Month: January 2018

January Goal check in

by Ariana Peters, posted in books, food, healthy lifestyle, House/dating/life, school/studying, training

 

Blog at least 3 times a week- so I need a minimum of 14 blog posts including January 31st Actual number of posts:

PROPERLY train for and run a half, full and ultra marathon- half marathon training is up first, the minimum number of miles I need have run this month to keep up good training is- 60 miles Actual number of miles: 12, I am not made about this, leaving town and dealing with my brothers death this month has taken everything I have so I am just happy I have gotten out and moved once a week. Now the goal is to make it at least twice a week and so on and so forth.  

Revamp my diet and STICK TO IT!!!! –

Breakfast-juice and muffin or toast and coffee (most mornings I had oatmeal, which I consider healthy)

Midmorning snack- Slimfast or smoothie (slimfast or cheese and crackers)

Lunch- Soup or salad (not quite as much but most of the time it was soup or something homemade)

Dinner- Anything I want as long as it is make at home

After dinner- tea or hot chocolate

 

Did you stick to this? Overall I stuck to this about half the time, having to leave town for almost 2 weeks to deal with my brothers death certainly derailed this.

 

Get A’s in all my classes this year- Keep a running tally of my % in my class(es) Current %: 84.83, again I missed the entire first week of class so I am pretty happy with an 84 especially since A&P is a difficult class.

Drop two clothing sizes, go from a 10 to a 6 –Stick with the aforementioned meal plan and marathon training and I should be golden. How is this going? Yea right lol

Stop overspending!!!! – I am not keeping any forms of payment on me at work so that I cannot pop next door to the little market whenever the desire strikes and I only get to eat out once this month so I better choose well. Money saved: $100. I got $100 in my savings and didn’t take it out but I did go on a little spending spree after getting back from Reno and having to face real life again.

Take a few minutes every day to sit in quiet reflection, meditate, and do something spiritual –I have a 5 line a day little diary and a 366 day devotional I am starting to use. Out of 31 days I managed how many days: 12, I packed my little diary and took it to Reno with me then never unpacked it when I got home, I really need to do that.

Continue to work on and grow my relationship with Brandon – we need to get out and do something every week, we currently have Thursday evening through Sunday morning together and I don’t want us to just sit on the couch the whole weekend so my goal is at least one outing a weekend (they just need to be free outings lol)

Our 4 weekend outings:

I was out of town the first 2 weekends

Went for a trail run then hit the Tillamook cheese factory

Went out to his grandparents house

Read 1 non-school book a month- I already met that goal this month so let’s see if I can squeeze in a second one before school starts.

Books read this month: The quarter-acre farm

All in all I didn’t hit most of my goals but considering the circumstances I am ok with this. I got up everyday and kept going, I did the things I needed to do and managed to not completely tank everything. Go me!

Monday Motivation **January 29, 2017

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

(Image from google)

Monday- after work I came home and studied. I was still feeling really down so I went back and forth between studying and watching Castle episodes on Amazon.

Tuesday- After work I went straight to school to get in some last minute studying before my midterm. I tried for healthy food choices and I did ok. I packed an apple, peanut butter, cheese and crackers…..and of course an energy drink.

Wednesday- After work I had a meet and greet kind of thing with a therapist, I want to make sure I get on track and stay on track through all this stress and depression. After that I went home, cuddled in bed with my puppy and went to sleep early.

Thursday- Had lab after work. I went straight to school after work to do all my pre-lab work……had healthy snacks again, though an energy drink as well. Then the bf brought a big pizza after lab hahahaha

Friday- I had looked up and planned a trail run/hike for today but we ended up sleeping in and not really getting up and going until after noon and the hike was an hour away. I had planned to make a roast chicken for dinner so I didn’t want to bet back at 8pm and not eat until 10pm. So we ended up laying around the house for most of the day. We got out and went grocery shopping and looked for some nick-nacks for the house and ended up not getting back until 6:30 anyways so we ended up eating around 9 lol. But it turned out soooo good!!! It probably clogged our arties with the amount of butter I used but it was gooooood!!!

Saturday- We slept in again then headed out to Brandon’s grandparents house. I just love it out there!!! We relaxed and talked with them, fed the cows, had some great dinner. Then headed home around 8pm.

Sunday- I brought everything to go to the gym after work then couldn’t find my key card to actually get in the gym. Really need to find that. Hopefully that means I’ll be able to hit the gym Monday after work!

Week 3 of A&P

by Ariana Peters, posted in school/studying

Had my first midterm this week, WTF???!!! It covered 4 chapters and I spent 3 days studying for it. Normally I would study more than I did or maybe better is the right word but this is what I managed while grieving so we will see how it turns out.

I have found this great Youtube series called Crash Course that I am in love with. It is great for a quick study review, makes sure I know the big concepts and it gives great examples (in my opinion) I will definitely be using this as long as I can. Wanna learn with me? Check out the intro, epithelial tissue, integumentary system and connective tissue.

I was a little stressed about the exam but also am starting to really get interested in the subject so that is helping. I will keep you posted!

Check out crash course!!!!! They have LOTS of different subjects.

 

PS. I got an 85.5% on my exam!!!!! I would have preferred an A but I will take that since I missed the first week. And now to immerse myself in bones……….not the TV show but the information about our actual skeletal system.

2018 run calendar

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, House/dating/life, training

These are the races that Brandon and I currently have on our calendar. As I have learned things are always changing so we might end up adding or taking away from this list.

-Couples classic 5k in February

-Vortex 10k trail run in March

-Honeywagon Half marathon in April

-Banks Linear Trail Brave Run 10K in May (haven’t registered yet)

-Timberline marathon in June

-Rugged Maniac in June (we are planning to volunteer in the morning and run for free in the afternoon) (this is taking place of a July race)

-Spartan Sprint in August (again we are hoping to volunteer in the AM and run for free in the PM)

-Hardesty Hardcore 14 miler in September (haven’t registered yet)

-Defiance 50k in October

Those are the only ones officially on our race calendar but I am hoping to find a few more that we can add, for the right price. Money is really the biggest factor. Since we bought a house funds are limited and now all race entries are for 2 people instead of just one, cost is all the more important these days.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking/ Julie and Julia

by Ariana Peters, posted in books, food, House/dating/life

Hello,

As I mentioned on Monday over the weekend Brandon and I watched the movie “Julie and Julia” which I have already seen more than once and have read the book probably twice hahaha. Now that we have a house on the way to us, 7 weeks and counting!!!!! I am starting to dream about all the cooking I get to do!!!!! One of the cookbooks I really want is Mastering the Art of French cooking by Julia Child.

Since I read Julie and Julia several years I ago I have fantasized about also cooking my way through her book (except the aspics and the pates, ewww) hopefully now I will be able to do that. Look forward to some great meals in the future.

 

I am starting to get so flipping excited about planting food and cooking and eating!!!

Monday Motivation ** January 22, 2017

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

(Image from google)

Monday- was a no go day in all ways. Sunday night it hit me that I had to go back to “normal” life and that was so hard. Brandon held me while I cried and I didn’t fall asleep until 1:30-2am which made getting up at 5:40am pretty rough. Coffee was needed. I felt sick to my stomach most of the day and was holding back tears. After work I went home and just crawled into bed. I watched 5 hours of Smallville, took some melatonin and cuddled with my puppy.

Tuesday- I felt a little better and started the day off right with some carrot, celery, apple juice. Had canned soup for lunch (not the best choice but better than a lot of other choices) I had a Slimfast and a protein bar for snacks since I wouldn’t be home until almost 10pm with school but since I didn’t do anything on Monday I didn’t prep a good dinner to take to school so I ate out (Panda Express; mushroom chicken, kung pao chicken and beef and broccoli, I avoided the carbs). I tried to use moderation and the best choices possible while not breaking the bank or taking too much time away from studying.

Wednesday – I should have gone to the gym but I had no energy

Thursday – I had lab, I got McDonalds in between work and school and remembered that depression makes everything so much more difficult. We were looking at tissue samples in lab (I’ll cover that more on Friday’s post) and I am not great with the microscope and knowing what I am or should be looking at, add in that depression increases stress and I almost started crying in my lab.

Friday- I stayed in bed or on the couch most of the day. I managed to get up and go for a 1.5 mile walk with Artemis and Brandon but I know if Brandon hadn’t been there and going stir-crazy even that would not have happened. I was so tired and lethargic and just depressed all day.

Saturday was mostly a lot better. We got up and did a little day trip I had planned for us during the week. We drove out to Cape lookout and did a just under 5 mile trail run/hike. We were probably only able to run a little less than half of this because the other half was crazy muddy, had large boulders to climb over and giant tree roots to climb over. I may have fallen on my butt in the mud lol. But it was still fun and good to get out and do something. After the run/hike we hit the Tillamook cheese factory for lunch and bought a few goodies.

We got home, cleaned up and watched the movie “Julie and Julia”. I can’t wait to have a whole kitchen all to myself!!!!! I am going to cook so much!!!

Saturday night was another story, I don’t know what it is, maybe because on the weekend I don’t have to deal with it, I can turn the TV and numb the world out as long as I need but knowing I have to go back to work and face the world just seems to be breaking me each week. Once again I got into bed and all my thoughts and stresses of the coming week came forward and I cried for almost 2 hours while Brandon held me. So of course I was a Zombie on Sunday and yet I need to study for my Midterm, yes I already have a MIDTERM!!!!! How am I supposed to learn everything I need to know when I don’t want to think and when I do think I break down.

Now I remember how the thought of going to class after my dad died was so daunting. Not surprised it took me 4 years to do 2 years of classes back then.

I do not want that to happened again and certainly cannot afford to need to repeat classes so I have started looking for a therapist and/or bereavement group. I can’t fall down the black hole I did after my dad died. I am just hoping I can find some energy and motivation to get through this midterm and not bomb it.

At the end of this week I will have drank more energy drinks in 1 week than I normally drink it a year and that is just to function on a basic level.

Technically it’s the 2nd week of A&P

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, school/studying

but since I missed the 1st week while I was in Reno helping take care of all my brother’s stuff it is my first week. How, I don’t know if ironic is the right word, that I didn’t take a fall quarter class because I would miss the first week due to my Europe cruise and here I have missed it anyways. I of course talked to my lecture and lab professor (a different teacher for each) and let them know I would miss the first week, they were both understanding. My professor emailed me on Thursday and let me know there would be a quiz on Tuesday; since I got home Thursday evening and picked my book up Friday I decided to go ahead with the quiz instead of waiting, no sense in falling even farther behind.

On Tuesday after work I went straight to school to use the hour and a half-ish that I had to study for the quiz, I had done about an hour and a half of studying previous to this but since I hadn’t been to lecture I only had a vague notion about what I needed to study. The professor has office hours before class so I stopped in to introduce myself and make sure I had studied at least some of the correct things. I got a 4/5 on the quiz which is great when you think I hadn’t even been to class but slightly depressing when you realize that is only an 80%. But it is ok. Since I am still adjusting to being back and hadn’t adjusted to school yet I ended up getting panda express after talking to my professor and before class. I tried to stay away from the carbs that would make me sleepy. I got a small mushroom chicken, small beef and broccoli and small kung pao chicken.

Wednesday was a planning day, now that I have the syllabus it is time to plan out the quarter. I put reminders in my phone about tests, quizzes, and any other due dates. I also updated the calendar in my room. and did an in-depth weekly break-down. Now it is time to do any prep-work for my lab on Thursday. On Thursday again I go to school right after work to get any more prep-work I need to do and if I am ready for lab then I start on next weeks reading and work. Since I only have about 2-2.5 hours between work and school I decided the best use of that time is to just go to school and get uninterrupted studying done. At home there are too many distractions and on the weekends I am with Brandon and would like to study as little as possible when I am with him (obviously during midterms/finals that doesn’t count hahahaha)

Thursday is my first lab (well I already missed one) you can drop one lab so my first was my dropped lab, this means I have to buckle down with my labs and focus. I tend to get a little impatient in labs and rush so I need to really not do that this quarter since I already have the 1 dropped lab. And of course there aren’t many grades available in lab, there is usually a score for the whole lab which means you only get about 10 things going toward your over-all grade, that makes each grade very important.

And with that my week is over!!! I got to sleep in this morning and it’s my Saturday; and technically my 2nd week of class is already over, only 9 weeks left. Oh boy this is going to fly by, I better start studying!! and did I mention that I have been to 1 class and have a midterm on Tuesday!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Something I am going to do this weekend is get food for school/study time. As I discovered this week (and throughout the last year) I like to munch and graze while I study and in class, as I realized this I remembered that I used to make fruit and cheese plates to eat while I studied so I am going to start doing that again. That is the best thing for me to eat and do during the about 10 hours a week I will spend on campus. I think fruit, nuts and cheese will be the main staple. I might through crackers in from time to time and a protein bar here and there but that should work really well for me……and my waistline and budget as I found out this week hahaha.

 

Book Review**Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Ariana Peters, posted in books

I know I am SUPER late jumping on this bandwagon but I finally read the book (the movie is in my Netflix queue).

This was NOTHING like what I thought it was going to be, I had an idea about the book from whisperings from other people and the movie posters and stuff but it was nothing like I thought it was going to be at all.

I didn’t think it was an incredibly fast-paced book but I was still enthralled with it. It is a longer book and well written. I actually really enjoyed it. I started to read the 2nd book right away but had to stop because I was getting board with the characters, also because it doesn’t really pick up where it left off which bugged me; eventually I will pick it back up and we’ll discuss it then.

If you haven’t read it I recommend reading it, I would say this is a middle of the road book, it’s not fun smut or chick-lit but its not super intense classics like book. You want to pay attention but you can walk away and come back to it pretty easily.

The countdown is on

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, House/dating/life

House news! The house we bought currently has tenants in it, they were given 60 days notice just after the start of the year so we should be able to move in the 2nd or 3rd week of March so 8 weeks and counting!

Good news is needed right now so that is nice.

This past weekend Brandon and I started perusing house things. We are taking stock of what we already have and what we need along with some style options. Trying to figure out how much money we will have for furnishing and decorating it. Time will tell!!!!

We checked out Ikea

The bathroom is a little small so we like these cute, space saving, economical options. The cream colored wood is also lightly paneled so it has a little bit of a country feel to it. I think we will be going with a different faucet though. I never noticed how little Ikea has with a farmhouse, rustic feel. But I got almost 200 tea light candles for really cheap so I am very happy about that, I love candles.

We bought some towels this weekend because they were on sale at Costco. Just the big bathroom towels, no hand towels or wash cloths so we need to find those hahahaha! We are pinching pennies everywhere we can!

I am starting to look at gardening things, there are about half a dozen things I can start indoors around the end of March so I am going to start looking at some of that though so far our winter has been pretty mild, if that continues I might direct start some outside. We shall see! I will let you know!

Monday Motivation **January 15, 2017

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, training

(Image from google)

I managed 3 runs this week for a grand total of 7 miles. Given the circumstances I am thrilled with a that.

I managed 2 miles last Monday morning while we were in Reno. This was a really good run for me, not because it felt amazing (running at 5000ft when you are used to sea level isn’t super fun hahaha) but because I was sad and depressed and we had been eating crap for days which just added to it so this was absolutely needed for my mental well being as well as physical.

Brandon came over for the weekend once I was back and got me out for 2 runs. Both were a major combination of walking and running.

We actually saw some sun in Portland this weekend so we managed both these runs outside!

Other than this my life has been a lot of small things here and there just taking it day by day.

I am back at work this morning and I am just numb. It was so hard to go to sleep last night my brain wouldn’t shut off, I got maybe 4 hours of sleep and balled my eyes out before being able to go to sleep last night. Just thinking about the terrible turn life took the last time I was sitting at this desk is really hard.

That is my life right now. I hope yours is going a little better.