew my chance to say something when I should've. They disappeared just a few minutes into my run, and after I was finished, I did a full lap around the place in search of neon matching yoga pants outfits, but they were nowhere to be found. Second, I am sorry. To the woman working out, I wish I would've just paused my workout to drop a line of reality to those two. I think I'm even more burned by my not doing that when I had the chance to do it. It's like one of those times when you've already had an altercation with someone and you spend the next three hours re-playing the list of I-wish-I-would've-said-THAT-comeback's. Yeah, that is exactly what I'm still doing, like, almost five hours later. GRRRRRRRRR.

Tomorrow's a new day, and if I happen to spot them again, hopefully 1] they're actually working out this time, because frankly it's annoying to be dripping sweat while wondering why the person next to you is there in the first place, and 2] I'll be able to speak a reminder of grace to them in an actual graceful way, as opposed to how I probably would've said it today. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't open my mouth; I'm not prone to merciful deliveries in a state of aggravation like that [i.e, things on which I am trying to improve, constantly]. We'll see.

///////endrant.

I'm still fueled about the whole thing. Sorry. I can't seem to let this go. Even while we were at dinner with Kalyn & Jess, they brought it up after having read my tirade on Facebook. I'm not really surprised, but still glad to know I'm not the only person who wanted to b-slap the perfectly-manicured smoky eyes off those two gals. Grarrrrrr...

BUT, I'll focus on this in the back of mind for the rest of the night and probably the rest of the week. Tonight, I did have a blast with Kalyn, Jess and Rob while we ate at Main Street. Chad of course waited us, which meant some time visiting with him and also Cameron, for the few minutes he poked his head out of the back.

"fat thursday! errr... tuesday... *autocorrect! ;)"
- jess

^ This pretty much summed up the table tonight: plates full of burgers, fries and drinks, to celebrate Fat Tuesday. I, not being Catholic, have always known that Fat Tuesday is the Tuesday after Mardi Gras, but never really understood the actual purpose of it. I know, sounds dumb... but, it's never too late to figure it out, which I did tonight... and it makes total practical sense. Sorry, Catholic friends.. I was just a little behind.

*Sigh. It's been a day. I'm ready to crash and do it all again tomorrow. Actually, we're scheduled to throw a Cyclones game into the mix tomorrow night, so that should be fun, too.

See you, then!

xo | cmd

The MYSTERY Home T

I am left trying to solve a MYSTERY after today.
Here's why:

I'm a huge proponent of local food, clothing, product, music and culture. My philosophy has always been "Wherever local is for you, be a part of it." That doesn't mean drastically alter your slate of beliefs or standards to fit in anywhere, but rather to become engaged in the clockwork of your community. My friends and anyone who's seen a picture of me in the past 12 months would undoubtedly recognize my Ohio Roots hoodie, that I may be wearing down to the threads by this point. [thanks to Mica!]

ohio roots ♥

Anyway, today at work, Elisa announced that I had a package delivered. She and I are so easily-excited by the delivery of things we know are coming; I couldn't remember for the life of me what would be coming, because I didn't order anything.

This....

uhhh, hello, shirt??

  ^ I opened it, thinking maybe I'd forgotten ordering something [my bank account would later tell me no... no, I did not]. In case you don't know what a Home T is, here's what Ohio's looks like:

home (:

^ No, that's not me, just in case you for some reason thought I was a super skinny white girl. If you live in the U.S., you'll probably find yours, too. I always laughed whenever I'd see these and wonder if my family still lived in Colorado like we did originally, if I'd be interested in sporting my state's silhouette everywhere [...a box]. I wonder if Wyoming kids have the same concern... Haha.

So I am... trying to figure out who sent this to me. It's my size. I haven't tried it on yet but I will. I've ruled out the original suspects, so who knows. THANK YOU to the person out there responsible for this... you are a MYSTERY!

Anyway, surprise shirts aside, Sydni and I made our first trip to the gym together tonight. I was completely oblivious to the fact that there was a Fitworks on Beechmont Avenue until I opened my eyes and saw the thing over the weekend. So... instead of skipping a full week of circuits because of the logistics of Sydni's daycare and work, we can now go in the evenings.

She loved it.
So much so, that as soon as we got home, showered and ate dinner, she was done.

my sweet, sweet girl ♥♥

It took everything for me to move her out of our bed to her own room, but almost as sweet as her sleepy little self was her favorite buddy Stella, patiently waiting for her snuggler to climb in bed with her.

I wouldn't have started this week any differently. (:
Life is good.

xo | cmd

Thundersnow & Icenadoes .. What?!

C'mon, Midwest...

..... calm down?!

We all knew, if we'd heeded at all to the predictions of the Farmer's Almanac, that this winter would be pretty brutal. At least we were warned.

Today I heard a new term: thundersnow. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, although it's pretty self-explanatory in all of its unofficial existence as a real thing. Sadly enough, it's a preeeetty accurate description of exactly what's going on in the Midwest this week. At least it is in Ohio.

We woke up today to roads that looked wet, at most.
Nope. Wet-looking roads this week are actually panels of ice disguised as drivable surfaces. Traffic everywhere was a jumbled mess of brake lights and dormant speedometers, dotted with flashing police lights to mark all of the fender benders. You win, winter.

icy roads. everywhere.

To compound the slick roadways, Cincinnati is presently suffering a plague of potholes. Between the ice and the giant tire-hating gaps, the traffic map I found of just our area alone looks... awful.


looks legit, right?

Need a street view of that?
No problem:

potholes, aka road acne

It's like a game of Frogger out there trying to navigate any local streets without bouncing in and out of these stupid things. Our poor cars :(.

Fortunately, I spent most of my day indoors with the office staff, away from the debachle that is driving around here. Lizzy even bought us lunch, because she's super sweet and generous that way.

perfecto!

^ So maybe that wasn't the best choice considering my fitness goals, but in my defense, I think I managed to at least neutralize the threat at the gym tonight. I'm feeling it for sure today, but in that satisfying way that reminds me this will all be worth it.

Staying off the roads is my mantra today, so tonight it's just relaxing with Rob & the pups.

Be safe out there, drivers!

xo | cmd

Snow. Snow Everywhere ❄❆

One of these days, I'll start paying more attention to the weather forecasts.

no, i was not prepared for this.

I stepped out back to let the dogs out and found my neighbor calf-deep in the snow in his driveway, clearing his car. Apparently I wasn't the only one caught off-guard by the white mess. I was a little upset that it all looked so powdery, and well... fun .. and instead of playing in it, we'd all be heading to work. Schools, I assumed by the trails of kids I saw toting sleds down sidewalks as I was driving in, are closed today.


it's so pretty!

The commute to work was slow but steady; thankfully Nancy pardoned us all to arrive later due to the road conditions, and as much as we just inched along, I'm certain that extra hour or so made a huge difference. I have to admit that although the roads looked like junk, it was otherwise a pretty drive. This, once again, is the midwest. This is what winters in Ohio were like from my childhood. (:

snowy roads & snow-covered trees

And then there was work... which was mildly productive in spite of the weather. Nancy treated us to lunch, so naturally there was no protesting a baked potato in the middle of the day..


guilty eats.. and it's only tuesday... haha

^ No worries, though. I made it to the gym after work and in my own pained silence, trodded away at burning off whatever I could for the day. It was leg day, so of course my lower extremeties at this point feel more like noodles than limbs, but hey..... worth it ;)

Dinner post-workout was well worth it.

ooommmm nom nom nom (:

And then, as I was checking over everything for the evening at the new digs, I peeked inside the mailbox to find that Rob had beat me to the punch in having something delivered to the house! Sneaky, that one... Apparently he ordered facemasks. I couldn't decipher a company name from the shipping address, but it doesn't really matter; they're pretty nifty.

+ jacket + helmet = alllll set!

I told him I was wearing this thing to work. In the minute or so that it took me to sport one and snap a picture, I have to admit it got a bit toasty. Oh, the stuff available to us.. hah.

Anyway, I can feel the soreness encasing my legs the more I sit here, so it's time for a goodnight stretch session and some sleep.

*Crossing FINGERS for no. more. snow tonight! ❄❆

xo | cmd