hi.

hi. the past couple weeks, i kept thinking about how i wanted to write in my blog, but by the time i got home every day, i'd be so tired that all i'd want to do is eat and go to sleep. i haven't been working long hours but the hours i am at work have been very intense. and i'm still not totally used to the routine yet, though it's been getting better. right now is a rare downtime so i thought i might as well write something now before things start picking up again.
i have a bunch of things i wanted to get down "on paper" so i'll make a list.

1. work
work has been good. i am very blessed to have this job, and i thank God every morning that, esp. in this economy when so many people are unemployed, i have a job to get up for (even though waking up before 9am is still a struggle). all the associates i work for are like, wait a few months, and then you'll be like 'damn this job'. i mean, realistically, i know there will be days (and weeks...and months) where i will want to shoot myself--when things are so busy i'll barely have time to go to the bathroom or when i'm so stressed that i'll want to hide under my desk. but i don't want to lose my sense of gratitude. i don't ever want to feel entitled. so i'm constantly asking God to give me a heart of thankfulness no matter what the circumstances.

2. running
what? i haven't run since i started work, i must admit. although, i did play hockey last night so that has to be worth at least 3-4 runs because i was SO TIRED by the end. it's so sad how we age and get out of shape. in high school i remember being able to skate the length of the ice 5-6 times in a row and not be tired. last night, i was winded after one hard sprint down the ice. i was also an embarrassment to myself with my cement hands--passes bouncing off my stick, not being able to stickhandle for more than 4 seconds, it was just bad. but i guess that's what happens. you lose your touch if you play hockey 4 times in 7 years. i really want to play regularly. i'm thinking about joining a league at chelsea piers...oh, right, we're talking about running. well. i'm hoping that i can at least get 2-3 runs in while i'm in barcelona since the weather's nicer and i'm not working. 2 days after i get back is the race. i'm hoping at this point that the adrenaline of the run will allow me to run the whole thing without stopping, but i'm not so sure. i just want to finish--whether i run, walk, or crawl it, i just want to finish.

3. spain
i am SO EXCITED for spain. i just made reservations at one of the most talked-about restaurants in barcelona. it's a 7 course "sensacions" tasting menu. it also comes with wine pairings for each course. my mom is going to get so drunk i'm going to be carrying her back to the hotel. i also just booked my tickets for an fc barca game! how fortuitous that they are playing a game the weekend we are in barcelona. i have no idea who the other team is (real racing?) but probably not a great team, considering the tickets weren't that expensive. soccer games in europe have this thing about them--something you can't experience in the US. the chanting, the singing, the energy...i mean, you can practically feel it through the TV. i can't wait to be in the midst of it. it's going to be amazing to see henry and messi play in person (i am, with that one sentence, making the hubs and debby jealous at the same time). the hubs' one request for a souvenir is an henry doll/bobblehead. hopefully i can find it. the only thing i'm worried about for spain is that it's supposed to rain 4 out of the 6 days we're there. i hope this doesn't mess with our flights (we're flying from barcelona down to malaga) or our plans. i don't mind a little rain but it'll be sad if it's constantly raining and we can't enjoy the walking tours i have planned.

4. sammie
my baby is now down in nj for good. my mom and aunts came up sat to pick her up. i'm so sad she's gone, but i know she'll be better off down there with all the attention she gets. we're going to visit her when i get back from spain.

that's it for now. it's nice that people actually read this (see deb? how much better off are you with chocolate molten cake in your life). i wish i could write more frequently in this but i'm afraid it's going to be a "oh i have 10 minutes let's write something random" kind of thing, which is not very interesting. i need a new theme since the running's gone to the wayside. until i think of one, i'll try to keep somewhat up-to-date with it and maybe post some more recipes? the next time i write this i will probably be back from spain and have a ton of awesome things to write about. adios!