a 14 hour marathon thanksgiving

Good Morning everyone!!

I apologize for being absent for so long from the blogging community. I believe I havent written anything since about a week before Thanksgiving. I would like to say I was too busy but the truth of the matter is that I just didnt feel very inspired to write anything. The same things that had concerned me before are concerning me now.

For Example,
Have you seen the new and improved HFCS commercials? The one with a man walking his young daughter through a field of sunflowers telling you that your body doesnt know the difference between corn sugar and cane sugar because he has talked to scientists? The part that makes me angry about this advertising campaign is that they fail to tell you that both sugars are chemically enhanced. Yes your body cant tell the difference between the two BUT your body also doesnt recognize either compound as FOOD. All your body recognizes is that they are two foreign chemicals.

But anyway,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know that mine was very busy but very worth it. My boyfriend came in to Pittsburgh and we decided that we were going to split the time between both holiday traditions. So in the morning him and his highschool buddies played in a "Turkey Bowl" while I ran to Starbucks to get coffee and brief the family on our days plans. Small Starbucks coffee with a shot of Hazelnut is delicious!!

Once I picked Dwayne up we were on the road to my hometown of Warren Pennsylvania. Its basically the smallest town in the world but its where I spent the first 18 years of my life. We went to my moms side of the family first (which was being held at my aunts) and ate our first meal of the day. It was soo good.. there were sweet potatoes, turkey, vegetables..MMmmm. I managed to keep my portions small because I knew that there would be a lot of good food that day.

Once we spent a few hours with my moms side, we left to go spend dessert and coffee with my dads side which is part of the wonder of a divorced family I guess. We got there just in time for some pumpkin pie and after dinner drinks. Dwayne thoroughly enjoyed talking sports and sipping Manhattans with my cousin. It was short lived though and we were off to Pittsburgh again.

The drive was so scary because it had been raining all day, it was dark and we were driving in areas without street lights. I was behind the wheel and I dont see very well at night to begin with. We hydroplaned once or twice on the way to the party we were heading to. I think what should have been two and a half hours ended up being closer to three and half but we were safe and thats what matters!

We ended our night with the "Whiskey and Pie" party that one of Dwaynes friends has every year. We walked in to a table filled with different kinds of desserts from pecan pie and pumpkin roll to some crazy strawberry concoction that kind of looked like stewed tomatoes in a crust. We ate dessert, drank wine and hot tubbed ending the whole day around 330am. It was a very very long day but I wouldnt have changed it because we got to see everyone that we wanted to see.

I didnt feel stuffed at any point during the day .. I probably indulged more than I should have on the different desserts but kept the portions small and didnt feel gross and tired by the end.

My gym being closed did mean that I couldnt work out for 5 days because I am not one to run outside in the rain or if its below 45 degrees. I hate the cold.. it makes my chest hurt to breath in cold air while running.. I wont do it.. I always look at the diehard runners in all their winter gear from my nice warm car and think "use a treadmill" haha

But yesterday it was back to the grind of the gym and it felt good. I am thinking about trying to be strict on my cardio between thanksgiving and christmas because the break for Christmas will be even longer with out being able to exercise. I will be traveling home and to NC after that for New Years. I want to have a little wiggle room..

Light up Night Violence?

Good Morning everyone!!

First off let me say that I am so excited because this week is a three day work week because of the holidays! Short work weeks are the best.. its like the work week itself is a mini vacation because everyone seems to move at a slower pace, some people are gone.. and no one( well mostly no one) will bother getting angry about anything because their week is almost over and then they get 5 days off : )

I am also excited because I get to see my other half this week. (YIPPEE!!!) I love that we get to spend the holidays together.. I think its sharing something special and this year he is even venturing back to my hometown with me for the day to hang out with my family. I am so excited to be with all my favorite people at one time!

I am getting nervous because my gym will be closed thursday through Monday and I will be surrounded by amazingly good food and I minute amount of time and ability to exercise. Do the holidays make anyone else feel out of your healthy routine? My solution is going to be to work out as hard as I can Monday through Wednesday and then try to keep the pies and cookies to just Thanksgiving day in moderation and not take any leftovers. Although my family is Italian so that may not be a possability.

This weekend was awesome because it was full of friends and good food. Friday was "Light up Night" and for those of you who may be reading as non Pittsburgh Natives... Light up Night is the one weekend a year where they close off downtown and everyone can wander around seeing Christmas festivities and see the unvieling of the displays in the Macys windows. My friends Marlee,Sarah and I went down to check it out..

Sarah is on the left, Marlee Right

The crowds were crazy!! But the Christmas trees everywhere were amazing!

Inside PNC Plaza

Market Square



PNC Plaza



PPG Place

We did a ton of walking around (which was not helped by the fact that my legs were sore) and at the end of the night got to see some fireworks : )

Apparently what we missed was the gang violence and riots that broke out on Sixth and Wood Street? I had no idea this even happened until the next morning when people were commenting on my facebook page. Can you believe that we have lost so much respect for ourselves and any sense of morality that some punk kid would open fire in a public place where children were coming to meet Santa Clause? It really makes me sick..

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