Sleeveless running

The weather cracked into the 40s today, time to celebrate!  I was so happy when I woke up, it was sunny out and I had the day off to enjoy the nice weather outside.

Here’s my morning cup of joe…along with some figs, carob covered raisins, and the crossword.  Talk about starting the day off right.  Since I woke up earlier than usual, I got hungry earlier than usual, so I made some french toast that I doused in Earth Balance.

This whole wheat Alvarado Street bread is good, maybe even better than the California style?  I headed out to do a few errands, and ended up in Barnes & Noble.  I could spend hours at that place, and I nearly did!!  I got 3 new books, thanks to a few peoples’ recs.  After I got back home I was ready to get my run on.  In honor of the amazing above freezing temps and sunshine, I wore a t-shirt!!!!  I went on a run through Central Park and (as usual) got totally lost, and ended up running for an hour.  Who knows where I even was or how long my run was, because it felt GREAT!  It’s supposed to snow on Wed, so this little moment of tolerable weather was just what I needed to get me through ‘til spring (or at least through the next storm). 

Once I got home I had an odwalla bar before heading back to the gym for a cool down and arm/ab work.  I did the elliptical on a low setting for 30 minutes then did stretching and some work on the mats.  Saweeeeet!  Love days like these 🙂

Post work out I had a platter of dried fruit (coconut date rolls, papaya, and pineapple rings), and two pieces of toast (generic ww bread) with Earth Balance.

I went shopping for my secret blogger valentine’s day gift in the PM along with other fun errands.  I got my nails did and a neck/back massage, which loosened me up quite a bit.  Hopefully my neck will get better now, otherwise a new pillow may be in order (thanks for the Andrea and Erin! 

I doodled and snacked on coconut date rolls before dinner.

For dinner I made a big salad with BBQ “chicken” (it was actually seitan).

I chopped up romaine and mixed it with Earthbound “fancy” lettuce along with edamame, corn, carrots, greek yog, and the entire container of BBQ seitan.  Sometimes big salads just hit the spot, and this one was perrrrfect.

So I was tagged by Erica to post 10 random things about myself…and since I think these things are fun, and 10 doesn’t seem overly taxing, here it goes!

1. I have a weakness for all dried fruits, and even have a ranking system for them, which changes on a (sometimes) daily basis.

2. I have lived in 2 countries, 3 states, and 5 cities (Barcelona, Spain, Lafayette and Los Angeles, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and NY, NY).

3. My living room at home (in CA) is bigger than my current apartment in Manhattan).

4. I met my boyfriend at our on-campus job at UCLA, looks like dipping my pen in the company ink worked out!!!  Going on 5 years…

5.  My first patient in nursing school pooped on me (like diarrhea down my leg over me).  It was at 8 am, and I had to work the rest of the shift, too – in brown stained stinky scrubs.

6.  My middle name is Claire, so my Dad calls me E-Claire and my Grandpa calls me chocolate.  It’s cute until you imagine what my conversations with the bank tellers have been over the various years trying to get birthday money cashed. 

7. I love crosswords.  I’m like a grandpa.  Seriously, give me a cup of coffee and the morning paper and I’m happy as a clam.

8. I can quote verbatim every episode of friends. Ever.

9. From Britney Spears to the Wicked soundtrack, my iTunes is packed and I love singing at the top of my lungs and having dance parties in my apartment (even if I’m the only one here).  I play the French Horn, so my musical taste is really refined.

10.  I almost went to a different college to play soccer, and at the LAST minute, changed my mind and opted to end my career.  It is SO weird to think how different my life would be had I pursued soccer in college.

Now I’m going to tag a few peeps: Andrea of CaretoEat, K of Ksgoodeats, and Missy of MissyMaintains – holla ‘atcha!

For dessert I had some massive dried papaya spears (it’s hard ot tell from the photo, but they were really big).

Plus an o’soy blueberry yogurt, which I MAY have dipped some dried figs into.  I have a fig obsession goin’ on right now. 

Peace out bloggies!