Random things about spinning and terrible towels

I have two random things to share today.

RANDOM THING #1

Today, my spin instructor combined two of my most favorite things:  (1)  Spin class (duh) and (2) Name that tune complete with prizes.  Every time a new song would start, whoever yelled out the name of the band/artist first won a Clif bar.  It was funny - before every R&B/rap song, the instructor would say "You have to be fast, you are going to get this right away."

I knew zero point zero of those songs.

These are the ones I knew:

1.  Hold on Loosely (.38 Special)

2.  Follow Me (Uncle Cracker)

3.  Walking on the Sun (Smash Mouth)

4.  Hanging by a Moment (Life House)

Because I had to work up the nerve to yell out loud in spin class (and also because I am embarrassed that I knew the Uncle Cracker one), I only actually won once.  With Life House, thank you very much.

And the other random thing I'm even more embarrassed about than knowing the Uncle Cracker song.  My aunt called me this afternoon to tell me this story.  

RANDOM THING #2

Someone that works at Angelo's was browsing at a thrift store in Mon City and stumbled upon THE TERRIBLE TOWELS WE GAVE OUT AT OUR WEDDING.  You know, the ones that looked like terrible towels, but had our names on them instead.  A TERRIBLE TOWEL WITH MY NAME ON IT IS HANGING ON A RACK AT A THRIFT STORE IN MONONGAHELA FOR 50 CENTS.

Really, people?  If you don't want it, just throw it away.  Or use it as a rag to clean the floors!  That's what I do with the 234987938475 left overs! 

My first stop when I get to town tomorrow will be to march in there with my 50 cents and buy that terrible towel back.  So you can add one to that number above.  Because I didn't pay enough for them already.  And because I am embarrassed.

"Thursdays" with Kari

My friend Kari has quickly become my running buddy since moving back to Pennsylvania.  One night a week for the past three weeks, she comes over after work and we run.  We call it "Thursdays" because the first time we did it, it was a Thursday.  Unfortunately, life generally gets in the way.  But we have found a way to shuffle our schedules and come up with one night a week so far.  First Thursday, then Monday, and last night (which was Wednesday).

Side Note:  It is quickly becoming apparent (at least to me) that we really do need to nail down a day for this reason: Kari easily gets used to things.  Let me explain.

The first time we ran (on a THURSDAY) we had a great night.  And Kari officially dubbed these runs "Thursdays with Morgan".  We had bean burgers for dinner.  (Side programming note:  Grey's Anatomy is on on Thursday night.  We did NOT watch it together.)

The second time we ran (on a MONDAY) Zach came with us.  It was another great run - our very best to date.  5 miles and we made it all the way downtown from Lawrenceville.  Then we came home, had this really great chicken salad for dinner and watched the HBO show Girls.  (Another programming side note:  Girls airs on Sundays nights at 10:30, and if you don't know me by now, you should know that my eyes RARELY see 10:30 EVER.  Also, Girls is the best show on TV.)

So for our third run, which was last night (a WEDNESDAY), Kari's first question was "Are we going to watch Girls?"  Well, unfortunately for Kari, the Girls viewing in the Milton house happens promptly after dinner (or sometimes during dinner) on Monday nights.  So no, because it's not MONDAY.  "Well, can we watch Grey's Anatomy?"

I don't watch Grey's Anatomy, so that's the only excuse I could muster when Kari asked.  Which made me feel kind of bitchy, because I already turned her down once.  A better excuse would have been Grey's actually airs on THURSDAYS, so it would have been impossible to watch it on WEDNESDAY.  Neither of us realized this.  Kari made it all the way home before realizing she would not be watching Girls OR Grey's tonight.

So that was like the longest side note ever, yes?  In fact, it had it's own sub-side notes.

All of that to tell you that I have a new running buddy.  And she is fun and cute and she likes to take walk breaks like me.  Even when it rains on our run.  Like it did last night.  Until of course, we got home.  Here are some photos from her blog that she has taken of our runs:

Week 1:  3.6 miles.  All of these photos compliments of Kari.

And let me just add that this was the first and only night we actually got to use Kari's iPhone Nike app thing. Because of the threat of run every other time.  Thank you, Pittsburgh.

Here we are before starting the run.  I'm not sure what's up with my one squinted eye, but we will digress.

And here is our view from Smallman Street as we turned around and headed back North.

Week 2:  5 miles.

Week 3:  Rain.  And the shortest run ever of 3.4 miles.

I love that Kari documents this stuff for us.  She is the photo queen.  All day every day.

Also, she is becoming an aunt today for the first time.  Hopefully she has enough batteries for her camera.

Going Full Throttle

Today was my first day at a small restaurant on the North Shore in Pittsburgh.  It's the first of two jobs I got in just a few days.  The other one is a part-time teller position at a bank on the South Side.

Both of these jobs may beg the question "WTF?".  And maybe you are right.  In fact, when I interviewed at the bank, the manager who interviewed me said, "Don't you think you may be a little overqualified for this job?"  To which I responded, "Perhaps.  But I am fortunate enough to have a husband with an excellent job that can allow me the luxury of trying something new and giving my mind a little break from the 9-5 routine and accounting in general.  Plus I'll still be in the finance world, and maybe if I decide I want more there may be opportunity here for upward mobility."

And when I interviewed for the server position at the restaurant, the manager said, "We are very flexible here.  Most of our servers have what we call 'real' jobs and we do our very best to accommodate them."  To which I responded, "I used to have a 'real' job when I lived in Virginia.  And even when I worked 40 hours plus I scoured Craig's List at least once a month for possible part-time serving positions because I enjoyed it so much."  Which was true.  And I even landed a host position at one of the most famous restaurants in Old Town before discussing it with my boss.  Who talked me out of it.

These two interviews were the easiest of my life.  I could be completely honest with these people and we really seemed to connect.  And while maybe the path I am taking isn't exactly where in life my college degree would suggest, I really am excited to be doing something totally different than what I did in Virginia.  It's exactly what I need right now.  And who knows?  Maybe one day I might own my own restaurant, or run a bank.  The slate is as clean as it can be right now.

DC Trip

I spent Wednesday through Friday in DC representing my old company at a conference.  I know.  Weird, right?  I kind of thought that before I went, but the three days I spent there really made me realize a few things. All things I knew before I left, but they were all reinforced during my trip.

1. DC Drivers are the meanest.  I know.  I already knew this one (three no-fault-of-my-own car accidents later...) but it was just reinforced like crazy.
2. The food is second to none.  I know I've blogged about Lost Dog before and usually a person wouldn't use the phrase "second to none" to describe pizza with shrimp and pineapples (and bacon and ham), but OMGAH.  And Jaleo's bacon-wrapped dates?  Yes, PLEASE.
3. I left some good friends behind.  I mean, if anyone would have told me three years ago that my two best friends at work would be a 37 year old guy and a 65 year old lady, I probably would have laughed at you.  But it really just goes to show you that you can make connections with anyone.  
4. I don't think I'll ever not be nervous speaking in front of a room full of people.  No explanation needed here.  I literally forget to breathe and almost pass out every time.

So all around it was great.  Lots of friends, lots of celebrating, lots of food.  Lots of nerves and only a little sleep.

The Benefits of Disorganization

When I was an accountant (I guess I still am - only an unemployed one), I was really good at being organized at work.  Actually I don't really know how "really good" I was, but one thing I do know is that I threw "organization" out of the window everyday on my way home.  You could probably find it somewhere along Route 1 outside of Alexandria.  Probably in the Days Inn parking lot.  Or maybe the Virginia Lodge.  Or some other seedy motel sprinkled along my route home.  You know those people whose professions are embedded in every thing they do?  Well I must be missing that gene.  Or maybe the fact of the matter is I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.

At any rate, the point I am trying to make is that saving receipts?  Keeping paid bills?  Copying checks?  BALANCING A CHECKBOOK?  These are things I excel at between the hours of 8:30 and 5:30.  After that, forget it.

So that sounds like a bad thing, right?  Well let me just tell you a little story.

Okay so.  When bills would come in the mail at home, I would open them, groan really loudly, make Zach guess how much they were, complain, turn the heat down, consider showering at the gym before remembering I already quit the gym to save money, then eat a tub of ice cream.  And then, I would proceed to lose the bill.

Don't ask me how.  I don't know.

So then I found myself in quite a pickle.  The bills would come due, and I would have to pay them.  Except I didn't know how much we owed.  And I didn't even know when they were due.  So I would try to remember.  And then I would log into online banking and set up an online bill pay for a number I made up.

Fast forward to when we moved to Pittsburgh.  Apparently, I overpaid our Virginia internet bill.  Imagine that.  So remember when I told you that we took the $64 to the casino?

And before you shake your head and think about how dumb it is for an unemployed person to go to the casino, be aware that we turned that $64.00 into $290.00.  BOOOM.

Unemployment, the casino, and the importance of looking in the mirror. Even if you are just going to the gym.

Hey Guys!

Just an update on my unemployment - I am still officially unemployed.  BUT!  I had a couple of promising interviews in the past week or so and now I am just waiting to hear back.  None of the jobs are directly related to Accounting, which, to be honest, is kind of relieving.  I'm not sure why I feel like I need a big change, but I do.  And hopefully that is what I am about to get.

So tonight, sans job, Zach and I are going to the casino.  And while we had plans to go to the casino prior to 10:30AM this morning when the mail came, I take what came in the mail as a sign.  A REFUND CHECK FOR $64.85 FROM OUR CABLE COMPANY IN VIRGINIA.  HELLO DOLLAR SLOTS.

So maybe we'll win some cash.  I have a good feeling.  But I always do.  You know, it's really rare that I win anything, but I'm not a COMPLETE loser.

Well, that is a relative statement.  Today I went to spin class at the gym and as I was walking from my car back to my apartment AFTER class, I realized that my bike pants were on backwards.  I was so embarrassed for myself.  And then I learned that the key we use to open the front door of our building also opens the front door of the other two identical buildings on our block.  By accident.  Because in my embarrassment stupor I let myself into the wrong apartment building and began my ascent to the second floor before realizing that everything - the stairs, the mailboxes, and the railing were all completely opposite of what they are supposed to be.

So really, I feel like that is enough bad luck for one day.  And now we are due some good luck.

Affording Vegas (Or Why You Should Memorize Your Husband's SSN)

I just had this Gchat conversation with my husband self.

Sent at 4:25 PM on Thursday

Me:  Hi again
Me:  I am applying for the two free flights credit card with Southwest
Me:  I am using your info since I don't have a job
Me:  k bub?
Me:  We will use it for flights to Vegas
Me:  We will probably still have to pay a little

Sent at 4:27 PM on Thursday

Me:  You were approved!
Me:  Look at you!
Me:  VEGAS HERE WE COME

Current time?  4:38 PM.  Still no word from my husband.