Two Things Tuesday

good news: i’m still alive!!

in case you were worried. 🙂

life has been a whirlwind — i went to my old roommate’s wedding, then to Miami for a quick work conference last week (sooooometimes work does NOT suck), now leaving tonight to go away with the fam til Sunday night on a much anticipated trip to —

oh wait, duh. i’m following a theme here. 🙂

ONE: VEGAS! yepppp, so that’s happening tonight and i probably couldn’t be more excited about it if i tried. pretty sure i have every piece of summer and going-out clothing i own stuffed into the suitcase right beside me as i type this, and i can’t focus on anything today other than getting on that plane. family vaca at the Bellagio? did i mention i have the coolest fam ever?

TWO: RUNNING. i’m actually back into long runs again — thank goodness for Spring! training for the Brooklyn Half on May 16th isn’t going quite so badly after all, despite the nagging injury that keeps resurfacing, and i’ve really been loving my long runs along the river again. i did my first long run in the new Asics this past Saturday, and it went really well.

bright colors on my feet and cherry blossoms lining the path?

yes, please. bring on Spring.

Tell me what you love about Vegas! i’ve never really been!
Runners: How’s your Springtime running going? make all the difference?

Advertisement

Two Things Tuesday

i love when Tuesday feels like Monday but it’s really Tuesday and you start the work week off one step ahead. #favoritethings.

two great things from my amazing long weekend:

1. ending on a high note, with a great run. after spending the weekend upstate w/ the boyfriend (and seeing my fam & girlfriends a bit as well), i still managed to get back to the city at 7pm last night and rock a felt-so-good run along the Hudson River. it was 40 degrees with zero wind at 7:30pm, and i just felt so darn good and had an amazing run. nothing like an adrenaline high to end an already-wonderful weekend.

i still maintain that MapMyRun loses some signal near Chelsea Piers, because i really don’t think i paced at 8:05…but i had an awesome run and felt great, so that’s all that matters to me. oh, and the fact that i matched my running clothes last night made me happy, too. the little things.

2. American Sniper. anyone else see this movie this weekend?

the boy and i had a great date on Sunday: gym, make lunch, go to the movies, go for drinks & sushi happy hour at our fave Japanese restaurant upstate, watch football with friends, drink wine and watch another movie. it was a pretty close-to-perfect day.

i really didn’t know much about American Sniper going into the movie, which i felt worked to my advantage, as i was entirely riveted to the storyline and further invested because i knew it was a true story. i thought it was really good, in that emotionally draining, necessary-but-hard sort of way, and i thought the acting was tremendous. it’s definitely heavy, but i enjoyed it and was glad we saw it.

it was one of those movies that made me feel really fortunate for my life, and for how removed i am from the horrors of war. i like when things force me into an introspective state and remind me of how truly blessed i am, and how important it is to love the people we have and not take any day of our lives for granted. in that sense, this was a huge success for me. i’d recommend it for sure.

Runners: have any good runs/races this past weekend?

Anyone see a movie lately?

Christmas: aka break from life

today is December 29th. the last time i was sitting at my desk at work in NYC’s Financial District was Friday, December 19th.

Merry loooooong Christmas break to me. thank the Lord.

suffice it to say, i feel like i just took a mini vacation from my regular life and fell into a 9-day black hole of all things wonderful and homey and comfortable.

my Christmas break was long, lovely, and exactly the way i wanted to spend a week off.

*family time. alllll the family time. it’s like the four of us live in our own little bubble at the lakehouse, completed by 3 dogs. we watched The Family Stone, which i think is my fave Christmas movie and seems to be totally underrated. i forgot how awesome this movie is, and with such an amazing cast.

every time i watch a movie with Rachel McAdams, a small part of me wants to be her. or be friends with her. or both. and every time i watch a movie with Luke Wilson, every part of me wants to date him. especially his character in this movie.

we did our Christmas Eve tradition of attending the candlelight service at my parents’ church, which i always enjoy immensely. as soon as we start singing “Silent Night” and the flames begin popping up all over the sanctuary, it feels like a bit of magic has descended out of thin air and wrapped us all up into a velvety moment, a transcendent moment, where all is right with the world for the duration of that song. as long as we hold those little flames and raise our voices with the people we love standing beside us, our hearts are full to bursting.

on Christmas morning, my dad and i went for a run together. rephrase: we drove to the place where he has mapped out a mile route and ran it at the same time, until i lapped him and we finished 4 miles (me) and 3 (him). 🙂 i think he secretly loves that i can outrun him these days, and i totally love that he passed down his running legacy to me. it was awesome to be able to get out and run with him, for the first time in years.

i rocked a pretty good pace on this run, too, so that was a nice little addition to my Christmas. check out them splits?! happy girl.

*cuddle time. breaking news: i am officially a cuddler.

baby Henry, my bff’s lil guy, has officially stolen my heart. i’m still not having children, but it’s nice that my friends continue to have such adorable little babies who seem to want to turn me into a big mush. i held this guy as much as possible over break. he seems to like me, which is always what i’m going for with cute boys, so that works.

*all the workouts. the best thing about having your days to do as you please is that you do everything you like best — which means i worked out every single day except for this past Friday, the day after Christmas. (a day spent relaxing with the boy was more important and much needed, and entirely worth skipping any workout.) i ran (outside or on a treadmill, when it was raining) almost every day (!!!) and had 2-3 good, long strength/total body workouts, so i think my caloric expenditure far outweighed the wine intake this week. winning.

my “fastest” run was my Christmas 4-miler, and my longest runs were two 7-milers: one on a treadmill at the beginning of break, and this guy outside on a hilly route on Saturday. my legs were so tired throughout this entire run, but i managed to survive.

those hilllllls. def slow a girl down and make your muscles scream.

i wish i were training for the NYC Half (insert sad face), as i’m feeling so good and loving the running so much lately. i’m thinking of doing the Queens 13.1 half in March, so we shall see about that.

*Christmas drink of choice. Josh by Joseph Carr, Pinot Noir. this wine was my go-to drink this past week. really loving this lately, and my mom (who is wonderful on all accounts, not just because of this) knows i love it and makes sure we’re stocked when i get home. she’s so good to me.

 *read. i finished a beautiful, clever, witty, amazingly-written novel over break, called The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

this is what i’d call a real “book lover’s book.” it’s beautifully crafted, with rich, dimensional characters and interesting, clever dialogue, and the theme of good literature and literature loving runs rampant throughout, as the main character is a book worm and literary aficionado herself. it held a double appeal for me, then, because it’s also set in New York City and paints a glorious, realistic, varied portrait of this amazing city in the late 1930s, with all its dazzle and charm and grit and rawness. i loved loved loved it and am so glad my friend lent it to me. Alex — you must read this next!! you’ll love it. 🙂

i have a habit of taking pictures of passages in books that i want to remember, and this one struck me:

and, welp, it apparently struck other people out there as well. ah, how Google searching brings us all together.

and now i’m off to try to write something grand about life and love and loss and New York, dahlings. because that’s what life is all about, after all.

hope you all had wonderful Christmases!

Tell me a highlight from your Christmas!
Read any good books lately? i need recommendations!
How’s the running, runners?

Will Run For…? & so many good S things

so i totallllly almost had a trifecta going on this week, as i was halfway through a post yesterday and just couldn’t get the thing done before quittin’ time…and then i went running last night in the warm December dark, ended the run at the bar, and the night got away from me after that…

because SHOCK TOP and shenanigans and sushi and sleep all happened. because so many good things start with S. and that reminds me of this:

this is one of those images i keep in my phone for, um, every reason. also because “Shawna” clearly belongs on that list. and srunning. and swine. but not the oink kind, the (s)wine kind. right, you so get me.

so, let’s talk workouts. i’ve had two great runs so far this week: one on Monday morning to start December 1st off wonderfully (y’all saw that pic), and another last night after work. i’m loving the fact that it was 45 degrees at 6pm in December — makes running outside so much better. thankfully, the Hudson River bike/running path is fairly well-lit, so running in the dark isn’t an issue here.

wanna know something runnerd cool? i banged out this run with the exact same pace as Monday’s. that funny coincidence made me really happy. it’s the little things.

please notice alllll the fun things going on in this collage, as it’s basically a documentation of happiness for me:

*my 2nd 8:18 pace this week (i like that they’re consistent, and i like that i’m running at this pace!)

*my new runhappy outfit: i was teased for looking like i was channeling a 90s fitness video in this getup, which makes me love it even more. that Bula headband is one of my fave accessories i’ve ever purchased (i’m a sucker for a good headband), and i’m totally loving this Women’s Cold Weather New Balance Hoodie i just got last week. it’s currently on sale for $17 (!!!), so if you’re in the market for some great workout clothes, i def suggest popping over to that site. that hoodie is perfect for both running and lounging: it’s soft, dry-wick, super comfy, and the perfect length and fun color. win win win. and even more of a win if you pair it with bright blue geometric patterned capris. promise. 🙂

*proof that “will run for wine” is actually a thing. and proof that i have the best friend, who refused to take “i have to go running” as an excuse to not meet them at the bar:

so that completely happened: almost 7 miles later, my 90s gym-clothes-clad self made it to the bar, where my amazing friend had a drink ready for me and i didn’t have to choose between running and a social life because a girl really can have it all.

and despite my exhaustion this morning, i forced myself up and out of bed and made it to the gym just after 6am for an hour of strength, plyo and abs, featuring these lovely babies:

i’m so sosososo stoked that my building gym finally got kettlebells! (medicine balls, too, but those didn’t factor into today’s workout.) i’ve been praying for this day to arrive. i will be putting these guys to good use on the regular.

i’m psyched i got a good workout in this morning as tonight is our annual work holiday party, which i planned and help work (but of course get to enjoy as well), followed directly by The 1975 concert with my do-all-the-things friend who has wine waiting for me after i run (wildeyes.gypsyskies — you best be following us on Instagram!), so i knew i needed to nail that workout to prep me for a long and busy and fun day/night ahead! bam.

hope everyone is loving life today! xo

Finish the sentence: “I will run for ________.”
Kettlebells: yay or nay?
Tell me a reason one of your best friends is the best friend!

Friday Five {8.29.14}

HI friends –thank you again sooooo much for all the well-wishes and concern over my annoying injury. i truly appreciate you all, and i think it’s slowly getting better and healing a bit. i’m hoping i’m through the worst, but still being careful not to overdo it and try to listen to my body (aka pain level).

so annoyinggggg, because every time i set out to run (or walk, or bike, or anything outdoors), i sort of despise/envy/want to trip all the non-injured runners zipping along and totally can’t remember what it feels like to be one of them. funny how that happens, eh?

mmmmkay, let’s hit the 5, Labor Day Weekend edition (can you even believe it?! how is it the unofficial end of Summer already?! whatttttt is this life.)

*running. (and next, to go along with that, “alternatives to or imposters thereof.”) this hasn’t been the worst week, but def still not back to feeling great by any means.

i hit a 6-miler on Tuesday and a 5-miler Thursday morning, and Thursday’s run felt a bit better and stronger.

the first mile or two hurt the most, but by mile 3 i felt like it was loosening up a bit. i know i need to keep easing back into it and not entertain thoughts of pushing myself too quickly, and i honestly am okay with the idea of giving up this marathon in October and focusing on healing. and you know what? i’m totally enjoying these shorter runs…while still missing my long Saturday am jaunts.

side note: anyone else who uses Map My Run get a smug little confidence boost when you get these emails, or is it just me?

i’m so easily pleased/amused/proud of myself.

*alternatives to and imposters of running. so this injury has forced me to attempt to relinquish my obsessive, controlling hold on my relationship with running (i’m SO NEEDY) and integrate some other forms of cardio into my life…and you know what? it’s not half as depressing as i thought it’d be, and i’m actually enjoying them, along with my plyo and strength.

completely empty gym early on a Friday morning = a fave thing

so, what does this look like lately? well…

• me and the Arc trainer are having a very intense, sweaty, half-miserable relationship a couple times a week lately. man, he’s a tough partner. doing some high intensity intervals (lots of resistance, switching up the incline) on this machine is really kicking my butt, and i’m working much harder — in a different way — than i was on my long runs. i don’t hate it. i don’t love it. it is what it is.
• biking. no, i haven’t gone back to spin class, although i’m thinking maybe i should. i’ve totally become a Citibike fanatic and am whizzing to work and back on these babies every day, which adds about 40 mins of cardio to my daily routine. and it’s so enjoyable. i’m loving this.

*best place i’ve gone this week/in a long time: the Flatiron Room. this.place.is.amazing. i’m on an ever-active quest to experience all the speakeasy-ish, Prohibition-style, old-fashioned parlor type of spots in NYC that i possibly can, and i’d heard of this one not too long ago and finally found myself there last night. everything about it exceeded my expectations and i truly felt like i’d stumbled into another era. it was one of those “perfect little moments in life” sort of evenings: intimate setting, wonderful live jazz band, great food (we had beet & goat cheese salad for an app and both had salmon dishes) and drinks (my rosé was excellent), better company (definitely a date spot) — where everything just lined up to create a “wouldn’t change a thing about this” experience.

photo: flatironroom.com

photo: flatironroom.com

win of the week, by far.

*best thing i read this week/man i wish i’d written this.

*where my treasure lies and my heart belongs, lest i ever for a moment start to forget.

prayer works, i believe. i need to act upon that belief more often, and i’ve been trying to be more intentional about that as of late.

hope you all have wonderful LONG weekends!

What’re your plans for Labor Day weekend? i’m going upstate to the lake, of course, in just a few hours!. cannot waiiiiit.
Best place you’ve gone/fave thing you’ve done/eaten this week? last night at Flatiron Room for me, no question!

it’s summmerrrrrr

and i like thattttttt. love me a good Summer Solstice to ring in the best time of the year.

as much as i like snowboarding and fall and all things crisp and autumny and Sept-lovely, i could totally live in a place where it’s 75-80 and sunny year ’round. San Diego is probably calling my name for reals. as soon as it’s this nice in NYC, i’m pretty much beside myself with giddiness and everything in my world is all perfect and lovely and rainbows and dragonflies (because they’re so much more prevalent on the beach and lake than butterflies, and i like them).

i ran in Summer 1st, 2014 with a morning river run,

followed by a fab day with the girls at Long Beach, just an hour’s train ride from NYC. such an easy, perfect little day trip to a rather lovely little East Coast beach. i’m determined to take surfing lessons here at some point.

pretty sure i could spend most of my life just laying on a beach…although at some point i’d need to start writing a book or something. that’d probably be a good beach-life activity. 🙂

i then ended up at a really sweet rooftop bar in Long Island City in Queens, just across the bridge from Manhattan, at the top of the Z Hotel. it was my first time there and i went to celebrate a friend’s wedding earlier that day. the place was really fun, the crowd was great, and the views were spectacular. there’s nothing quite like the NYC skyline at night.

i managed to eek out another run on Sunday morning (in a world where noon still counts as “morning”…hey, we all need to sleep in once in a while) — rather than swing a long run this weekend, i split it up into two shorter ones. that just felt necessary. aka cocktails on Friday night followed by wine on the beach all day on Saturday followed by a rooftop party on Sat night = 5-6 miles felt pretttty darn long enough.

i felt like i needed to be all about balancing my running with the rest of my life this weekend and not beating myself up if i didn’t knock out a 10-13 miler one morning. i really wanted to prioritize time with my girlfriends in the city, as this was the one weekend i’ll actually be in Manhattan for all of June (we all tend to leave and hit lakes/beaches/Montauk on the summer weekends as it’s so darn hot here!). it can sometimes be a struggle for me to not beat myself up if i don’t work out “hard enough” or run “far enough,” and this was a good lesson in balancing my life and being okay with that this weekend.

and i wouldn’t change a single thing about how my first Summer weekend went down…including this spectacle with a dead alligator wall decoration at Botanic Lab on Friday night. certainly took girls’ night to a whole new level.

well, we thought we were funny, anyways. 🙂

hope you all had great weekends!

Questions:
Tell me something fun from your weekend! How’d you kick off Summer 2014, officially?
Anyone go to the beach?
Any alligator stories? 🙂

 

 

Friday Five {6.20.21}

ahhhh this has been a crazy busy week! i took Monday off from work for my birthday, and the rest seems to have flown by in a blur. definitely some good things going on over here lately, though, like:

1. running has been so goooood. i knocked out a stellar 13 miler last weekend at the lake. the distance was entirely unplanned, as i knew i’d be running mega hills, but i felt so good after having not run for four full days that i ran all the way from my parents’ house to Planet Fitness, where my brother met me and we did a little strength and ab sesh. i was uber happy with that run — it was such a beautiful, sunny morning, and life just was good.

i’ve had just a few shorter runs since then, as my legs have been rather sore all week, but the weather has been so lovely that it’s such a treat to run outside. June has really been killing it in NY with the beauty days.

2. Wild. i am a reading machine lately and finished another book last night: Wild by Cheryl Strayed. it was awesome — so inspiring, so unique, so girl-takes-world-by-the-throat-and-shakes-it-til-she-gets-everything-from-it-that-she-so-desires. it made me want to do things, like climb impossible hills and sleep under the stars and eat granola as the sun rises and move to California and just chase any and every dream that’s ever entered my little head. it makes you believe in things like simplicity and an open sky; like a world that really matters, without any of the extraneous stuff that just really doesn’t. it makes you want to truly live, and stop dreaming about all your one days and maybe ifs.

3. the World Cup. anyone else with me on loving this?? i played soccer throughout middle and high school and have always loved the sport and wish i a) was better at it and b) had started younger and been more serious about it. i love to watch it and i love soccer boys the most of all athletes, i do believe.

there are just so many charming men of the World Cup, how does a girl ever choose? 😉

i especially enjoy Ghana’s goalie, Adam Kwarasey,

USA’s dreadhead (those hippie boys get me every time) Kyle Beckerman,

and Aleksandr Kerzhakov, a forward from Russia who seriously needs to move to NYC, i do believe.

uh huh. always nice to discover new faces from around the world. so glad we have the World Cup to help with that. 🙂

4. summer hair, don’t care. i love love being a (dark dark) brunette, but i decided to give my good friend who does my hair full-rein to lighten it up as much as her little heart desired a few weeks ago, and it’s gotten even lighter from all the running and laying outside lately. and i’m liking it, for a lil sunkissed summer change. i think it always helps take away from the fact that i really don’t do much with my hair except (usually) wash it and let it go. 🙂

5. Montauk! one week from today, i’ll be heading out to the end of the Hamptons with some girlfriends for our first — and highly anticipated — surf town weekend of the summer. Montauk is delightful and charming in the best of beach town ways (especially for the East Coast), and i am so so so stoked to get away and chill with the girls, in the sun and the sand and the salty air. the thought of that will certainly be what gets me through next week.

and if you’ve ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, well, the very thought of this place probably makes you wistful and dreamy and a bit nostalgic for the very idea of a seascape love, whether you’ve known one or not.

happy Friday, friends! hope you have a wonderful weekend. ❤

Questions:
Tell me one of your fave things from this week!
Something you’re looking forward to?

 

 

 

 

ohhhh a bunch of workout stuff

so i had my first truly humid NY run of the year this morning at 6:45am. i say “NY run,” because i had a pretty humid one in San Antonio last month as well. definitely threw me back to last summer when i was training for a marathon in July and August…yum.

this run felt great in the beginning, but i was majorly hurting by the end. sore legs like whoa. 5 miles felt like 15.

this would be due to yesterday’s morning strength workout at my gym, which is pretty empty in the mornings except for a few people running on treadmills or a random guy or two lifting. i’m almost always the only girl doing any strength exercises and it makes me so thankful that i fell in love with boot camp/circuit workouts and have been consistent with them since i moved to NYC. i just feel so much stronger, and they’ve really helped my running big time.

empty gym on a Monday morning = fave

the routine that kicked my butt and is making it hard to walk today:

(nope, that isn’t my back. but i wouldn’t hate it if it was.)

i did all of these exercises 3 times each — definitely was a sweaty mess, which is my fave way to start a Monday. 🙂

i have to say that working with a trainer here for a year and a half definitely helped me learn so many great strength and plyo exercises, and i’m really able to push myself in my solo workouts now. i’m just thankful that i have developed the self-discipline to stick with these routines even though i’m not working with him anymore.

i’m a sucker for leg exercises — anything jumping and squatting and all that jazz — which explains why i’m walking like i have steel rods in my legs today. jumping lunges are one of my faves, they just hurt so darn good.

i’m pretty sure i’d be loving life if i was a personal trainer full-time (preferably by a beach?). i’m happiest in gym clothes and a ponytail and would love to spend my days working out and training others. future career aspirations?

you never know, right? that’s the best thing about life, to me — the not knowing what will happen next. as in tomorrow, or throughout the summer, or next year…i love the excitement in the uncertainty, lost in the wonderment of imagining all the lives you might end up leading and the things you’ll do; all the places you might go and the faces you’ll love.

who knows, maybe i will be a personal trainer in a beach town one day. stranger things have happened.

Questions:
Do you do strength workouts? What’s your fave exercise? i’mma go with all things jumping & planks right now.
Do you ever dream about different lives/jobs/locations? What’s another identity you make up for yourself?

WILW {6.4.14}

it’s been a minute since i’ve done a “what i love Wednesday” post, and i can’t lie — i’ve had better Wednesdays in my life, and got some upsetting news this morning that makes work a little bit of a meh place to be today. nevertheless, there are always things to brighten life up a bit regardless of the storms, so i’m trying to focus on those, and i’ve had some smile-worthy things happening in my week already.

*a gorgeous morning sky on yesterday’s run along the West side/Hudson River

*one of the best Bloody Marys i’ve ever had, at Cowgirl Seahorse at the South Street Seaport

everything is better in Mason jars.

*time in my life to read for fun again now that the semester is over. i’ve read two books in the past two weeks: The Book Thief and The Fault in Our Stars. i really enjoyed both…

and i have a feeling this line from The Fault in Our Stars will be staying with me for, like, ever:

i love when a line you read once in a book or hear once in a song just lodges itself underneath your skin and imprints into your mind like stark black type on a white page, and you feel like you’ve discovered fire for the very first time. and i’m thankful the world isn’t my personal wish-granting factory — it makes dreams, and prayer, and working hard toward something you really want all the more precious.

*trying a new church. i alluded to this briefly in a previous post, but on Sunday night i visited Liberty Church in Union Square for the first time. i always enjoy trying a new church, as there are so many different worship styles and preacher personalities. i’d been attending Hillsong for a while on and off, and i still really enjoy it — it’s just huuuuge, and a completely different experience from the smaller, more intimate services like Liberty’s.

i thought Liberty exuded a great vibe: casual, comfortable, friendly, personable, and small enough where it seemed like everyone was just hanging out with their friends at a worship service. the worship team was awesome, and i really liked the young pastor’s message as well. i’d totally return to this church and left with a very positive impression and a happy heart. it’s been a while since i’ve felt truly connected to a church community, unfortunately, and i’m hoping to change that here in NYC very soon.

*simplicity. i’ve been thinking about this lately, and what it would look like to really just focus on the most important things in life and try to push the proverbial “fluff” to the periphery. on nights when i’ve chosen to stay in bed reading rather than go out on the town, i’ve found myself reflecting on what is really important, and what it looks like to lead a simpler life and be more content with less.

to do what i most want to do with my time. to love the people i love as best as i can, no matter where they live or how often i see them. to say even a few words that contain entire worlds within them. to step out in faith, in courage, when my little heart beats wildly inside me from the sheer uncertainty of what might happen.

to make do with less, and free my heart up for more of what i can only dream might be possible.

xoxo

What are you loving about your life lately?

 

running & a wine bar & fake those abs

there’s something about the sunshine and a cloudless sky that makes the world seem just right, isn’t there? especially when you wake up healthy & happy & well-rested and can start your morning with a river run that you wish could last forever.

sometimes i get overwhelmed thinking about “the big scheme of life,” and my answer to myself is that everything would be okay if i could just spend all my days running, traveling, and reading/writing on patios/by the ocean/on a boat. is that too much to ask? really, i think that’s pretty low maintenance. i’d even happily give up my shoe collection for that level of simplicity.

so, those are my Tuesday morning running thoughts. six miles is just the right amount of time to spend daydreaming.

this is the fastest and easiest recovery time i’ve had after a long race, i’m happy to report. nothing hurts (aside from some annoying little aches on the bottom of one of my feet, but they come and go), my body doesn’t feel beat up or exhausted, and i feel strong and healthy and pretty confident in my running game right now. happy about that. 🙂

side note: i like passing this sculpture every morning on my run because she reminds me of my mom, who was a NYC ballerina her whole childhood and young adult life before she moved upstate. i hope this dancer stays in Riverside Park for a long time.

after work yesterday, some girlfriends and i took advantage of the happy hour at a new-to-me wine bar in the West Village called Lelabar. such a cute, cozy little spot with some seriously good happy hour wine. i went with the white, which was some French Sauvignon, and amazingly light, crisp and delicious.

it’s one smallish, darkish room with a large oval bar right in the center, which really takes up the entirety of the space and creates a communal yet intimate vibe. you can see everyone in the room from any spot at the bar (which makes for some good people watching). it’s very much a “girls’ drinks spot” or a date spot, which the bartender confirmed for us after my friend used her liquid courage to ask him if he thought a guy she was eyeing across the bar was alone or waiting for someone — “it’s not the sort of bar a guy would ever come to alone. everyone is waiting for someone.”

words to live by, guy. noted.

i call it a successful night when you meet friends for drinks and are still home by 8:30 and asleep by 10. i’m at the point where i’m mad at myself if i can’t get up and feel great to work out in the morning before work. going out is fun, of course, but if i can’t shake myself awake the next day bright-n-early, i want to punch myself in the face.

because then i’ll have to start faking my abs.

man i love this. don’t you hate when you see a great photo and wish you’d thought of it first? 🙂

have a great day, friends! happy wine drinking, sunshine chasing & ab-building!