Friday Tapas: The Skinny Edition

Serving up some lighter fare this week, in both the figurative and literal sense.

Figuratively speaking, I’ve reacquainted myself with the gym in preparation for my upcoming beach vacation. So, I’m once again viewing life through a more health-conscious lens overall.

And literally speaking, I’m taking a long weekend and heading to Colonial Williamsburg for a family reunion with my husband’s clan, giving me one less evening to prepare this week’s spread.

In my absence, however, please make yourselves at home. Enjoy the nibbles.  Me casa es su casa. 

• I’ve rekindled my love affair with exercise. As is to be expected after any long estrangement, our relationship was initially both awkward and painful. But then we found our groove, the serotonin high kicked in, and now I’m once again head over heels in love. And this time we’re gonna make it work, damn it!

• I posted the following on Facebook last weekend in the midst of one of the aforementioned serotonin highs, but it bears repeating again: I’m in love with Zumba because it allows me to show off moves I thought I only had when I was drunk.

• On the flip side, it’s really not fair – my abs feel tight and ripped after a core workout. So, why don’t they look it?

• Prior to kicking off this weekend’s reunion events, I’m treating myself to a manicure and pedicure and having my makeup done at the Clinique counter. All of which will feel almost (but not quite) as indulgent as my deliciously quiet 15-minute commute when Hubs offered to drive Lil’ Bit to school Thursday morning.

• I am so completely hooked on the new Dallas on TNT. J.R., Bobby, and Sue Ellen along with a whole new crop of young actors who are so incredibly hot they can’t possible be human? Yes, please. I still get chills whenever I hear the original theme song set over that iconic opening montage. Gosh, I miss the 80′s.

• I judge other people’s Starbucks drink orders. I can’t help it – every time I hear someone order a grande mocha frappuchino with whipped cream, I mentally scream, “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CALORIES THAT HAS?” I’m OK with this because I’m sure people judge my own signature Starbucks order with a giant inward eye roll as they think to themselves, “Jeez, lady! What is your effing deal?” Whatever. Haters gonna hate.

• Speaking of Starbucks, I’ve sadly chosen to modify said signature drink order to a tall chai latte, non-fat, no water, extra hot, four pumps – part of my renewed resolve to cut out excess calories. No, I can’t just eliminate my beloved chai lattes altogether – that’s just crazy talk. But you know what they say: No pain, no gain.

• One of my biggest fears in life is waking up in the middle of the night to find someone standing beside my bed. Thanks to Lil’ Bit’s new penchant for climbing out of bed and toddling down the hall to our room when she wakes during the night (which she does often these days), that fear has now been realized. And I can confirm that it is indeed as terrifying as I always imagined it would be. Talk about a raised heart rate. Numerous times over the past two and a half years I’ve sat in the dark beside my child’s bed watching her sleep and wondering to myself, “Just how creepy is this?” Well… now I know. And paybacks are a bitch.

• In addition to feeling stronger and more toned (already!), I’m no longer emotionally berating myself as I was just two short weeks ago. In fact, these days I’m feeling much more confident and well-balanced in all areas of my life. Proving what I’ve long known but had for some reason chosen to ignore as of late – that exercise nurtures both the body and the soul.

As it turns out, gym time cuts down significantly on blog reading time. What can I say? There are only so many hours in the day, and when push comes to shove, I choose a boo-tay over blogger’s butt. Because there’s a difference.

So, if you’ve recently found yourself feeling as if I’ve forsaken you and your blog, to that I can only reply, “Forsaken you, my ass!”

Literally.

So, I didn’t get to make my regular rounds this week. But I did catch Dear Toddler: Revenge is On My Mind by Amanda Austin of It’s Blogworthy, in which she gleefully plots all the ways she will exact revenge on her publicly tantruming two-year-old at various points later in his life.

Oh, Amanda… I’m right there with you in the trenches of the Terrible Two’s, so I.Can.Relate. And the possibilities for revenge? Endless, my friend. Endless.

Case in point: After once again bemoaning the fact that Lil’ Bit is (still) waking up at the butt-crack of dawn each morning, my dad reminded me that I used to do the same thing when I was her age. And a few days later, as I sat chained to my desk at work on a beautiful sunny day, he texted me the following:

Sitting at Rivers Inn in Gloucester eating hush puppies and soft shell crabs.

Well played, Dad. Well played.

With that I’m off to ride the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens, explore the newly-refurbished Williamsburg Pottery, and generally undo all my hard work in the gym these past few weeks by drinking copious amounts of wine.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone. And for my fellow East Coasters – stay cool!

What’s on your mind?