holy sheeeeeeeeeet...
two good friends, jodi and lexi, and myself refer to ourselves as "the tripod"... you might ask why? well, that's an entirely different story that isn't on today's agenda.
currently 2/3 of "the tripod" is in nepal and about to live the adventure of a lifetime...
i am the 1/3 that remains in the states... left with only the adventures of jodi's diary blog, email/picture updates and the dreams that come at night.
jodi took a leave of absence from work and began 3 months of asian travel. yesterday, lexi joined jodi in pokhara. today marks day one of a twelve day hike that will lead them to the annapurna base camp.
proof lexi made it safely to pokhara...to read more about the trekking itinerary check out lexi's blog entry titled 99 days...
to za and trix: i wish you both nothing but amazing discoveries and safe travels. i couldn't be more excited for you!
(and btw..."holy sheeeeeet, bring me back something sweet").
heart you, love you, l-o-v-e you!
-Gates
mr. rodgers neighborhood...
sunday night october 24, 2010
oh how i LOVE to still see brett favre completing passes to the packers!!
GO PACK GO!
"me is puke cityy"...
it's official: i've ended my gym relationship with the ex-marine, vegan obsessed, religious trekking, always business and no fun attitude-y, morning cranky, non-sports fan... aka: trainer dave.
but don't fret... i'm a bit of a gym relationship floozie and i have already gotten myself into another! HOLLA!
ali jeske is in a relationship with trainer art.
meet art: he's mid-50s, has 5 sisters, avid sports fan, loves life, has a sarcastic sense of humor to match my own, agrees that drinking beer isn't always a bad thing, cracks jokes with me about my ex-gym relationship and looks like anderson cooper. and really, who doesn't love anderson cooper?
wednesday, october 20, 2010
8am - 930am
workout #1
workout completed at this point: 3 mile run, bench press, tree huggers, chest press punchers, lat pull-downs, swimmers, rows, ab twisters, crunches, leg press, step-ups, lunges...
the conversation went like this:
me: (as i'm about to finish my 3rd set of lunges and pooped out) "last...set..."
anderson cooper: "about that, how ya feeling?"
me: (pauses) "i kinda feel a little throw-upy"
anderson cooper: "really?"
me: "well no, i'm just a little spitty..."
anderson cooper: "spitty? i don't know what that means"
me: "basically it means my next stop is puke city"
anderson cooper: (giving me the 'fingers across the throat' sign) "we're done, lets sit down"
update: after a re-fueling breakfast, i'm back to my non-spitty self. i'll be saying my prayers before bed that the DOMS doesn't kick in overnight cause tomorrow morning's workout is coming up quick (for you non-medical fielders out there.... DOMS = delayed onset muscle soreness. and DOMS ain't pretty)
**for some blog readers, this is your SECOND ali/"me is puke cityy" run in...
let's recap: a few years ago when i was living in auburn, alabama. there was an extremely wild night out on the town to a club which later burned down (to which i'm fairly certain we are not responsible for) that included a century club pre-game, a bouncer "encounter", more drinks and probably some shots, a fool-proof plan to re-enter the bar after being kicked out, a really bumpy car ride, and lets be honest but who really knows, probably some skybar. the following morning, i may or may not have awakened to find myself in pjs, clothes folded neatly, teeth brushed, face washed, laying on my pillow in front of the toilet, cuddling with my camera and cell phone.
(mom, you must be so proud right now... :))
somewhere during the night's shenanigans i apparently got "spitty" and felt it was necessary to mass-text a few friends with the message "me is puke cityy".
to know the un-edited edition...i wasn't a blogger then sooo....welp, guess you had to be there :)
this blog is dedicated to: steve jenkins, jared white, steph bennett and jess tanner. without you all, this night would not have been possible. weegle weegle, my friends...
random schmandom...
i've been feeling a little "under the weather" the past few days and have been doing some extra lounging around... i've read a lot, slept more and done a lot of thinking. (WARNING: those who get faint with hearing about bodily fluids and/or functions, please skip the rest of this paragraph...) thinking about things other than the razorblade that is scratching at the back of my throat, the phlegm that i'm about to hack up, my rumbling stomach, or the snotty plugs in my nose that are making me a current perma mouth-breather. i hate mouth-breathing.
to take my mind off of my current unpleasantries, i've come up with yet another list....
without further adieu...
in no particular order...
74 random things that make me happy.
homemade birthday cards
waking up in a tent
tapping to the beat
waterproof shoes
the little things
sleeping on a plane
a four-leaf clover
fluffy slipper socks
broadway show matinees
university book stores
dark blue sky
simple decisions
a freckled nose
clean language
flannel sheets
a moment that lasts forever
an evening rain
homecoming weekend
the winning touchdown
watching your favorite movie
toasting marshmallows in the fireplace
thank you notes
stovetop popcorn
embracing change
darts at the pub
the aurora borealis
pigs in a blanket
all dressed up and somewhere to go
laughing at a bad joke
a light snow at bedtime
stars in the winter sky
good team morale
some time to yourself
homemade christmas ornaments
extra pickles on the side
believing in magic
lounging in a bathrobe
hot chocolate with honey
a quirky sense of humor
wearing a vest
roadside mailboxes
mother nature showing off
cut-your-own christmas tree farms
uproarious laughter
a walk after dinner
parades
the world as a classroom
sleeping in
before-bed rituals
home for the holidays
new pennies
mental snapshots
a day to recharge
chapstick
sepia-toned photographs
small-town life
reading the classics
screaming for your team
hayrides and hoedowns
an evening home alone
learning what you study
a window table
music from your high school years
the perfect toaster setting
a morning happily “wasted”
soy candles
fireside conversations
a great hiding place
sloppy joes and potato chips
waiting your turn
a refill without asking
embracing your geekiness
friends of friends
a favorite old quilt
it's a bloggers world... (part 2)
last time i shared my fascination inside the blogging world by listing my favorite blogs, all with the hopes that some of my favorites might become some of your favorites...
i listed my nine favorites: two friends, three comedic authors, one fictional character and two randoms.
however, after a shocking turn of events... i now have ten blogs i regularly follow: THREE friends, three comedic authors, one fictional character and two randoms.
my third friend:
jami twork's i'm kind of a big deal
about: by popular demand, jami has decided to start a blog. she's a class of 2000-er menominee maroon, she's my long-distance running buddy, she's a mom of two, she's the wife of THE hometown hero i blogged about earlier, she's a list-lover like myself, she's a scary movie connoisseur, and she's more obsessed with reality tv and celebrity gossip than TMZ. so if you are into any of that, great! jump on into the world of jami.... i hear she's kind of a big deal.
it's a bloggers world...
sure i have my own blog but i'm also a regular follower to a few others. nine others, to be exact... two friends, three comedic authors, one fictional character and three randoms.
maybe some of my favorites will be some of your new favorites...two friends...miss alexisabout: she's alexis. she grew up in a small town in northeastern wisconsin but now resides in chicago. she's a planner and organizer who makes a living as an interactive project manager. she's sensitive, yet secure; often quiet, but sometimes bold; independent, creative and spiritual. she enjoys exploring new places, being outside, trying new foods, a glass of wine and a good book or magazine.
albers in asia
about: she's jodi. after finishing grad school this past summer, jodi thought it would be a great time to fulfill a dream of traveling for an extended period of time (without having to go to school!) and explore new areas that she might not otherwise have the chance to see on a shorter, one or two week vacation. jodi's company gave her a leave of absence and she decided to embark on a 12 week, 7 country adventure throughout asia this fall. she'll be returning to chicago at the end of the year after spending christmas at home with her family (and friends...aka me). in the meantime, follow albers...in asia.
three comedic authors...
laurie notaro: the republic of dresses
about: laurie notaro was born in brooklyn, new york, and raised in phoenix, arizona, where she created something of a checkered past. she packed her bags for eugene, oregon, once she realized that since she was past thirty, her mother could no longer report her as a teenage runaway. she loves collecting vintage patterns from the 30's to (some of) the 70's. she started sewing in may of 2009 and now her dining room looks like a sweatshop. she is a terrible typist and lives under an assumed name in eugene, oregon where her neighbors believe she is writing about them, but she is not. she has a cute dog, a nice husband and misses mexican food like a limb lost to diabetes.
laurie's humorous memoirs:
*the idiot girl's action-adventure club: true tales of a magnificent and clumsy life
*autobiography of a fat bride: true tales of a pretend adulthood
*i love everybody (and other atrocious lies): true tales of a loudmouth girl
*we thought you would be prettier: true tales of the dorkiest girl alive
*an idoit girl's christmas: true tales from the top of the naughty list
*there's a (slight) chance i might be going to hell: a novel of sewer pipes, pagaent queens, and big trouble
*the idiot girl and the flaming tantrum of death: reflections of revenge, germophobia, and laser hair removal
*spooky little girl: a novel
jen lancaster: jennsylvania
jen is from the land of the free. home of the bitter.
the historical jennsylvania timeline:
november 1967 - the birth of jen (governors are BORN not made, you know.)
read her books and follow her blog and witness governor jen and her rise to power...
jen's books:
*bitter is the new black: confessions of a condescending, egomaniac, self-centered, smartass, or why you should never carry a prada bag to the unemployment office
*bright lights, big ass: a self-indulgent, surly, ex-soroity girl's guide to why it often sucks in the city, or who are these idiots and why do they all live next door to me?
*such a pretty fat: one marcisist's quest to discover if her life makes her ass look big; or, why pie is not the answer
*pretty in plaid: a life, a witch, and a wardrobe, or, the wonder years before the condescending, egomanical, self-centered smart-ass phase
*my fair lazy: one reality television addict's attempt to discover if not being a dumb ass is the new black, or a culture-up manifesto
lisa delaney: former fat girl
about: lisa delaney was 70 pounds overweight with a sputtering career and a non-existant love life when an epiphany involving a half-gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream made her vow to change it all - for good. now, 20 years later, lisa is a successful writer and editor of a national magazine, has run 10 marathons, is fearless in front of a crowd - or a camera - and is married to the man she loves. oh, and she wears a size 2.
one fictional character...
about: barney stinson is a fictional character created by carter bays and craig thomas for the cbs television show "how i met your mother", portrayed by neil patrick harris. barney stinson is a man who likes to create crazy situations and then sit back and watch it all go down. barney is a confident womanizer in his early thirties who almost always wears a suit, likes women with daddy issues, tends to be opportunistic and manipulative, always willing to offer his (sometimes hypocritical) opinion, is proud/subborn and attempts to stand by his word no matter what, lives by the "bro code" - his own code of rules, is an illusionist, tells elaborate (and completely false) stories about himself, is highly competitive, and will take on "challenges" to complete (sometimes) outlandish tasks in order to prove his worth. barney enjoys manicures, and has an extensive knowledge of designer labels and gourmet foods. he just wants people to like him, to be important to people, and to have disciples who follow his word.
three randoms...
for the love
about: attorney by day, suzy homemaker by night. legally (if not naturally) blonde, addicted to diet coke, prone to parentheticals, shoe obsessed, an ina garten imitator, tv junkie and lover of all things preppy.
i had enormous bangs
about: bored, white, blogger.
claims "if having ENORMOUS bangs is wrong, i don't wanna be right..."
i take photos in the bathroom
about: who is this chick? a girl. a legal career. a credit card. and a crappy collection of iphone photos. this blog was written completely on her own time with the help of modern technology, the magical scheduled-posting function, PDAs (of the iphone variety - not the too-much-smoochy variety), lunch breaks, mellowcreme pumpkins, and tiny elves in fur caps.
MAROONS! MAROONS! MAROONS!
most of you know i'm all about a "hometown hero"... and lucky for me, one of my good friends is married to one of menominee's all-time top 5! so today when she brought this newspaper article to my attention, of course i had to share it with everyone.
maroons old and young, in honor of this being maroons vs flivvers rivalary week, today's hometown hero shout out goes to...nathan twork
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9/23/2010 |
|
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By TOM KAESER |
and now a little blast from the past:
once a maroon, always a maroon...
happy trails to me...
let's recap: looking back at my "murtagh list" (thank you ted mosby) you'll notice one of the items on my list is to "help 7 people cross something off their "list"" and another is to "run a marathon (my plan: train for another half and finish in a respectable time. then buck up, train some more, and conquer the full)"
why that's all relevent: well, my friend jami also has a "bucket list" of her own. and on her list you'll find a similar "to run a marathon" goal.
the idea: i'll cross two things off my list and in the process i'll help jami cross something off her list.
the plan - step one: i introduced jami to a book that a few friends and i have used to run 1/2 and full marathons in the past. (the book is pictured below)
the plan - step two: about two weeks ago jami and i became long-distance running buddies. we journal our runs and thoughts to each other about 4 times a week. jami even has some fancy spreadsheet where she logs her miles, distance covered, running time and calories burned. (let's call her the "over-achiever" of our group.) we are starting off with a steady base of 2-4 miles for each run. we'll get comfortable for a few months then begin the 16-week training program found in the book.
goal race: green bay's "touch the tundra" sponsored by cellcom
race date: may 15, 2011
the book: the non-runner's marathon trainer
co-authors: david whitsett, forrest dolgener, tanjala kole
printed on our bookmark is the following: RUNNINGyou don't stand in front of a mirror
and wonder what the road
will think of your outfit.you don’t have to listen to its jokes
and pretend they are funny
in order to run on it. it would not be easier
to run if you were dressed sexier.the road doesn’t notice
if you’re not wearing lipstick.it does not care how old you are.
you do not feel uncomfortable
because you make more money than the road.and you can call on the road
whenever you feel like it...
whether it’s been a day
or even a couple of hours
since your last date.the only thing the road cares about
is that you pay it a visit
once in awhile…
for those of you curious how day one went...4.2 miles/47 minutes
post-run i was thrilled (sarcasm implied)...see for yourselves...
so stay tuned, my friends... i will be using my blog to keep myself motivated. and, of course, to complain about being sore, the blisters and all the other joys and mishaps i come across along the way.
weegle weegle war damn eagle...
i will never fully understand why under armour never picked up this video...
in my opinion... this would have been a killer commercial. and i should be collecting royalties...
haley... if you are out there "heeeey yaaaaa'll, this one's for you" :)
friday night funny...
the video below was just brought to my attention. (thank you, lexi)
i can't stop watching... and can't quite figure out why...
there is a strange and hilarious attraction to this kid's abnormally large head.
and i'd put money on the fact this kid also has one heck of a lisp.
i'd love your thoughts on the matter...





