Tickets. Yes.

My favorite STL band, Bagheera, is playing at the Firebird on 4/17 with Bass Drum Of Death.

Haven't seen them since December.

This video is a suck example of the live experience.

Trust me. They're good. Real good.

Weeeeeekend....here, weekend, weekend, weekend...

Glad the weekend is almost here.

Hockey. Yay.

Noshing & Concert. Double yay.

Paper writing and presentation prep. Anti-yay.

Oh well...can't win 'em all.

Not from Canada

But I like...

Straight outta Canada

What I'm listening to:

Eddie Vedder, I thought you were a Better Man...

Brother, I'm trying to Breathe but Who Are You to think you are Man Of The Hour?

I've Got A Grievance - you are not the man I thought you were, and I've Got A Feeling you're living Amongst The Waves.

I was excited to learn that you, Eddie Vedder, were coming to the Fox with Glen Hansard.

Until I learned how much the tix were, thanks to Kevin Johnson.

$75.

Eddie, why the outrageous ticket price? Why are you okay with such a hefty fare? Didn't you once rage after Ticketmaster for the thieves that they are?

And even though I LOVE Glen Hansard from Swell Season, I cannot shell out that kind of change.

A double bill of this fineness, sadly, does NOT equal what I would spend on a hotel room for one night in Bruges.

Gotta sit this one out, Eddie. Much luck.

Love,

Your still adoring, but pocketbook-watchful fan Kristin.

Skittles weirdness

I wouldn't let him like my rainbow...

Pine Tar, slippage, and flying bats

I learn something new every day about baseball. A game I love.

I heard a commentary on NPR about how batting gloves and batters can be compared to text messaging and kids.

Batters fidget with their gloves, which adds a TON of time to the game.

So I asked my coworker Scott what was up with this batting glove thing.

He proceeded to school me on how there's "slippage" when a batter swings, and if they don't control this the ball could run wild.

So, batting gloves were introduced to the game to help the batter grip the bat more cleanly. And these gloves are the bane of baseball to many a fan.

Because the gloves are fidgeted with, constantly, by the batters, which can keep a fan seated in the heat for much longer than they would care to.

In the past, and I guess still today, pine tar is used to give the batters a solid grip so as to aim the ball in the direction they want and not lose hold of the bat, which would send it flying.

Pine tar. Sounds SO old school. I imagine Pa Ingalls adding pine tar to his bat handle at the church picnic.

So I get the pine tar thing, and I also understand why gloves would be appealing to a ballplayer - part of the uniform, a more professional look, adds some technology to the swing. But wouldn't feeling the wood/steel of the bat in your hands be more authentic? More pristine? More true?

My friend Craig, another baseball aficionado, just chimed in with some info about the glove thing. Apparently hand sweat can greatly affect how a bat is used, which then affects how the ball comes into play. Makes sense.

I also learned that there is a 12-second rule that applies to batters. If the bases are empty, the batter has only 12 seconds from when he reaches the mound to prepare for a pitch. Apparently, the umpires don't enforce this rule, which accounts for games being overly long.

Craig also had some info to share on this. There are many "rules" in baseball, of which many are flexible. Good to know - more to learn.

Season opener is this Thursday. I can't wait!

Who doesn't love comics?

I have always been a comic fan.

My first comics were from the train depot my grandpa managed in Dickinson ND. They were Archie and Caspar The Friendly Ghost.

Growing up, my mom would buy my brother and I the Archie Double Digests whenever we went to the grocery store, and we would read them at the dinner table or take them to church. I know, such blashphemy.

When I moved to St. Louis to attend university, my first full-time job during college was at a place called World Color Art. I was hired to edit comic books starting on 3rd shift.

Dream come true.

So there I was, editing Archie and the Fantastic Four, Superman and Sonic, and many other titles from Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and Disney.

We had a motley crew, ages ranging from 20's to 50's. We each brought something unique to team - I was a music fiend and would often pick the brain of my supervisor Gaylan for new music suggestions. Jim was an avid fisherman and would try, unsuccessfully, to teach me how to tie my own flies - I'm lucky I walked away with all of my fingertips intact. And Sandy - oh, Sandy. She was a crazy gal, poppin enormous quantities of NoDoze to the point where she was eventually escorted via stretcher to the local hospital for fear of a heart attack.

What made it even better was that, during those wee hours of the morning, somewhere between 2:00 - 4:00 am, I discovered the BBC and found my poetic voice.

Some of the poetry I wrote during those days is my best ever. I've thought often about publishing it. Maybe I will someday.

I came across this deal on Amazon, which is the inspiration for this post.

I will be purchasing this tome today. In homage of my former formative and formidable years.

Korean Cinema Fantastique

I love Asian cinema. And Korea is fast becoming a tour de force in producing some truly unique films.

This week "I Saw The Devil" hits the Tivoli, and I'm super jazzed to see this. I'm not one for violence, but I do appreciate implied violence, where you see the aftermath but not necessarily the act. Apparently this is ten-fold in "Devil", and it also features one of my favorite actors, Choi Min-sik, from "Oldboy" and is directed by Kim Ji-Woon. Talk about powerhouse in the making. From the trailer it looks all sorts of atmospheric, quick-cut action, right up my alley.



Another of my favorite Korean movies, aside from "Oldboy" is the creepfest "A Tale Of Two Sisters", also directed by Ji-Woon. Thanks to Netflix I caught this flick a few years ago and was highly entertained.

I am in the right town to be lovin' baseball

According to Yahoo, Albert Pujols is the most coveted Fantasy Baseball player, and St. Louis is the best Fantasy Baseball city in America, with 1 in 76 people playing fantasy baseball on Yahoo.

Boston comes in a paltry second with 1 in 86 people playing fantasy baseball on Yahoo.

I hope to be tagging along with my boss to J. Bucks on Thursday as he and a doc talk the limited-edition Cards hats for sale at the ballpark only. $10 goes towards cancer research. Get yours soon - they sold out mid-season last year.

When animals attack...

A goose is on the loose.

Apparently at a dialysis center in Shrewsbury. And it's none to friendly.

It attacked people attempting to enter and exit the center, and also picked a fight with a police officer.

Did hilarious hijinx ensue?

Watch this video to hear of the police officer's account of the incident.

Sloooow news day here in STL.

Weirdassnight

Yup, I've coined a new phrase.

Weirdassnight.

I was reallllly tired yesterday, and was in bed by 9:00, grandma-style. I woke up at 1:30, my head full of random thoughts, specific thoughts. I swear, about 4 plausible real-life movies starring moi played out in my wide-awake noggin between the hours of 1:30 - 4:00.

Yawn.

Never mind that I had to get up at 5:30 to meet with my trainer at 6:00.

So as I lay awake, running through every trick in the book to try and calm my overactive brain, I finally decided that perhaps I should let it run it's course and see wassup.

It wasn't pretty.

But what was even less pretty was the dream I had after I finally did get to sleep, whatever time that was (I opted to stop looking at the clock after 4:00). My weirdassdream (second new word) included:

1. Co-ed, open-air bathrooms

2. An insane asylum that I was trying to escape from

3. A very sweet yet weird pseudo-boyfriend that kept clearing the table and asking random questions like, "Why is pi not a whole number?" and "Can we go to the casino later?"

4. The old gym at Hagen Jr. High School (grody)

5. Being chased by two very strange looking, scientific-types in lab coats (see #2)

I feel pretty awake now, in part due to the ass-whuppin' I got from Kelly the trainer this morning.

I wish I had the option to push "record" when these dreams happen. I believe I'd give Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino a run for their money.

I'm a fan of beer in a can

And I'll tell you why.

But first, a recap of last nights mild, neighborhood shenanigans.

Met up with an old friend from college for some Thai. You know when you hear someone's voice after 18 years, in person, and it takes you back to the Skinny Boys room, watching "Harold and Maude" for the first time? Good times. It was nice to catch up.

I have to say, I admired that he ordered "hot" as the temp of his dish, AND THEN proceeded to ADD hot sauce. Since I go the "mild" route and gingerly tap out bits of heat throughout the meal, careful not to singe my innards, he earned my spice respect.

We ditched the idea of seeing a band in lieu of staying local and keeping the conversation going.

We ended the night at Tin Can, and now I can tell you why I love beer in a can.

The first reason is, it's cheap. As cheap as it gets. PBR for $1. Yup. Mama like.

Second, a cold can of beer feels good in the hand. Kinda solid, but also crushable. Like one's spirit, or dreams.

Third, it takes me back to high school, when we'd drink Stylees out in a frozen field, 10 miles from our tiny town, mittens on, as close to the bonfire as we could get, grasping on to that slippery can tight as we pounded the watered-down brew.

Fourth, and final reason, I like the taste of beer in a can. Sometimes. There is a distinct flavor that comes from alcohol housed in aluminum. Fresh and dirty, all at the same time.

Oh, hello - funny meeting you here

One thing I really like about Facebook is the opportunity it presents to reconnect with otherwise long-lost former-life peeps.

I have renewed faith in humanity when I become FB friends with someone I wasn't really friends with in high school or college, but who makes the effort to reach out and get a dialogue going.

And then I have fleeting thoughts of wanting to hop into go back in time using Dr. Who's big, purple time machine and be their friend THEN because I'm pretty sure my life would be the better for it NOW.

Facebook also helps to renew my faith because bullies I have known throughout my life are pounded by karma (rightly so) and have been reduced to slovenly, relationship-challenged slackers who can't get from here to there without a life map, some dice and a bottle of Jack.

I recently started chatting it up with someone from my college days. Some of those days are very hazy, and what I recall is that this guy was, to quote Miley Cyrus, "prrrretty cool". I hung out in that circle for a couple years, didn't really get to know him well aside from a fringe-kinda-way.

Turns out he hasn't changed much. Still prrrretty cool. 80/20 cool/dork ratio, kinda like me.

And I wouldn't have this knowledge now if Facebook weren't around.

BTW, the photo is of Sibley Hall, the oldest building on campus and the haunted dorm I lived in for a school year and a summer.

Spooky stuff went down in there. Real spooky. For instance, there were many suicides in that building over the years. Stories of people being pushed. I've got a few of my own stories as well. Scary experiences.

But that's for another time, in another post....

Top headlines of the day

The following headlines were on the front page of these local newsstations websites:

"Are you smarter than a zoo keeper?" - KSDK

"Puppy salsa dancing" - Fox2

"Owl staring contest" - Fox2

"Watch: Winning! Charlie Sheen's Man-on-Man Kiss" - KDNL

"Man gets burrito rage over increased Taco Bell prices" - KMOV

"'Zombies ahead,' warns electronic road sign in SC" - KMOV

And no, I didn't link any of these because I've already wasted enough time listing them.

Fromage, je t'adore

So my gal pals and I have this little "club" called the GGG (Girls Gastronomical Get-together). We will be expanding our group to include spouses, significant others, whomever for the next fete, of which I am the host.

We typically have a theme like Middle Eastern, Mexican, Tapas.

I've chosen cheese.

I am a cheesehead. A cheesemonger. I belong to the SCA (Specialist Cheesemakers Association). I am hardcore about cheese.

Like, if cheese were a loudmouth, backwoods Alaskan female republican, I would have overlooked the insanity and voted for it.

I am really looking forward to this soiree as I will be taking it a step further and pairing cheeses with wine and beer.

My favorite cheese of all time is Drunken Goat. I like it a little sweaty, and while the aroma is somewhat heady, the taste is heavenly.

A second favorite is Morbier. It's soooo stinky, but the layer of ash and the soft yet tart taste, with the mixture of morning milk and evening milk, is to die for.

Another charming selection (and quite peculiar) is Gjetost. Norwegian caramel goat cheese. 'Nuff said.

I am seeking out new cheeses to add to the selections, and attendees are encourages to bring their favorites for others to taste.

I. Cannot. Wait.

Freaky, baby

Love this.

Couldn't figure out what that noise was until the mother spoke up.

I am a sport polygamist...

So as I delve into learning about my new love, BASEBALL, I am also trying to balance learning about my new second love, GOLF.

Yes, I have entered into sport polygamy. I have Big Love for both.

So, I'm reading up on an article by Joe Sidwell on InsideSTL.com and I am a little lost by some of the terminology:

Water wedge - I assume this is a club that helps to get a ball away from the water, like if it's parked in the mud by a pond? To me, it sounds like a special kind of fresh lettuce that is used at ritzy restaurants...

Adjustable Sole Plate - again, assuming this has something to do with the bottom of the club, as in the 'sole' of a shoe? Again, it seems more like a special fish dish that you can either order more or less of.

Neutral ball flight - this doesn't make any sense to me. Does a ball have a choice as to where it flies? Can it abstain like Switzerland and be neutral and hang out, suspended-animation style?

Now that my original "arranged marriage" of baseball has a new mate added to the fold, I will need to balance getting to know each equally, giving them ample face-time to keep the love alive.

This is fun!

Peek-a-boo

Felt a bit Souixsie Souix over the weekend and let my stylist 'have at it' with my hair. I go to Erin Slankard at Bouffant Daddy in Maplewood.

She added a "feathering" technique to a small section of my hair, temp hair color.

I like it.

And I won't ask if you do, because when you're punk, well, you don't ask permission OR forgiveness.

Or something like that. Lol.

Tootin'

I'm feeling all Oscar-worthy with my new plaque. So darn cool.

Apparently the 10 or so other bloggers who entered approached my coworker after the awards banquet to get the URL of the blog so that they could copy what we do.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Go for it, I say.

Weiner!

In my family, we pronounce certain words "uniquely".

Debby goes by "Daahhby"

Hello is "Heellllllllllllooooooo"

Winner is "Weiner"

I just found out the blog I created/manage for the hospital, Touching Base, won a Ranly award for Best Overall Blog at the Missouri Association of Publications. The banquet was on Wednesday, and my coworker picked up my award for me.

I'm so jazzed. I worked really hard getting this blog up and running, fine tuning it, and making it something our community wants to read.

We started off a year ago, and had around 745 views the first month. Last month we had over 6,000 views, our highest yet. We've done no advertising for this blog - only promotion via social media and word of mouth. A link is on our hospital website, but over the past few months most of the traffic has been from Facebook and Twitter.

Some of my colleagues won awards for their contributions to our publications like Innovate and others. I'm so proud of all of them, and of our team for creating such award-winning work.

I will always stand by my statement that what we put out is a team effort. The blog would not be successful were it not for the support and contributions from my mates, Kathy Holleman and Jason Merrill.

We are unstoppable.

We're like an unstoppable forest fire that lovingly consumes all in its path, leaving nothing but charred purity in its wake.

We're like Jay-Z, Eminem, and Snoop all rolled into one big, fat blogtastic blunt of creativity. We smoked the competition, and won't stop until we reach the top.

Word.

Concert Calendar

AHHHH.

I feel refreshed after laying out my upcoming concert lineup.

Margot & Nuclear So & So's 3/25

Sebadoh 4/2

Ravonettes 4/8

John Doe 4/15

Black Lips 4/21

Social D 5/4

Ted Leo, 5/8

Detroit Cobras 6/15

Motley Crue/Poison, NY Dolls 6/22

Matt & Kim/Thermals 6/23

Holy Crepe!

My colleague forwarded this link on, as many of us are foodies in the office. It lists info about all of the food trucks in the St. Louis area.

First of all, love food trucks.

Second of all, love that it maps where the trucks are at any given point in the day.

Finally, there is a food truck that hangs out at the Webster Farmer's Market and it's called the Holy Crepe Food Truck.

I mean, holy crap, Holy Crepe is a great name for mobile frenchy pancakes.

It is, right?

Yeah, thought so.

Enjoy this new find.

What else do I love besides baseball?

I LOVE GOLF.

Yes. That's right.

I love golf. And of course, what's mentioning golf without a pic of Chevy Chase in Caddyshack, one of my favorite movies (seriously)?

This is the year of me embracing everything I shunned in the past that has prevented me from enjoying a fulfilling social life here in St. Louis. Again, I will compare it to an arranged marriage in which I learn to love that which has been thrust upon me.

And just like baseball, golf is one of those things.

I was recently offered a free golf lesson, complete with clubs.

To that I say, hell yeah.

Bring on the joy.

Seriously, I love going to the driving range. Lining up my swing, hitting the ball dead-on, seeing it fly beyond where my near-sighted eyes can see is actually fun for me.

That said, I will take learning golf as my opportunity to get out and enjoy nature, get some good walking in, catch up on the latest guy chatter, and a chance to work on my infraspinatus, terses minor, subscapularis, supraspinatus, biceps and triceps, among other key muscle groups.

It will also give me the opportunity to explore the fashionable side of golf - just an added bonus to my ever-growing sporty wardrobe.

If hitting a tiny, little ball into a far away, tiny little hole in the hot, hot sun will bring me some fun, I'm game.

These are handbasket times

A large part of my job, say 40% (at the minimum), involves listening.

This means I'm tuned into Twitter, FB, local and national news reporting agencies, and other means of "listening" to the latest, both in general and what's being said about the hospital.

Today is a banner day in terms of news. We have a potential nuclear meltdown in Japan which is being touted as worse than 3 Mile Island, very wobbly global financial markets, shootings in hospitals in Bahrain, etc. It's times like these when it gets a bit emotionally overwhelming to scan through Twitter to see if there is any health news worth retweeting or posting about.

Something that helped me to pull the day together and get my bearings was remembering a friend. It's Brain Awareness Week, and when I write blog posts for the hospital, I try and infuse something personal, whether it's a recollection, an anecdote, a story or an image. Today it was all of them.

Cheryl Schafer Collins was a patient I met here at the hospital about a year ago. I was doing a follow-up video interview with her after her Gamma Knife surgery, which is targeted radiation for hard-to-reach brain tumors. She was a dynamo, a force to be reckoned with. Her energy was amazing, even during the tough times. She always had a kind word for everyone, fought back against her lung cancer diagnoses with ferocity and took her treatments seriously. When she'd come into town, we'd try and get together for lunch or just a quick visit. I last saw her at the end of October when she was in town to meet with her oncologists. We met for lunch, and she was her usual feisty, warm self. I got to meet her sister and her son, and we had a nice time catching up and discussing her treatments and what was going on in her life.

A few weeks later I saw on Facebook that she was back at the hospital, but it didn't seem worrisome. And then she was gone. That can happen sometimes, especially when it comes to cancer. The immune system is weak, and pneumonia can take down the strongest of wills.

I've thought about Cheryl often, and when I was writing the post for Brain Awareness Week, it seemed a perfect opportunity to mention Cheryl and feature her last video interview with us.

Even though I didn't know her long, she made a lasting impression on me. Her message was simple - live life. Be present, be kind, be yourself.

So for all that's going on in the world these days, the terrible injustice and disasters and violence, her words are ones I can live by.

Here is a link to the post on our hospital blog. And you can see Cheryl's video here.

Duality

So being a Gemini is no easy feat.

There are usually two directions (at the very least) I'm feeling pulled in, and vascillate between them far too long and sometimes miss out on opportunities.

I have a very conservative side when it comes to certain aspects of my life - relationships would be one of them. Other areas, I'm extremely liberal and spontaneous.

On weekends, I'm more than happy to settle in with a good book or movie, cuddle up on the couch, sleep in and laze about with NPR or chill music in the background as I work on chores or homework. On the other hand, I love seeing bands, meeting up with friends for drinks and chatter, or dining out at my favorite haunts. It just depends on my mood, or perhaps what I can be talked into.

I would say, and I think my close friends would agree, I'm much better off being asked to do things last minute than days or weeks ahead. I tend to feel tied down if I have to commit ahead of time. Call me up the day of, and I'm usually game and will show up.

I do the same thing to myself, however. I tend to make plans, invite people, and then when the time comes all I want to do is the exact opposite, because of the commitment part.

It's a constant struggle. And one I may never conquer. Such is life - at least it's interesting.

Barefoot Contessa

Went to my cooking class last night with Cin. Had fun!

We made mango banana daiquiris, cheese pastries, fennel and onion gratin with gruyere, pasta, and coconut cupcakes. Here are a few photos from the fete:

Game Over

Game over. Meaning, I've got no more game to give this week. I'm off my game.

My. Game. Is. Used. Up.

Just call me Charlie, because I feel like I've had a Flowers for Algernon kinda week.

I can count about 8 grammatical and punctuation errors I've made on the blog this week, and I'm about over it.

I got caught up in someone else's drama, and that time suckage left me feeling distracted and used up. Over now.

Looking forward to falling into the arms of my family this weekend for some comfort and laughs.

Saw the trainer this morning. Kelly worked me hard, and he doesn't stand for whining. Love it.

Maybe Monday will be better.

Baseball - Let's break it down

My colleague forwarded me this nifty baseball chart - since I'm still learning about this amazing sport, I'm not sure why it's so funny. But I will.

Enjoy.

Yawn, Trip, Scowl, Ouch

That was my morning, in a few words.

Met my trainer Kelly at 5:00 am. He immediately started in - upper body workout plus abs. After Monday's lower body workout I actually thought that upper would be easier.

Obviously I don't know Kelly very well.

An hour of brutal weight training. One. Whole. Hour. Of. Brutality.

I had my eyes closed for most of it.

He only had to assist me on one exercise. Which is good. 'Cause I'm a fighter.

But I was so internally whiny that I'm sure it showed some on my face.

After all that, I still love my trainer.

BTW, the pic above is the bain of my lower workout. Squats. Those suck.

Can I Has Sum Peanut Butta?

This personal trainer thing is a little like having my own Jambi - you know, the genie from Pee Wee's Playhouse? meka leka hi, meka hiney ho.



When I left my training session Monday, he said to text him with questions, day or night. I didn't think I'd have any. I was sorely wrong.

Although he wrote out a list of foods I should eat, I've had questions about foods that AREN'T on the list.

Like peanut butter. My friend got a trainer a few months ago, and has made significant progress. I checked out her eating regime, and she's got peanut butter on there a couple times a day.

So, on Tuesday night I got out a spoon & dipped it in the Peter Pan I keep on hand to help Oliver choke down any medications. OMG, it smelled so unbelievably delish. And yes, I know I'd only been doing the diet for a day, but my willpower was breaking down.

Until this happened...

Before I downed any, I immediately thought to text Kelly. And this is how our convo went...

Me: "Can I have a spoonful of peanut butter?"

Kelly: "F no!"

Me: "LOL you're awesome!"

I love that he yells at me via text, with expletives no less. :-)

My question for him today was this...

Me: "Can I have a pickle?" (I'm seriously craving pickles)

Kelly: "Lotta sodium!"

Me: "K, I'll skip it."

Each time I text him, I get an answer back within 10 minutes. How cool is that??

Gotta say, I'm loving this training. Can't wait to see what's in store for me tomorrow at 5:00 am. Guessing I won't be able to lift my arms the rest of the weekend, which might interfere with my spinning class with Kelly on Friday night.

Excellence in advertising

I worked in advertising for a few years. It was a unique experience.

One thing that I took away from that time in my life was a better appreciation for clever ways to make people pay attention.

My former colleague Steve Hoerner posted these today. Great stuff.

Below are a few outstanding examples of a hilarious and eye-catching campaign - more here.

Not another step

Holy frijoles. Everything (pretty much) below my rib cage hurts. Hurts bad.

Had my first training session with Kelly last night. My friend Craig suggested I call him Sven, which conjures images of a massive blonde & relentless Swedish trainer.

Well, Kelly isn't blonde, but the relentless moniker is deserved. He is supportive and encouraging, for sure, but also pushes non-stop. Yeah, he's kinda like a pain pusher. But isn't that what a trainer is supposed to do? I don't need to be coddled or cuddled. I need to be punished. In a gym-kinda-way. Which is what Kelly did, for over an hour.

The best part? The stretch at the end. Heaven.

Oh, and the pic isn't Kelly, it's the ShakeWeight Guy, whose face cracks me up. Is he working out or just happy to see me?

So, about 25 minutes into the session he remarked that this is the tipping point, where most of his first-day clients bow out. He's only had a few make it to the end. Suckers, that's what I have to say. Now, whether that was trainer-speak or actual fact, it mattered not because I paid and I was gonna play the entire 60 minutes.

See, when I work out in a group or with someone else, I suck it up. I'd rather finish in a pool of mushy goo, weeping from the pain than beg off and wimp out because, well, that's darn embarrassing.

But, to be honest, about 30 minutes into it, I felt like tossing Toll House Cookies, but 10 seconds of rest brought me back from potential liquid to solid ground. The cool part? Kelly called me on my pre-vomitous face and told me to hang back for a few seconds to collect my innards. He was totally cool with it, so I was too.

He also told me that spitting, hissing, yelling, moaning and swearing were completely acceptable from his trainees. He only got swearing from me last night - not aimed at him, just felt good to release verbally.

Who knew that a lower body and ab weight workout could be so intense? So painful? So punishing? So RIGHT?

Ha.

We met for 20 minutes after the session to go over my meal plan, which so far has been delightful in the fruity sense. Adding blueberries to my BFL food regimen has brought color, taste and variety into what was a pretty bland menu. AND I totally scored last night at Schnucks because Shredded Wheat was on sale 4/$10. I got 8. Go big or go home when it comes to fiber, folks.

So today I can barely walk. Seriously, I must look like Mr. Magoo ambling down the hallway. Probably a hilarious sight to see. My funny walk means I need to either hit a spin class later or run to keep from getting completely stiff.

So far, loving this training experience. I may have to keep it up beyond the 3 months...seems worth it to me.