My Favorite Weeknight Treat...

(sigh) I'm happy.  :)

Confessions of a Recovering Type-A Personality

If I had to, I would officially classify myself as a Type-A personality.  I plan, schedule, and I have Excel charts for days.  I like to make decisions and goals for my life, and then work to achieve them... in a decidedly organized and obsessive way.  I've been this way since I was a little kid and forced my brothers and sisters to act in plays that I wrote, directed, costumed, and tyranized all by myself - because I was an uber-annoying older sister.

You wouldn't think this is a problem.  I pay my bills on time, I can be counted on to be on time, I usually am a lady that gets things done.

However, in college I realized the problem with this scenario.  I was studying Production Management, which involved stage managing theatre on a grand scale.  I asked my senior stage manager for advice on how I could improve my skillz.  He gave me some of the best advice I've ever received:

"You are very organized and on top of things, but when you broadcast that, it makes everybody very nervous and stressed - don't let everybody know you are running through all the details and specifics in your head.  Loosen up, sister." (paraphrased!)

This is so true.  I love me a Type-A... we email you back right away, we get things done, but... we can also be - shall we say - super-frakking ANNOYING!  We are the ones that want to buy tickets six months in advance (when it's unnecessary,) we take initiative when it's not our place to do so, we make the simplest tasks SO overorganized instead of pleasurably organic, we label the life out of you.  This is why Type-A's often characterize themselves as "anal retentive."

I prefer "precise."  :)

To me, the key to navigating life as a Type-A is to... be Type-A without announcing your Type-A status to the world.  Don't Google Doc if you don't need to, don't label when you should be just enjoying those items you are labeling, don't stress everybody around you out.  Life is firstly to be enjoyed - inputting the details into Excel charts comes secondarily.

I have been working on being not so obviously Type-A since college, and I still don't have it figured out, but hopefully I don't stress my friends out as much as I used to!  I keep my Excel charts a closely guarded secret, right next to my illicit drugs (calm down, mom.  I'm kidding.)

Are you Type-A?  Do you find it a blessing or a curse?  Please submit your comment in a series of bullet points.  We all know you want to.  (Secretly, I want you to, too.)

In Case You Were Wondering...

...Homemade cherry pie is uber delicious, especially with the Martha Stewart Cookbook crust (my #1 fave).  What special treats have you had in your life lately?

Will Run for Chocolate... or Burgers - Whatever.

The perfect post-race mealThis weekend, Goober, Bossyboots, and I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k here in The Chi.  Goober ran the 5k, Bossyboots and I took on the 15k.

Even with my marathon training, it wasn't easy!!!

I am really proud of myself because I stuck to my race plan... intervals of 8-minute runs and 1-minute walk breaks, running the last mile straight through.  Bossyboots and my finishing time was 1:48:15.  I was happy, because my goal was to finish at 1 hour, 45 minutes.  ALMOST!  (curses)  I have a bad habit of wimping out in my runs and not taking training seriously sometimes, so this is really good for me!

The big draw of the Hot Chocolate event is that afterwards, there is a chocolate extravaganza... hot cocoa, chocolate fondue, and chocolate candy of all persuasions.  A veritable Willy Wonka factory right in front of my face.

Except... those 5k jerk-o's ate it all!  (Except for Goober, who is perfect in every conceivable way.) 

We made our way over to the cocoa and fondue tents, only to be met with fondue fountains that were frozen stiff in taunting chocolate tendrils, and candy baskets that held only mocking scraps.  DISASTER!  Faced with the prospect of a non-chocolate existence, life had no meaning - which is to say, we booked it out of the chocolate-less party and went for burgers and beer. :)

This is what running 15k does to your looks - I hope you frakkers appreciate the fact that I am clearly lacking in vanity today!This was Bossyboots first race ever in life and the longest distance he has run so far.  He has decided that he didn't so much hate the running, and may be taking on the Chicago marathon next year.  We'll see how he feels after his half marathon in December!  I am contemplating the Chi-marathon, too, but I want to get my full December marathon under my belt first.  If I don't hate my life during that marathon... I may do the Chi, too.  How did I become a runner?  I have no idea - I like the couch decidedly better!

What's your favorite post-workout meal?

Today is...

...a pretty...

...and rainy...

...Friday.  Happy Halloween!