Run Run Run Run Run

I just broke my personal record for a 5K distance run-- 3.11 miles in 29 minutes, 18 seconds. 

That beats my previous record by over a minute!!

I averaged about 9 1/2 minutes per mile.

It was freezing... like, literally. 32 degrees.

(Maybe that made me run faster, haha.)

I'm so proud of myself!

Now, a cookie and a shower.

--Sammie

Thanksgiving

Right now, it's Saturday morning. I'm pretty sure I'm STILL full from tons of turkey, stuffing, two kinds of potatoes and a not-to-be-disclosed amount of wine and Great Lakes Christmas Ale I consumed two days ago on Thanksgiving. I love having Thanksgiving at my mom's house and helping her cook all morning. I made roasted sweet potatoes and onions-- I can't do "sweet" sweet potatoes, you know, with the brown sugar and marshmallow? Nope, I like mine savory. Lots of garlic and salt and pepper, yes please.

The recipe is really easy:

• Acquire some yams (the more orange-y ones-- actually different and better than sweet potatoes, but I've never said "yam" for whatever reason), a white onion, and a head of garlic. 
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 
• Chop 1-3 yams (depending on how many people you want to feed) up into bite sized pieces. 
• Dice the onion. For one person, I usually use half.
• Mince 2-4 cloves garlic. 
• Mix yams, onion and garlic in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
• Pour into a baking dish sprayed lightly with Pam.
• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove foil and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.

This recipe is also easily customizable-- if you like less onion or more garlic, do that. If you want veggies, add red or green peppers. The basic idea is easy-- roast a bunch of yummy stuff with olive oil and spices. I eat this for dinner all the time!

My Thanksgiving plate (number one... of several)

Cute centerpiece my mom made

Thanksgiving was great: I got to see my family, and had fun playing dominoes with my grandma (who plays with her friends for money... I suspect she is secretly as ruthless as they come). Cooking and clean up were a breeze thanks to all the help and my mom's hard work. One of my uncles snored through two straight NFL football games, which was hilarious. We spent the whole day laughing and talking and being thankful. Everyone missed my Grandpa (who passed away in March), but we are all thankful for life moving on for the rest of us, and know he is up in Heaven looking down on us happily.

 My Grandma Marilyn and I

Rio with her Thanksgiving treat

Things I'm Thankful For! Happy Holiday Season 2012!!

• Friends and family. And friends who are like family.
• Being able to get by on an even smaller budget than a few months ago (thanks grad school)
• Being able to cook decently (though not as good as my mom or Loretta or many other awesome ladies) and have yummy, home-cooked meals many nights of the week
• Blogs I follow written by inspiring and thought-provoking women (see the list on the right!)
• Healthy foods- avocados, rice, chicken, black beans, red peppers, sweet potatoes
• Unhealthy foods- Zebra Cakes, Twix and Reeses, popcorn, Fritos, nachos, boneless wings
• The upcoming loveliness that will be my winter break, and plans to make paintings and art and clean out my closets and read tons of books!
• My apartment and the awesomeness that is Grandview 
• Peppermint soap and white candles and soft blankets and plants and all the other little things that make my apartment my own
• Running and the healthiness and peace of mind it brings me
• Thrifted clothes (and Instagram-thrifted clothes!)
• Movies and TV shows
• Kiddos and puppies
• Job applications
• Champagne
• Basketball
• Football
• Tattoos
• Books
• Life

I hope that in the upcoming year I can think of more and more things to be thankful for every day, and never forget how blessed I am to have all these things.

In other news.... today is the Ohio State-Michigan game. It's at home, here in Columbus. Biggest rivalry ever. GO BUCKS!! We're as-of-yet undefeated and we can't even go to a bowl game, but BEAT MICHIGAN, WOOO!!

Plus, it's super fun to watch football on a holiday weekend when there are snow flurries outside and beer to be had. :) I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is having a wonderful weekend!

--Sammie

23.5

Today is my half birthday! 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!

I don't have to go to work or class 'til MONDAY!

No, I'm not a half-birthday celebrator, but it's always fun when I do notice November 21st, the halfway point between my last birthday and my next one. I enjoy getting older (maybe because I'm only 23?) and every year seems to be more fun than the last. And hey, maybe I'll open up a pack of Zebra Cakes I have stashed in my cupboard (because duh, they are the best snack cakes, even above Twinkies) and stick a candle in one. Because I'm a dork like that. And maybe because I want to put off doing homework even longer *sigh*.  I think Ohio U. ruined me for grad school because at OU, you were DONE with fall quarter at Thanksgiving. And you didn't have to go back to class until JANUARY. It. Was. Awesome.

Anyways. Stay tuned for a Thanksgiving post in the next couple of days with a recipe for roasted sweet potaters. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

--Sammie

Winter Sweater

I have just discovered 

the joy

of people selling used clothes 

on Instagram.

I'm sensing that I'll be spending tons of money

(that I don't have)

on clothes

(that I honestly need)

soon.

But seriously--

My purse is falling apart.

I'm wearing clothes from high school.

The clothes I DID recently buy, from nice stores...

...suddenly have holes in them.

Three shirts.

Holes.

Ugh.

And my shoes, well, I wear them every day and they're from Target.

(Target, I really do love you but your shoes are not made to last.)

And LOOOOOK at the Burberry (hopefully) sweater that I'm about to buy for change.

Bring it on.

Being thrifty is awesome.

(Is there a better feeling than finding an awesome piece for cheap?!)

Luck to all you other thrifty people. :)

--Sammie

Lots of things.

Dear life, you are pretty awesome.

Dear director at Capital U., please read my whole resume and don't laugh at the fact that I'm still in school.

Dear coffee, I love you.

Dear donuts, I love you too.
(I sound like a cop)

Dear brother's knee, please recover from surgery quickly.

Dear Great-Uncle Eldon, I hope you and my grandpa are rockin' it up in heaven together (rest in peace).

Dear December, please come quickly so I can have a break from school.

Dear body, thanks for being so good at exercising (to my complete surprise) and thanks for not getting sick even though everyone everywhere seems to be!

Dear Penn Station, why are you so delicious? I should not be buying you so often.

Dear Thanksgiving, ohmygosh you are only a week away!

Dear BBC, thanks for making such awesome TV shows, like Luther.

Dear God, thank you for such amazing friends and family.

--Sammie

Tuesday.

Today is a big day.

I'm about to send in my resume and cover letter for my first "real" job..."real" as in, not a coffee shop, not a dog-walking gig, not a farmer's market vendor and not a 10-hour-a-week research job to support myself through school.

I appreciate all those jobs, and loved (and still love!) many of them. But today, I officially kick off the search for a full-time, hopefully salaried and benefitted, business-carded career!

I'm not likely to get the one I'm applying for because I'm still six months away from graduating and I'm still developing my professional experience, but AHH it's still so exciting to officially start getting myself out there. And, you know, a little terrifying.

In other news, I saw a giant deer while I was running this morning. Apparently, along with wooded areas and meadowland, their habitat now includes city.

Here's to big days!

--Sammie

Frosty Morning

I love Ohio State's campus.

This is the view of the Oval that I walk towards every early morning of work:

The sun is rising above my building, Page Hall. 

The grass and leaves were covered in frost.

Even though it got up to like 55 degrees today. 

Tomorrow is going to be 70.

Thanks for all the crazy weather Ohio.

But seriously, we love you.

-Sammie