tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24323712606083979952024-03-13T09:55:14.226-07:00What a Day to be AliveMolly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.comBlogger1008125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-18790463168694687092019-08-26T08:10:00.001-07:002019-08-27T07:09:44.395-07:0015 Things You've Missed in 15 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9E6y_H344NI/XWP1nNZXKeI/AAAAAAAAzp4/n7iti-Etjp8uWMzw1A3ZTp5C8eeqpZPSwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9E6y_H344NI/XWP1nNZXKeI/AAAAAAAAzp4/n7iti-Etjp8uWMzw1A3ZTp5C8eeqpZPSwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Dad,<br />
<br />
It's been 15 years today since you died. And we still miss you so very much. <br />
<br />
The passage of time continues to be a blessing and a curse. I didn't know this firsthand before August 26th, 2004, but what I've learned since then is that time can help lessen the blow of death. That's the blessing. The curse is that no matter how much time passes, I still miss you so much my throat closes up and tears sting my eyes. We may have accepted what we have no choice but to accept, but we have not adjusted. I don't think you ever do when someone you love dies. See. It's a blessing and a curse.<br />
<br />
Over the course of the past <b>15 years</b> you've missed a lot. So much that I couldn't possibly cover, but here are <b>15 things that I want to tell you about: </b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Kara had your first grandchild.</b> A girl. Julia. I remember when she called to tell me she was pregnant because it meant we had to delay our wedding. Again. But I didn't care. And even though Kara insisted on letting the show go on without her, I told her that I had no choice but to get married without you, but I wasn't doing it without her. Julia was the perfect reminder we needed that life marches forward. She stole our hearts and took up some of the space that was left in your absence. </li>
<li><b>I got married.</b> Tommy Sweeney performed the ceremony and wore your "formal wear" (read: kilt, knee high socks, fancy shoes, dress shirt and jacket). We got married on your favorite day of the year (St. Patrick's Day- obviously). Just before the ceremony started, it was cloudy and threatening rain. And then just as the ceremony began, the sun came out and was shining so bright that we had no choice but to take it as a sign you were there with us. We did a lot to make sure you were there in spirit. In fact, I think Katie and Mom both took some of your leftover Xanax. </li>
<li><b>Meghan & Rob got married. </b>It was a beautiful November evening in New York City. Just off of Union Square surrounded by family and friends, they said their "I Do's" and once again, you were there with us in spirit. You would have <i>loved</i> their very New York City wedding. Most especially, the view. </li>
<li><b>Clancy came and lived with me and Steve. </b>When Mom moved to Virginia (a little while after Jack died), it didn't make sense for him to live with her. And even though I was realllly skeptical about the whole thing, I knew that Clancy coming to live with me (someone who worked from home and could give him the life you wanted for him) was the very best option. It's hard to put into words what a gift Clancy was and has been in my life. He filled it with so much love and I learned so much from him. <b><i>Thank you.</i></b> He remains the greatest gift I've ever gotten from you. And I know you would have been proud of the way I "raised him." </li>
<li><b>Your second grandchild was born. </b>Another girl. Lila. We were all worried about her having to follow Julia- a born performer with the most amazing curly hair that demanded attention whether she wanted it or not (she did). Turns out Lila more than held her own. She can win any staring contest and I know you would laugh and laugh and laugh at all her antics and icy stares and sense of humor.</li>
<li><b>I made a second home in Ireland. </b>I've now been to Ireland 17 times. Since 2008, I've gone every single year and some years, twice. You taught us that "being 100% Irish as far back as the family went" was the most important thing about us. And I've really latched onto this. One of my most memorable experiences since you died was in 2014 when I traveled to Ireland and met some of your family on Father's Day that year. I can't remember the exact way in which we/you are related to them. But I do know that it was so meaningful to meet your family in Ireland. I yearn for you every time I'm there and think about how special it would have been if we lived in a world where you'd meet me in Ireland and be integrated into the life I've created for myself over there. P.S. You'd love Gene. </li>
<li><b>Your third grandchild was born. </b>Well Dad. It turns out you just can't escape girls. Your third grandchild was also...you guessed it...a girl. Quinn Eloise Reinhardt was born a week before St. Patrick's Day. Like Julia and Lila, you'd <i>love</i> her. She's smart and funny and creative and, just like her cousins, she'd keep you on your toes. I wish we could see you as a grandfather. It's hard for me to imagine, but I know you'd get a kick out of your three granddaughters and I know they'd get a kick out of you too. You not getting to know your granddaughters and vice versa is one of the things that upsets me the most about you dying so young (in addition to a lot of other things). Luckily you left us with so much to remember you by and so much to share with them. And I see some of you in them- in their humor, determination, character and personalities. You'd be so proud of Kara and Meghan and the wonderful mothers they are. </li>
<li><b>Sh*t's been real funky. </b>Not everything has been sunshine and rainbows since you died. Mom being diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 1999 and your death more than prepared me for the reality that Life Is Hard. The quote we found in one (of your many) notebooks after you died said: <i>"Life's not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it makes all the difference." </i>While it's brought me a lot of comfort, it didn't prepare me for the ways in which we'd find ourselves at odds with each other. More than anything else that's happened in my life since you died, I think about you the <i>most<b> </b></i>in this situation...wondering how different things might have been in you were alive to help us through the tumultuous time that's changed our family dynamic.</li>
<li><b>Okay...not sure how you'll feel about this one, but...it turns out we're part Jewish! </b>It's not that there's anything wrong with being Jewish. It's just that (see above) you raised us to believe that being "100% Irish as far back as the family goes" was The Most Important Thing about us. Well...I'm here to tell you that we're ALMOST 1/3rd JEWISH! Or at least I am. Last year I did some genetic testing (through something called 23&Me- which wasn't around when you were alive) and it reveled that I am 28.3% Jewish. More surprisingly, this comes from BOTH SIDES OF THE FAMILY. And as it turns out, you're more Jewish than Mom. Yes, seriously. (16.1% vs Mom's 12.2%). So, ya know, there's a lot to dig into there. But...crazy, right?! When I first got an inkling about this (way back in 2009), I told Kevin that I thought we might be part Jewish and he said <i>"Oh! That's a good one! I haven't heard that before." </i>Now that we have the evidence to back it up though, there's no refuting it! I laugh every time I think of this and wonder how you'd have accepted this news. </li>
<li><b>I lost a bunch of weight. </b>I remember this painfully uncomfortable conversation you and I had, probably around 2001 - 2002 when you took me for a drive, then parked your car across from Roger's Motel and Campground in Lancaster, NH and told me that I needed to lose weight. It was one of the most cringe-worthy conversations you and I had. Not that I didn't need to lose weight (I did), I just didn't need you to take me on a special drive to tell me how you remembered me being so small and strong and tiny. I struggled enough with my appearance and was so self-conscious about it then. I didn't need my father to have a heart-to-heart with me to make me feel worse. Well it took about 13 - 14 years before I did anything about it and it included a lot of starts and setbacks and failures, but I'm happy and proud of the fact that I've kept approximately 60 pounds off for five years and I feel great. Because of the wonderful Corridan-like traits passed down to me (you know like: if it's worth doing, it's worth over-doing), I still need to be really careful and mindful about this. I know it'll be a life-long challenge, but I am better equipped to deal with it and am in it for the long haul. Also- P.S. I ran a freaking half marathon last October! (And I didn't get sick at the end.)</li>
<li><b>Clancy died. </b>This one hurts a lot. On July 11th, 2017, we said our final goodbye to Clancy. I had woken up two days earlier to discover that he could no longer get up unassisted and I just knew that the end was near. I wasn't going to force him to endure a life less than he was meant to live just because I selfishly wanted him around and wanted that connection to you. We (me and Katie- Steve was on vacation on the east coast) spent two sad but beautiful days giving Clancy the send-off he deserved. It included 23 in-person visitors and 21 FaceTime chats (that's another thing that wasn't around while you were alive...but since you barely picked up the phone when we called, I don't think FaceTime would have been something you cared about), Ben & Jerry's, steak, a Carvel ice cream cake and more love and patience than I knew I was capable of. We gave Clancy a send-off you would have been proud of. We surrounded him with love and photos of his extended family (including you, obviously) and when the time came to put an end to his suffering, my heart broke into a million pieces. For Katie too. Who was by my side for "raising him" and seeing him to the finish line. Clancy taught me more than I knew I needed to learn. He was so much more than a dog. And while my heart will never fully heal from his loss (just like it'll never fully heal from losing you), my overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude. That I got to play such a big role in his life. That he was in important connection to you. That I was able to spend 4,104 days with him together in California. Clancy filled my life with unconditional love and purpose and helped me become a better version of myself. He was the greatest teacher and the very best companion. I miss him- and you- every single day.</li>
<li><b>Papa died. </b>For someone who just wanted to live to his 20th birthday, he had a great run making it to 93. His (New York City) funeral took place on one of the coldest days (and reminded me why I don't live on the east coast) and involved the New York Police Department. Up until the very end, Papa treated us to his sarcasm and wit. He had a long and wonderful life. What you lacked in years, he more than made up for. We miss him, but it's not like it is with you. </li>
<li><b>Sue died. </b>Oh Dad. This is a hard one to tell you about. As much as I'm glad you missed this, I know you being here during this time would have been really comforting to Kevin and Susannah and all of us. This is really f'd up. A trip to drop her dog (Monty) off at the groomer's resulted in Sue being paralyzed from the neck down. I know. What the f? The accident happened just last year- at the end of July and she was gone by the end of November. I got to see more of Sue in those few months than I had in the years previously, which was a gift...but still. It was so hard to see her so unhappy and depressed. She tried hard for a little while, but when it was obvious how small her progress would be, she just didn't have it in her to keep going. Kevin and Susannah and Barbara were amazing with Sue. Everyone showed up for her- Meghan, Kara, Katie, Kerry, Casey, Sally...just to name a few. But in the end, it wasn't how Sue wanted to live. And even though she was caring for a newborn (the most adorable and beautiful and happy baby girl, Ursula), Susannah showed a strength of character and a dedication to giving Sue what she wanted (to die at home) that left us all in awe of her. Recently I've been missing Sue so much. I think the unfairness of how Sue died has worn off and I'm left with feeling her absence. One of the things I loved the most about Sue is that she had a unique and special relationship with all of us. She took the time to get to know each of us as individuals and created special memories specific to our likes and interests. It's hard to go to New York City knowing she's not there. But, like you, Sue left us with so much to remember her by and to smile about when she comes across our minds (which is a lot). You wrote me a letter once and in it you said, <i>"You mentioned things we've been going through and how important family is. It's really more important and more true than you know, especially when hard times come along. That's when you'll probably find out that the most important thing in your world will be your sisters." </i>I've drawn so much strength from this nugget of wisdom you've left behind. I can't imagine how Kevin must be feeling with both you and Sue gone at this point. But I know that you and Sue left him with a lifetime of memories and love that I hope keep him company when he feels lonely. </li>
<li><b>I've raised a shitload of money for rare cancer research. </b>For the past seven years, I've been participating in a fundraiser that benefits Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (it's called Cycle for Survival) and raises money for rare cancer research- motivated by losing you at such a ridiculously young age to esophageal cancer...and because of other friends who have also been diagnosed with a rare cancer. In your/their name, I've raised <u>$175,481.34</u>...and counting. Most people ride a little bit here and there and participate as part of a team. Very on brand with who you were, I participate as an "Extreme Rider" which means I have to raise a minimum of $4,000 and I bike for four hours. It's excessive and crazy and I love it. A couple of years ago I got to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=190TUMBigHw">share</a> my reason for riding before the event started and I said this about you: <i>"I'd like to think that if he were diagnosed today, he'd have different options because of the money that we raise and the work that we're doing." </i>You continue to motivate all four of your girls to do better and to be better in all aspects of our life. And it's an honor to have made such an impact and to have raised so much money in your memory to help others have a better outcome than was available to you 15 years ago. </li>
<li><b>Everyday Life. </b>There's not a day that goes by where I don't think of you. In fact, I end every night by saying, <i>"Dad. I love you and I miss you." </i>And since Clancy died I've added <i>"Please give Clancy a hug and kiss from me." </i>But within every day, there's something that comes up that inevitably makes us wish we could pick up the phone (even though you likely wouldn't answer it) to talk to you. Whether it's a show on Netflix (man you would have looooved that platform) or a problem at work or a book recommendation (thank Gods you missed the whole Amazon.com thing- your bank account and marriage likely wouldn't have survived it!) or something I saw in Ireland or a photograph that Katie took or something that Lila said or a parenting challenge Kara/Meghan is experiencing or advice I need on my marriage or wondering what you'd think of the latest thing Donald Trump said or did or, or, or...we still have the reflex to want to reach out to you. You weren't the most present or emotionally available person pre-cancer diagnosis, but it changed the way you showed up for all of us. And I'd like to believe that had you been given the gift of time post-cancer diagnosis, we all would have benefited by having a closer and stronger relationship with you. We honor you and celebrate you on your birthday, on the day you died, on St. Patrick's Day and so many days in between. You inspire our physical activity and you influence our decisions. We hate that you're not here with us, but we do everything we can to keep you so very present in our lives. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Losing you so early in our lives changed us. It has shaped our priorities and what/where/who we choose to put our time and energy into. It's changed the way we move through the world. </div>
<div>
<br />
I know you'd be proud of all of us- of the things we've done and of the people we've become. The way that we've truly lived life in your absence but guided by your presence.<br />
<br />
There are so many things you've missed and so many things that you will continue to miss. But we will always keep you so very much alive and a part of all that we do.<br />
<br />
I love you and I miss you,</div>
<div>
Molly</div>
<br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-52725745769230981662019-01-19T19:24:00.000-08:002019-01-21T16:22:30.628-08:00This is 39: Month 12, Update 2It is ridiculously late, but also, better late than never, no? After this I'll be posting a final update recapping my This is 39 experience. But for now, I need to take my own trip down memory lane to try and remember all the things I accomplished in my last month of 39!<br />
<br />
My <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/10/this-is-39-month-12-update-1-all-about.html">first post of month 12</a> was all about the half marathon. I'm still so proud of that accomplishment. I've only gone running once since then- on my actual birthday in Ireland (take me back please!)- because I did aggravate an injury that came on the week before my race. I did something to my right quad which is why I had Advil and Biofreeze the day of the halfie. I needed to numb that shit up so that I could make it through the race. Because not running it was absofreakinglutely not an option. But it took nearly two months before I was able to run without feeling some sort of pain in my right leg. Now (mid-January) that it's not hurting, I'm itching to slowly get back into running.<br /><br />There was a lot of stuff that I did in month 12 that had nothing to do with my big race. Like:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Be mindful of communication: try not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing</b>- Yep. Continued to be mindful of this even though I wasn't perfect at it.</li>
<li><b>Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress</b>- Only got this done once in October. Mostly because I was too busy partying it up in Portugal and Ireland.</li>
<li><b>Buy and use really good eye cream every day</b>- Missed this only one day in my final month.</li>
<li><b>Call my grandparents 1x/week</b>- I only called my grandmother twice in October, but I blame that on being out of the country for the second half of the month.</li>
<li><b>Date night with Steve at least once night a week (when I'm not traveling)</b>- I left on October 7th for the rest of the month and I truly don't remember what date night(s) we may have gone on from September 23 - October 6th.</li>
<li><b>Do a Segway tour</b>- You guys. I freaking did it. And I freaking hated it! No one was more surprised than I was at this plot twist. But it truly makes me laugh, still, all these months later thinking about how miserable I was. Katie was such a good sport about doing this even though it wasn't her idea of a good time. But the plot twist thickened while only moments into our Segway experience, it was evident that I did not like it one bit and Katie was having the time of her life.<br /><br />I didn't feel safe or confident on the Segway because I couldn't figure out how to stop it. And instead of asking for help, I just white-knuckled (literally) my way through the 3 1/2 hour tour (it was supposed to be 2 - 2 1/2 hours FYI). Katie took to it like a fish in water and really did have so much fun. I fell at one point. No big deal, it was just right in the middle of the busiest part of the city and was 100% dangerous. I was lucky I didn't really hurt myself since my foot got stuck while the Segway kept spinning around. Our tour guide was amazing- cute, knowledgable, nice, friendly, sweet, helpful and fun. But it didn't matter. I just hated it and couldn't wait for it to be over with. Katie took the funniest video of me- rim-rod straight, white-knuckling my way down a narrow, cobblestone alley, with a scowl on my face- and every photo taken of me on the Segway has my disdain on full display. Even still, I'm so glad to have crossed this goal off my list because as much as I hated it, it's one of the best memories. And I'm so grateful to have shared it with my wombmate. See for yerself:</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4nl2rNMuqQ/XEO86-c9EBI/AAAAAAAAzIY/2fTDHTZWUQ0bO05UKR_Dr70iQp19EWGUQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_8793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4nl2rNMuqQ/XEO86-c9EBI/AAAAAAAAzIY/2fTDHTZWUQ0bO05UKR_Dr70iQp19EWGUQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_8793.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy as can be...before I stepped on the Segway!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XlDQSFwWh90/XEO9PJvht7I/AAAAAAAAzIk/8HV-btY8zZ8yGnCHup6vHKzTnHNC9JADQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_8825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XlDQSFwWh90/XEO9PJvht7I/AAAAAAAAzIk/8HV-btY8zZ8yGnCHup6vHKzTnHNC9JADQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_8825.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wondering what in the hell I've gotten myself into.<br />
And looking a helluva lot like my dad with what would become my perma-scowl for the duration of our Segway tour!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm thinking "I really thought I was gonna like this more than I actually do."</td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OryHpTjE9CA/XEO9MBJEtfI/AAAAAAAAzIc/kiL8Il2FxlghuXuWqPYgNZ7wWaZX8rTdQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OryHpTjE9CA/XEO9MBJEtfI/AAAAAAAAzIc/kiL8Il2FxlghuXuWqPYgNZ7wWaZX8rTdQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_8794.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Perfectly captures the yin vs. yang of mine and Katie's experiences on the Segway tour</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages</b>- I got rear-ended five freaking days before my half marathon, so I went that night to get a massage to be proactive. And then just a few hours post-half marathon, I treated myself to another massage and it was the best way to recover after my great big race! I don't think I've gotten a massage since October, but have plans for one tomorrow and I can't wait! (I also got a facial the day after my birthday while in Ireland but it was So Lame and basically just someone putting lotion on my face. Plus I was still sort of drunk and kept falling asleep and waking myself up by making weird noises. So it wasn't the best facial I've ever had.)</li>
<li><b>Get my photography hanging up somewhere in public</b>- This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I can say that one of my photos is hanging up in public inside the Thatch. It's a wonderful (if I do say so myself) photo of Percy pulling a perfect pint of Guinness.</li>
<li><b>Go to Weight Watchers every week that I'm in the country</b>- Yep. I did this in October. And while I didn't set any weight-specific goals, I'm super happy to share that when I turned 40, I was close to the lowest weight I've been in as long as I can remember. I know a big part of this was due to going weekly to weigh myself and being accountable in that way.</li>
<li><b>Hike 1x/month</b>- We did this awesome hike in the Irish countryside (to see the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caves_of_Kesh">Caves of Kesh</a>) the morning of our birthday. We went hiking up to these caves that had these amazing views that Ireland is so well-known for- green, rolling hills as far as the eye can see. There's this great vantage point and photo op where the cave acts as a frame, and I had everyone take a photo expressing our gratitude for the moment:</li>
</ul>
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<li><b>Journal at least 4x/week</b>- I accomplished this goal in month 12 and actually journaled a ton because I was trying to make up for not doing this 4x/week consistently throughout the year.</li>
<li><b>Milk a cow (in Ireland)</b>- I tried like hell to accomplish this goal during my June visit, but it turned out to be much more difficult to find someone who still milks their cows by hand. (Who knew?) But my friends Mary and Alo (real name = Aloysious O'Hara, can you even deal with how Irish his name is?) hooked me up. Milking a cow isn't easy as it turns out. It's also not very glamorous, although I'm not super surprised at that. I milked a cow for less than 30 seconds because it was really hard and the cow wasn't totally digging it. I'm sure it was picking up on my nervous energy. But hey, I did it and I have the photos to prove it. Here's one:</li>
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<ul>
<li><b>No McDonald's for a year</b>- Check!</li>
<li><b>Nurture my marriage</b>- Check'ish. I spent a lot of my final month away from home/Steve which made it challenging to feel like I really accomplished this goal. (A theme throughout this year and something that I know I need to do some internal work on.)</li>
<li><b>Plan a kickass 40th birthday trip to Ireland & Portugal</b>- While the planning took place many months before the trip, I can honestly say that everything came together seamlessly. Katie and I had a wonderful time in Lisbon (along with a 1/2 day side trip to Cintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais). We loved the city and did so much exploring in the 4 (full) days and nights we were there. It was so great to have some twin time before going to Ireland and meeting up with 17 of our friends who traveled from all over the world to celebrate with us. Here is a collage of some of my favorite photos from our birthday trip:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><b>Travel some place new</b>- While I accomplished this earlier in the year when I went to Miami for work last February, Lisbon was a new-to-me place to travel to as well. Katie and I really loved Lisbon and explored on foot and via Segway so we really got a great feel for the city.<br /><br />I LOVED all the freaking stairs all over the place. It is truly a city of stairs. And graffiti. I didn't love that part as much. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastel de nata, also known as Portuguese custard tart is a Portuguese egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon.<br />
And Katie and I fell hard for these.</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Use my real camera 1x/month</b>- Several of the photos I've already shared throughout this blog post were taken on my "real camera."</li>
<li><b>Volunteer 1x/month</b>- At the end of September, when I could have gone out drinking in Philadelphia, I stayed in and wrote postcards in support of Beto O'Rourke and Adrienne Bell. </li>
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<li><b>Write an article/short story about Clancy and try and get it published</b>- I actually completed this! I wrote a first draft of my short story about my final year with Clancy. It was really hard to do. But also really healing in many ways. Thanks to my sister Kara for checking it out. I have another writer friend taking a look at it. And then I'll see if there's any place that's appropriate to share it. Otherwise, I'll post it here. Here's a little peek of what I wrote:<br /><br /><i>"Saying goodbye to Clancy was a pain and heartbreak that is difficult to put into words. We had 4,104 days with Clancy in California and every single one of them was filled with adventure and love. He expanded my heart in ways I didn't know was possible. He helped me grow in ways I didn't think I could. He taught me more than I knew I needed to learn.<br /><br />He was so much more than a dog. And while my heart will never fully heal, my overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude. That I got to play such a big role in his life. That he chose my family 14+ years ago. That he was an important connection to my father. That I had the pleasure of loving on and living with him for as long as we did. And that he had 5,198 days to spread his magical energy, spirit and love to everyone who knew him."</i></li>
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My final month was another busy one filled with lots of activity. The half marathon is still fresh in my mind, as is our epic trip to Portugal and Ireland. And I feel so grateful for all the things I did in October.<br /><br />I know some people freak out at turning 40. Age has never really been something that sets me off. I think it's a side effect of losing my father at a young(er) age. I see aging as a gift and look at it very practically- you either get older or you die. And right now, I'd rather get older.<br /><br />Next up is a recap of This is 39!<br /><br />As always- thanks for coming along for the ride!</div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-53247790306701146382018-10-17T10:27:00.003-07:002019-01-19T15:29:12.408-08:00This is 39: Month 12, Update 1 (All About That Half, Half, Half)When I was 29, I set a goal of running the Dublin marathon right after I turned 30 and that didn't happen. I was disappointed, ashamed and embarrassed. I thought I had really wanted to accomplish that goal, but as it turns out, I wasn't willing to make any lifestyle changes or really put in the work required to go after such a big goal.<br />
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Here I am, 10 years older and wiser and nearly 65 pounds lighter. I know how to make better choices for my body and my health. I know how to stay in on a Friday or Saturday night because the after effects will impact my training in the morning and the number on the scale when I go to Weight Watchers. I wasn't resentful for the ways in which I needed to change in order to accomplish this goal. In fact, I welcomed it. Even more than that, however, I was ready, excited and willing.<br />
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When coming up with my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2017/10/this-is-39.html">This is 39 goals</a>, I put the half marathon on the list because I knew I could accomplish it <i>if</i> I were willing to put in the work. And even though I didn't get started until April, once I found a half marathon that worked with my schedule, nothing was getting in the way of me accomplishing this goal.<br />
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Over the course of my six months of training, I ran 98 times, logged 393.6 miles and my longest run was 12.25 miles. With the help of my good friend Hal, I had a solid training plan that got me to the starting line knowing that I had fully prepared to cover the 13.1 miles on the course.<br />
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On Saturday, October 6th, Katie, Steve and I packed up the car and drove down to Long Beach so we could spend the night and only have a short walk to the start line. I was more than prepared with all the goodies I'd need to show up at the start line:<br />
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We made it in time to get to the expo where I picked up my race bib, took some photos, and had Steve get me a t-shirt and pint glass.<br />
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We had an early dinner at California Pizza Kitchen where I loaded up on pasta and bread and got into bed before 9:00 p.m. I was afraid I'd have trouble sleeping, but luckily that wasn't the case; I slept quickly and easily and woke up a little bit before my alarm. With some nerves and anxiety, I got up around 5:30 a.m. so I could eat, go to the bathroom, get dressed, stretch and warm-up. Loaded with some good luck charms from friends (thanks Tisho, Tara and Marianne) I was ready to walk out the door and get the day started.<br />
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Once at the starting line, I was nervous but feeling ready to just get it started. One of the best pieces of advice I received in the days leading up to the race was from my friend Erin who shared advice she once got: "<i>Trust your training and enjoy the race." </i>That became a mantra that I thought about frequently as I ran and got me through some times when my mind was starting to present some doubts. </div>
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Here are some photos from the starting line:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before (photo by Katie)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quiet moment before my wave started (photo by Katie)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying my goodbyes to Katie before the race begins (photo by Katie)</td></tr>
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Unfortunately the cell service was pretty terrible (I should have known) and so we weren't able to<br />
meet up with Steve (who was still in bed when we left the room). Our calls and texts weren't going through and that was a BIG BUMMER. But I had to put it out of my head in order to concentrate on the race. I knew I'd see him eventually along the course. (Spoiler alert: I did!)<br />
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I anticipated I'd run about 12 minute miles, so I put myself in wave three (which had a 7:40 a.m. start time and an estimated finish time of 2:27 - 2:47). While I was towards the back of wave three, I was disappointed when people stopped moving and the announcer started lining people up for wave four. Note to self/lesson learned: next time I'll get towards the front of the pack in my wave so I can avoid that from happening again.<br />
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I was surprised only a minute or two into the race when I spotted my friend Penny who came down to cheer me on. I was <i style="font-weight: bold;">so happy </i>to see her and it left me with a smile on my face for the next few minutes. It was a perfect way to start the race.<br />
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The first six miles went by rather quickly and easily. I maintained a pretty steady pace and just focused on keeping one foot in front of the other and enjoying the experience. I knew if I had any problems, it'd be after mile 10, so I did my best to not push myself too hard in case I'd need to do that later in the race.<br />
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Near the halfway point, I passed Katie, Ivette and Penny and was so happy when I did see them. Ivette handed off my sunglasses and I got another huge smile on my face when they started cheering for me as I passed them by:<br />
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After that point, I had about four miles on the bike path and then the final three miles were along Ocean Avenue. Based on my experience during the training, I knew I could use some spectator love around mile 9 or 10. Unfortunately Katie, Ivette and Penny weren't able to swing that because they were on foot. Luckily, I had a really good playlist to keep me company and just kept coming back to trusting my training and enjoying the race. While I passed some people, and got passed by others, I also was in the same company as a few people who were running a similar pace to me. I'd keep my eyes on them to ensure I wasn't falling behind with my pace.<br />
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Around mile 7 I also became distracted because this is where the distance my Apple watch was tracking through the Nike Run Club app was starting to become different than what the course mile markers displayed as I was running by them. I tried to not let this distract me, but at times it was as much of a 1/4 of a mile difference and it was both distracting and a little disappointing.<br />
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Another thing I was totally unprepared for (since this was my first half marathon) was the number of people who do a run/walk combo. I know people who swear by this method of running a mile (or 10 minutes) and walking a minute and repeating that pattern until the end. But I knew it wasn't for me and during the actual race, it was distracting. Not to mention sort of dangerous too. There were a few times that I almost collided with people. Luckily there were no accidents- but it came close!<br />
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When I hit mile 10, I realized that I likely wasn't going to see Katie, Ivette, Penny or Steve and tried my hardest to just settle into things. I was really relying on my music to help my mind and pace stay steady and my feet to keep moving. I got so many wonderful suggestions from friends and put together this kick ass playlist that I finalized the night before. But the worst thing happened at mile 12. My f*cking Apple watch DIED. I was so, so afraid that it was going to run out of battery and tried to take some battery-saving measures to ensure it lasted the duration of my race. NO SUCH LUCK!<br />
<br />
Ugh.<br />
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With no watch tracking my last freaking stretch of the race and no music, I really had to dig deep. (I don't run with my iPhone, just an Apple watch). It was during this last mile that I got the greatest surprise when I spotted my BF, Stephanie and her husband Joel and their dog Shorty with about 3/4 of a mile left to go.<br />
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BF was in The Best Place to help with my waning energy and mood and provided me with the lift I needed to make it to the finish line. I was (and am) so incredibly grateful for her perfect placement and for being there. It's a busy time at work and the fact that she took a few hours out of her non-event Sunday meant the world to me. See the big smile she put on my face:<br />
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From there, I ran the last bit of road and saw Steve who ran a few feet next to me and said "You've got a good pace going there!" It was so great to see him too and so touching to see how excited he was for me. I threw my useless headphones and nearly empty water belt over the fence to him and proceeded to run downhill to the finish line.<br />
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In the final stretch, I saw Penny again but didn't see Ivette or Katie, even though Katie snapped these photos of me approaching the finish line:<br />
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I had two goals with this race: 1) to run every single step of the course and 2) to finish with a smile on my face. I'm very happy to say that I accomplished <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">both</u> of these goals. Here's my official race finish photograph (thanks to the suggestion from my friend Gayla, I raised my arms at the end):<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweaty and exhilarated at the finish line!</td></tr>
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I was 100% distracted at the finish line because of my dumb watch. I wasn't able to fully enjoy the moment because I was worried about my entire run not getting tracked within the Nike Run Club app. (If it doesn't get tracked, it doesn't count, right? FFS!) And I didn't know how I was going to meet up with everyone since I now had no way of getting in touch with them.<br />
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When I think back on the race, this bums me out a lot. I wish I had been fully present at the end and could have just let the feeling of accomplishing this major goal sink in and wash over me. I worked so hard for it, and I sort of robbed myself of the finish line experience. (Next time- and yes, I do think there will be a next time- I'll do this part differently for sure.) All of that aside though, I was (and still am) incredibly proud of myself for running every single step, for finishing with a smile on my face and for putting in the hard work for six months that made all of this possible.<br />
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As luck would have it, as I walked out of the post-race corral, I walked right into Steve and used his phone to call Katie. Before I knew it, I was with my mighty cheering station for post-race photos:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't have done it without the best race day support from my wombmate! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivette and I planned on doing the half together, but she turned out to be the most excited cheerleader and that was better 👋</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to BF, Steph and her adorable dog, Shorty for coming up to cheer me on (Photo by Joel)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny's my half marathon spectator unicorn! I saw her three different times and it was perfect and amazing! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And scene! </td></tr>
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And here are the official race stats:<br />
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The half marathon training and the race itself were a wonderful experience through and through. I pushed myself in so many ways throughout the past six months and transformed myself in ways that I'm so proud of. </div>
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While I'm planning on taking a few weeks off to nurse a hip and quad issue that developed throughout training, I'm looking forward to getting back into a regular running routine and adding it to the other things I plan to do for exercise (yoga, spin class, resistance training and stair walks).<br />
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Before I wrap this up, I want to say one thing. So many people have commented throughout this process that they could never run a half marathon. And I just want to say- you can. You really, really can. If it's something you want to do, then you'll make it happen. I started out running 1/2 a mile and worked my way up to 13.1. I did it slowly and carefully and by sticking to and trusting my training plan. In my experience, the most important ingredient is to really want to accomplish this. If you start with that, then it'll be so much easier for you to stick to all the little steps along the way that lead you to the 13.1 miles!<br />
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Thanks to so many of you who were cheering me on throughout the experience and on race day. So many people were invested in this goal of mine and it made such a big difference.<br />
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Thank you and ✅!<br />
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-28881236268809190552018-09-23T22:05:00.003-07:002018-09-23T22:07:51.300-07:00This is 39: Month 11Holy shit! I can't believe that there's just one month left in my epic year of This is 39! At times it's felt like the year has been slowly trudging along and at other times (like now), it's truly flown by! My <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker</a> is all updated with progress through today. I've got a clear sense of the things I likely won't accomplish and the things that I will cross of that goal list by October 23rd. While I may be slightly disappointed that I won't be able to say that I accomplished all I set out to do, I am more than okay with it and am incredibly proud of all that I will have done in the 12 months.<br />
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Here's where things stand with all 39 goals in Month 11:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month- </b>I got this out of the way early in the month and went to a restorative yoga class with my friend Heather. If not for my crazy travel schedule, I would have gone again this month. </li>
<li><b>Be mindful of communication: try not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing.</b></li>
<li><b>Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress-</b> Welp. I only got around to doing this one time this month. And that's fine. I know I'll go out with a bang in Month 12!</li>
<li><b>Buy and use really good eye cream every day. </b></li>
<li><b>Call my grandparents 1x/week-</b> While I called my grandmother 7 times this month, I didn't actually speak to her for almost two weeks because of crazy work travel. My grandmother's memory isn't what it used to be. And over the course of the past 11 months, I've noticed a change that may not have been as obvious if I hadn't been talking with her so frequently. It's not surprising at 92 years of age, but it's still upsetting to notice that change in someone who always used to be so sharp.<br /><br />Next week finds me in Philadelphia for work and my first stop after landing at PHL will be to go and have dinner with my grandmother. I'm so looking forward to it.<br /></li>
<li><b>Camp at/near the beach- </b>NOPE. And I still don't see this one happening before I turn 40. I'm going to be leaving on October 11th (until October 27th). So unless this happens on some random weekend (highly doubtful), it ain't happening because my weekends are spoken for between now and when I leave. </li>
<li><b>Create a solid emergency savings fund-</b> Due to an unexpected check in the mail (thank you Citibank), I think I may actually have a bit of savings so that I can say that the beginning of an emergency savings fund will be in existence. </li>
<li><b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling)-</b> Due to Steve's birthday, we got a couple of date nights squeezed in when I took him out for a delicious birthday dinner on two separate occasions. I wouldn't say we're the best at date nighting. With my half marathon training, I am basically a baby and in bed really early. Or I'm just tired from all the training. So that doesn't help. But, we could- and should- do better on this front. Regardless, here's a photo from date night the other night:</li>
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<ul>
<li><b>Denver trip with my twin to see the twins-</b> Sadly. This is another one that is not gonna happen. Katie and I talked about making this happen this winter where we can combine skiing. </li>
<li><b>Do a Segway tour- </b>Much to Katie's dismay, this is gonna hafta happen while we're in Lisbon. I found a t<a href="https://www.lisbonbysegway.com/en">our company</a> with great reviews on Trip Advisor. So more on this next month! </li>
<li><b>Try Ethiopian food- </b>COMPLETE </li>
<li><b>Eliminate credit card debt-</b> COMPLETE</li>
<li><b>Exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18,476)-</b> COMPLETE </li>
<li><b>Finish the remaining stair walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book- </b>COMPLETE</li>
<li><b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages-</b> COMPLETE. And I added another massage to the mix this last month. After my 11 1/2 mile run I was in serious need of some repair. Chris (who has been working his magic for all of my previous massages) was just what my body needed. And before I left, I already booked another massage for the afternoon of my half marathon! </li>
<li><b>Get my photography hanging up somewhere in public- </b>I *think* some of my photos are hanging up in the Thatch, but I won't be able to confirm that until I'm back in October. And I have another idea for some of my photos to be hanging up in a movie theater in New Hampshire. Not exactly what I had in mind but...</li>
<li><b>Go on a solo road trip that includes at least 2 nights away-</b> COMPLETE</li>
<li><b>Go to Weight Watchers meetings every week-</b> I have been religious about this. I've gone from the airport straight to meetings since my travel schedule has been so bonkers. Which hasn't been great for weighing in. But it's meant I've been completely committed to this goal. I need this kind of accountability, so I'm glad I've stuck with it. </li>
<li><b>Hike 1x/month- </b>Katie, Steve and I hiked (part way to) Skull Rock on August 26th- the anniversary of the day our Dad died. We had hoped to do this sunset hike, but it didn't quite work out that way because of the way the sun fell behind the mountains. It was a nice evening though and I was grateful to get my hike out of the way early in the month. </li>
<li><b>Journal at least 4x/week-</b> Because I'm playing catch-up, I've been writing basically every single day this past month (with the exception of one day). I'm almost done with the journal I've been writing in since August of 2017. Which is, my 21st journal! </li>
<li><b>Learn how to properly apply eye liner- </b>COMPLETE. Guys- I can even apply eye liner while in the car! </li>
<li><b>Milk a cow (in Ireland)-</b> I'm really hoping my friends come through for me when I'm back home next month. I was surprised at how difficult this was to make happen when I was there in June. But I'm remaining hopeful!</li>
<li><b>No McDonald's for a year- </b>Still McDonald's free! Last night I came home from the bar (I only had two drinks) and actually sauteed some kale for dinner. Who am I?! The old me definitely would have hit McDonald's on the way home and gotten some greasy grub. </li>
<li><b>Nurture my marriage- </b>Some days are better than others. I try every single day. But sometimes I am just not good at it. Sigh. </li>
<li><b>Organize and back-up photos-</b> I've spent a lot of time on this. But I think I'm going to have to spend more time organizing and backing up my photos before I can comfortably say this one is done. </li>
<li><b>Plan a kick ass 40th birthday trip (to Lisbon and Ireland)- </b>In progress! Katie and I sat down last night and figured out that there are almost 25 of us who will be traveling from all corners of the world (seriously, we have someone coming from Thailand!) to celebrate our 40th. We also finalized <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15480613">where we're staying in Lisbon</a> (thank you Joe). And things are falling into place for Ireland and the big 40th party on Wednesday October 24th! The major thing that we really need to line up is the transportation the night of the party so our guests don't have to worry about how they're getting to/from the Thatch. Once we settle that, I'll feel much better.</li>
<li><b>Read 20 books- </b>COMPLETE. I've actually read 25 books so far this year and know that I'll get a few more under my belt before October 23rd. This is by far the most number of books I've read in a year...ever. Here are the books I've finished since last month:</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-My-Father-Story-Inheritance/dp/1400082773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537760913&sr=8-1&keywords=dreams+from+my+father+barack+obama">Dreams From My Father</a> by Barack Obama. This moved along a little slower than I had hoped and focused on Barack Obama's life before he really got into politics. It was a fascinating read though and I learned so much about his unusual upbringing, the humble and simple way he lived his life and his unique and sprawling (extended) family that shapes so much of who he is. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-We-Ever-Wanted-Novel/dp/0399178929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537760974&sr=8-1&keywords=all+we+ever+wanted+emily+giffin">All We Ever Wanted</a> by Emily Giffin. I finished this book in a day and a half. It was a really good story and a very quick read. I'd recommend this if you're looking for a quick book to read.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-You-Left-Behind-Novel/dp/014312577X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537761104&sr=8-1&keywords=the+girl+you+left+behind+jojo+moyes">The Girl You Left Behind</a> by Jojo Moyes. I've read a lot of her books and this was unlike anything else I've read by the author. It starts out in France during WWI and then skips ahead to London nearly a century later. The story focuses around the fate of the art that was stolen during the war (a topic I hadn't read about before). I moved through the book quickly and really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend if you're a Jojo Moyes fan or someone who reads about WWI/II. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Resistance training 3x/week- </b>As I mentioned <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/09/this-is-39-month-10.html">last month</a>, I stopped doing leg resistance training. So I'm only doing this 2x/week. I'm more than okay with it. Especially because I've definitely seen a huge difference since April when I really started focusing on eating better and began half marathon training. I love <i>feeling</i> stronger. </li>
<li><b>Run a Half Marathon- </b>Yesterday was the last long run I'll do (12 1/4 miles) until Race Day on Sunday, October 7th. I can't believe it's only two weeks away! Now it's time to taper!<br /><br />Below is a photo from me post-run. I am so proud of myself for how much I've stuck with this goal. It has not been easy- especially with all the travel that's complicated my ability to just get up in the morning and get out the door. I've had to do lots of late night runs after really long and tiring days on event and force myself to log miles on a treadmill in a random hotel exercise room. But this has been so rewarding and I'm so looking forward to the Half Marathon. <br /><br />I know I'm going to be nervous as hell beforehand, but I am ready. I have trained. I will do fine. And I have so many reasons to be grateful and proud. </li>
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<li><b>Sisters-only trip-</b> NOPE. Sadly this just wasn't in the cards this year. But what did happen this past month is that the four of us were in the same place at the same time! Below is photographic evidence. <br /><br />The other thing that happened this past month (really just within the past few days), is we all settled on a location (Italian Riviera) and time frame (fall of 2019) for our sister's only vacation. I. Can't. Wait! </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Ski in California (w/ Katie)- </b>NOPE. But as mentioned above, I'm hoping this will get done this winter (and possibly in Colorado). </li>
<li><b>Stay on top of BRCA2 gene appointments-</b> COMPLETE</li>
<li><b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers app- </b>NOPE. Still not happening and I'm still okay with it! </li>
<li><b>Travel some place new- </b>COMPLETE. And that's before our trip to Lisbon which will be another new place! </li>
<li><b>Try meditating for 21 days in a row-</b> COMPLETE</li>
<li><b>Try surfing (w/ Steve)-</b> THIS WILL HAPPEN! The window of time to do this is so freaking small. But I will make him take me one evening before I leave for NYC/Maryland/Lisbon/Ireland. </li>
<li><b>Use my real camera at least 1x/month-</b> I didn't do this in month 11. I was thinking today how I should just go and take photos at the park. But then I thought "No. This isn't what I had in mind. And I'm not going to go out and take photos just to say I did it." I know I'll be using my camera plenty next month so I'm fine with skipping a month. </li>
<li><b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help Flip the House)- </b>Today found me and Katie at UCLA helping to sign-up student voters. It wasn't the most glamorous volunteering I've ever done, but I know how important it is. And although I was annoyed at times with the flippant way some of the students walked by without giving us a second of their time (do they truly lack understanding of how important the mid-term elections are? Probably. I know I had no clue when I was their age), I know that the handful of people who did register because we were there, makes a difference. Those who took our postcards and will look it up later is also important. <br /><br />I'm glad that I did something more than just write postcards- although that is important too. It was good to step out of my comfort zone and to engage with people. If you too are looking for more ways to get involved, you can check out <a href="https://votesaveamerica.com/">Vote Save America</a>. It's a wonderful resource that allows people to 1) see if they're registered 2) get registered 3) find events near them that they can get involved with. Here's a photo of me and Katie from our short but impactful volunteer shift:</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Write an article/short story about Clancy and try and get it published-</b> I've written one whole paragraph! Wow. Insert eye roll here. I guess the pressure will really be on in this last month to accomplish this goal. </li>
</ul>
So that's Month 11.<br />
<br />
Thank you, as always, for the support from afar. For being excited about and engaged with this crazy year and all my goals. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who truly care.<br />
<br />
Until next month!<br />
<br />
<br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-67010651469506132932018-09-02T20:00:00.001-07:002018-09-02T20:00:07.586-07:00This is 39- Month 10I'm actually partway through month 11 (woo hoo!), but realized I never reflected on month 10. So here we go. In month 10 there were a handful of things that weren't difficult to accomplish as many of my goals have become like habit now. Like:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Be mindful of communication- try not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing-</b> The thing I've continued to say is that I'm not perfect with this, but it is something I'm mindful of each day. And that continues to be true. </li>
<li><b>Buy and use really good eye cream every day- </b>Oh yeah. I'm all over this one! It's certainly become habit and isn't something I even really need to think about as it's become part of my routine. I even went through the eye cream I bought at the beginning of This is 39 and just bought another one. (Also side note: really interested in trying <a href="https://www.kiehls.com/skincare/eye-creams-and-treatments/youth-dose-eye-treatment/KHL232.html?cgid=face-eye&dwvar_KHL232_size=15%20ml">this</a>.) </li>
<li><b>Call my grandmother 1x/week- </b>This remains one of my favorite goals because I know for a fact that I wouldn't talk to my grandmother as much if it weren't on this list. While we don't have a ton to talk about every week, it's nice to hear her voice and, as said before, I love that she's come to expect my call now. </li>
<li><b>Go to Weight Watchers meetings every week (I'm in the country)- </b>Yep. And while I'm not tracking my food (like at all), I am eating well and getting weighed-in each week. Since I started This is 39, I'm down 13 pounds. But. Throughout this goal period, I've yo-yo'd a bit. So from my highest weight since 10/23/17, I've actually lost 37.6 lbs. Woah. I didn't realize that. </li>
<li><b>No McDonald's for a year-</b> Not missing it at all. Although it was touch and go for a second when my friend Eileen brought me a diet coke on event and it was from McDonald's. I'm so committed to this goal (even though it's really about the food) that I happily handed it over to Tara to enjoy 😁</li>
<li><b>Use my real camera 1x/month- </b>My intention with this goal was to learn the technical aspects of using my camera more and while I haven't done that as well as I had hoped, I am glad that I'm taking the time to use my camera more and take decent photos. Combined with my goal to organize my photos better, this is helping me be more critical and selective with what photos I take, how I edit them and which ones I choose to save. Here are the ones I took in month 10:</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the House)-</b> More <a href="https://postcardstovoters.org/">postcards to voters</a>. This is an incredibly rewarding experience and makes me feel like I'm part of a solution to move the country in the direction I hope it goes after the midterm election. (Which I've said before). If you're looking for a simple and effective way to volunteer and also want it to be politically minded, check out the link above and get started. It is really so easy. </li>
</ul>
<div>
In month 10, there were goals I accomplished (mostly), but still needed to work hard to get them done. Like:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month- </b>I really love yoga. But getting to a yoga class is a different story. I don't always make it a priority so I find that I am scrambling at the end of the month to make it happen. During the past 10 months, I've taken classes at different studios and learned that I love restorative yoga and I really enjoyed class with one particular instructor. So when I contacted her and found out that she was teaching at another yoga studio on my side of town (the one where I took here class from originally closed down unexpectedly), I jumped on the chance to go to her class again. As luck would have it, there was a special on Groupon that I took advantage of, and I know for the rest of the year, I won't have to do any research on what studio I'll go to, just what day and time the class is. </li>
<li><b>Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress-</b> I only did this one time in month 10 but I'm hoping to end This is 39 blogging 24 times so that it'll all even out. The process of accountability is so huge for me. And I have been so grateful for the encouragement and support I've gotten from friends and family who have been following along and reading my blogs and watching my half-marathon/workout related Instagram stories. </li>
<li><b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling)-</b> Steve and I went out for one of the most delicious meals I've had in a while at a small Italian restaurant in Venice, <a href="https://www.barriquevenice.com/">Barrique</a>. If you're local in LA, I cannot highly recommend this enough. Month 10 also coincided with the start of my heavy work travel schedule. This means that Steve and I need to get creative with date night and nurturing our marriage- not always our (my) strong suit. So...good to have top of mind. </li>
<li><b>Hike 1x/month- </b>I did this (yet again) toward the end of the month, but used it as an opportunity to see my friend Chris who I hadn't seen in a long time. While I went back to Will Rogers (my go to easy nearby hiking spot), it was a perfect workout. </li>
<li><b>Journal at least 4x/week- </b>I realized in month 10 that I slacked a bit on this so I'm working overtime to get this goal accomplished. It may require me to journal daily for the rest of This is 39, but I'm okay with that. No shortage of things to journal about, that's fo' sho'!</li>
<li><b>Nurture my marriage- </b>As I mentioned in date night above, I'm getting into the full swing of work (and personal) travel, which doesn't always go hand-in-hand with nurturing my marriage. But it's top of mind and I'm hopeful that (Steve and) I can get in front of this. </li>
<li><b>Resistance training 3x/week- </b>Now that my weekly mileage is starting to creep up there and my weekly long runs are in the double digits (woo hoo!), I've stopped doing leg-focused resistance training. I figure I have that more than covered. So...I'm only doing resistance training 2x/week now (arms one day, abs another day). And I'm okay with that. But I tend to wait until the end of the week and then have to cram this in. I'm hoping I can be a little more strategic with this in the final five weeks leading up to the half marathon and space it out a bit more. But because I have been consistent with this (thank you <a href="https://www.sweat.com/">Sweat app</a>!), I can totally see improvement in my ability to complete certain moves and it feels good to get stronger (and still get sore after each workout). </li>
<li><b>Run a Half Marathon-</b> So...setting the time aside to do my half marathon training is not an issue. The act of running isn't an issue either. It's just that this isn't entirely easy. It's been incredibly rewarding and I'm so proud of myself for sticking with my training and I actually can't wait for the half marathon. But running is hard (not a news flash, I get). And it's hard for me. I find that I'm constantly softening what I'm doing with statements like "Yeah but I run really slowly." Or "I'm not a fast runner, but at least I don't stop." I'm trying really hard to stop with that because the fact that I'm doing this and sticking with it and following a plan and increasing my distance each week are all things to be proud of and celebrate. And I feel like I'm putting myself down each time I cushion it with a "yeah but". In month 10 I broke 10 miles for my long run distance. While I still have things to work out with my training (namely what I need to eat leading up to a long run to have the energy to complete it without feeling like I'm barely moving), I'm happy to say that it's going well!</li>
</ul>
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And there were a handful of goals that I completed. Like:</div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Stay on top of my BRCA2 gene appointments-</b> I had my latest round of appointments at the end of July and all is a-okay. In fact, I don't have to do the ovarian cancer screening every six months. Because ovarian cancer is harder to detect and the testing available isn't as good as breast screening, my doctor and I talked about reducing the frequency to one time per year. I'm more than okay with this. I feel good monitoring it at least once throughout the year and know that in about five years, I'll need to make a more permanent decision that will (hopefully) eliminate my risk of getting (ovarian) cancer all together. </li>
<li><b>Learn how to properly apply eye liner!</b> I spent one Saturday evening practicing over and over and over again. I'd apply, remove, apply, remove and repeat (seriously about 15 times), until I finally got it right. I had a few different kinds of eye liner that I owned and tried out. But the two that I've used most frequently are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/LOr%C3%A9al-Paris-Lineur-Intense-Eyeliner/dp/B004BCVBKG/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1535912255&sr=8-3&keywords=loreal%2Blineur%2Bintense%2Beyeliner&th=1">L'Oreal Paris Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner</a> (in carbon black) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clinique-Pretty-Liquid-Eye-Lining-Black/dp/B013M9604A/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1535912365&sr=8-3&keywords=clinique%2Beasy%2Bliquid%2Beyeliner&th=1">Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eye-Lining Pen</a> (also in black). I never want to go too crazy, but I am really enjoying the simple look and definitely think it helps enhance my eyes. I've continued to use eye liner when I apply make-up and don't find it to be so challenging anymore. Hooray. But this was from the night I kept practicing:</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_0VE3EMY20/W4wqEMgiviI/AAAAAAAAy3k/orZck0ORwdMxvMmWbo5TiJGBRB_Vj0QQwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_0VE3EMY20/W4wqEMgiviI/AAAAAAAAy3k/orZck0ORwdMxvMmWbo5TiJGBRB_Vj0QQwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7226.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't even know I owned this much eye liner!</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Read 20 books-</b> (I think I actually did this in month 9, but whatever). Since I last wrote about books, I've completed two more:</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Next-Year-Havana-Chanel-Cleeton/dp/0399586687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535912712&sr=8-1&keywords=next+year+in+havana">Next Year in Havana</a> (by Chanel Cleeton)- This is one of my favorite books that I've read during This is 39. As soon as I finished it, I posted about it on Facebook because I love a good book recommendation and know many of my friends do too. The book went back and forth between Cuba in the late 1950's/early 1960's and Miami in 2017. I was invested in the story and the characters and learned a lot about Cuba. Highly, highly recommend (obviously). </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Arthur-Truluv-Novel/dp/1400069904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535912738&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+arthur+truluv+elizabeth+berg">The Story of Arthur Truluv</a> (by Elizabeth Berg)- This was a quick and easy book. I definitely recommend reading it, especially if you read and enjoyed A Man Called Ove. </li>
</ol>
<div>
And finally, there were a couple of goals that I got started on. Like:</div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Plan a kick ass 40th birthday trip (to Lisbon & Ireland)-</b> Katie and I had a few things to work out with tickets and travel dates and locations and all that stuff, but we've booked all our birthday trip travel and are getting really excited! After going to a wedding in Maryland, we'll both make our way (separately, unfortunately) to Lisbon where we'll be for five days in mid-October before going to Ireland for a week and a half. We'll have a few days to ourselves in Ireland before our friends start arriving from all over the U.S. (and even some from Europe). And while we haven't specifically planned things <i>yet</i>, I know our time in Ireland with our friends will include things like: drinking (a lot of) Guinness, seaweed baths, hikes, good food, good music, late nights, early mornings, drinking, fresh air and no work! </li>
<li><b>Write an article/short story about Clancy and try to get it published- </b>I'm only a paragraph in (so far), but I am just happy that I've started. And I know why I've put it off; it's so freaking emotional. To go back to the last seven months we had with Clancy is going to bring up all sorts of emotions. I've put that period into a compartment of my brain that I only tap into at certain times because it's so sad and I still miss him so much. Just writing the small amount that I did made me cry. So I get why I've waited so long to work on this one. But at the same time, I'm glad to get moving on it too. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Woah. That's a lot! I know 39 goals is kind of bananas to work towards. But it continues to be so meaningful to work towards crossing (as many of) these goals off my list as possible. I've loved the way it helps structure my month and has created a focus in a way that I wouldn't have without this project.<br />
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As always, thanks to all of you who take the time to read and comment and reach out with words of support and encouragement. It helps more than you'll know. So thank you!</div>
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-32654492956757399692018-08-12T12:36:00.001-07:002018-08-22T11:13:15.043-07:00This is 39- Goals UpdateI needed to wrap my head around where I'm at with each goal and so I broke them down into four categories:<br />
<br />
Goals that aren't going to happen<br />
Goal that will mostly/partially happen<br />
Goals that I've already accomplished<br />
Goals that will be completed by the time This is 39 is over<br />
<br />
It was great to see everything laid out so I have a better handle on what I need to focus on. I'm so proud of all the things I've done and know I will do. And also very happy that my All or Nothing personality type hasn't taken over to fully abandon this effort knowing that I will likely not score a perfect 100% on this massive project. This has been such a good exercise in reminding me that it's not about perfection, but about progress.<br />
<br />
<b>Here are the goals I don't think are going to happen at all:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Camp at or near the beach</li>
<li>Denver trip with my twin to see the twins</li>
<li>Sisters-only trip </li>
<li>Ski in California with Katie</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>Here are the goals that I think I'll mostly/partially accomplish:</b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Buy and use really good eye cream every day (I think I will have missed just a few days)</li>
<li>Create a solid emergency savings fund (this one could go either way- I don't think I'll be as far along as I had hoped, but...hopefully by the time I'm done with my year of This is 39, I'll have at least some emergency savings accumulated)</li>
<li>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling)</li>
<li>Resistance training 3x/week (When my long runs really increased in distance, I made the decision to stop doing leg workouts. So I won't hit this goal, mostly because I changed it partway through)</li>
<li>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers App (I abandoned this one pretty early on and I'm okay with it because I'm sticking to healthy food habits and consistently losing weight)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Journal at least 4x/week (I may not have hit this goal each week, but I think by the end of the year I'll have come really really really close to journaling 208 times)</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<b>Here are the goals that I've already accomplished:</b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Try Ethiopian food</li>
<li>Eliminate credit card debt</li>
<li>Exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18,746)</li>
<li>Finish the remaining stair walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book</li>
<li>Get 4 facials and 4 massages</li>
<li>Go on a solo road trip that includes at least two nights away</li>
<li>Learn how to properly apply eye liner (have to keep at this one)</li>
<li>Read 20 books</li>
<li>Stay on top of BRCA2 gene appointments</li>
<li>Travel some place new</li>
<li>Try meditating for 21 days in a row</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>Here are the goals that I know I'll accomplish by the time my year of This is 39 is up:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month (I think I'll still do this 12 times over the course of the year, but I did miss the month I was in Ireland)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be mindful of communication: try not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Call my grandparents 1x/week </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do a Segway tour (this may need to happen in Lisbon)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get my photography hanging up somewhere in public</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go to Weight Watchers meetings every week (I'm in the country)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hike 1x/month</span></li>
<li>Milk a cow (in Ireland)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">No McDonald's for a year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nurture my marriage (although some days I'm better about it than others)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Organize and back-up my photos (I've done a very, very good job so far. But this is taking a long time and seems like a never-ending project)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plan a kick ass 40th birthday trip (to Ireland & Lisbon) (already in progress!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Run a Half Marathon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Try surfing with Steve</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use my real camera 1x/month</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the House)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write an article/short story about Clancy and try to get it published (need to get this one started)</span></li>
</ol>
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I have just about 2 1/2 months left to go. I know it's going to be a challenge to find the time in my busy, travel-filled schedule to get things completed...but I also know that I'll absolutely work my hardest to try in the time I have left. And who knows, maybe some of the items from the goals I don't think will happen, will somehow get done. Either way, the process of trying is nearly just as rewarding as completing a goal. (And that's one of the best takeaways I've learned so far!)</div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-81808616369470055242018-07-23T22:01:00.000-07:002018-08-10T22:06:55.079-07:00This is 39 (Month 9, Update 2)There were a couple of updates that I wanted to share for my second month nine update, so I'll hop right to it:<br />
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<b>Hike 1x/month</b><br />
Katie, Tara and I found ourselves cramming in an early evening hike at Will Rogers- my go to hiking place to fulfill my monthly goal- just a day before the end of my month. It was a glorious night- perfect weather for a back yard hike. We saw horses and a cute elderly couple having a picnic (which involved ros<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">é) at the top, we had a great view of the ocean and downtown and we were all one in just under an hour.</span></span><br />
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I'll admit that I had different ideas when I set this goal. I had hoped to do more exploring of all the various hikes available to me in the Santa Monica Mountains. I had just come off the exhilarating (albeit is crushingly sad and challenging- emotionally and physically) experience of hiking Mt. Lafayette in northern New Hampshire when I set this goal last fall. So in some ways it seems like I'm taking the easy way out.<br />
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But I've got to give myself credit for still going out there and getting it done. And here's hoping that in the final three months, maybe I can step it up a notch and do new hikes so it feels a little more in line with what I had intended.<br />
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<b>Run a half marathon</b><br />
Of all the goals I've been working on, this is the one I'm most excited about and proud of. I have been training for 14 straight weeks. I've run nearly 150 miles in that time. I have missed only one run (my final week in Ireland). And I can now run eight miles without stopping.<br />
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My pace is slow (average of 11:30/11:45/12:00 minute miles), but I'm sticking with it. I figure for my first half marathon, I'll just concentrate on getting through it (without stopping). And if I decide to run another half marathon (which already seems likely at this point), then I'll focus on improving my time.<br />
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I was talking with my friend Cheryl about the walk/run method and I know it's just not for me. As many of you know, I'm very much an all-or-nothing type of person. And I feel like if I were to start walking, I may not stop. Also. When I ran a million years ago in middle and high school (thanks Hal for getting me into running all those years ago), I never stopped. It just wasn't how I ran. And so I kinda wanna keep going with that.<br />
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The next few months will be higher and higher mileage (my training plans gets me up to 12 miles I think) and also I'm traveling more and more for work. I'm being strategic with my travel- flying later so I can get in my long runs before I am away for the week. And I know I can (and will) say no to hanging out in the evenings so I can get my training in while I'm traveling. #priorities<br />
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I'm actually really looking forward to the half marathon and am hoping it will be a fun experience and the rewards for all the hard work I've put into my training!<br />
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<b>Use my real camera 1x/month</b><br />
I took my camera out for our little memorial for Clancy on the one year anniversary of when he died (July 11th). Steve, Katie and I went down to the ocean and scattered some of his ashes. It was a calm and beautiful night and I took my camera with us to try and capture the mood and energy of the evening.<br />
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I didn't take photos (with my real camera) of us actually spreading Clancy's ashes in the ocean (or them coming back on to me- oops). But I did get some from our walk down to the beach:<br />
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At the beach:<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5hDzB3vJfnQ/W25oUnroO6I/AAAAAAAAy08/fnAgAPcyIQsad5_UNquokLe4Vp29JIUyQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5hDzB3vJfnQ/W25oUnroO6I/AAAAAAAAy08/fnAgAPcyIQsad5_UNquokLe4Vp29JIUyQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_0296.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I caught Steve in a quiet moment after Katie and I left a piece of Clancy behind in the Pacific Ocean:<br />
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Also. Because I'm still organizing my photos and stuff (it's like the never-ending project), I've been learning more about Lightroom (thank you Cyrena) and can finally use it for things like cataloging my photos and touching them up.<br />
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the House):</b><br />
Another month, another stint of writing postcards to remind voters to vote in special elections. This time I helped with Danny O'Connor's special election in Ohio. Currently the results are too close to call (although last I checked, it was tipped ever so slightly in the Republican's favor). It's always a rewarding experience to volunteer for <a href="https://postcardstovoters.org/">Postcards for Voters</a> and I highly recommend you sign yourself up too!<br />
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In addition to this, I also signed up for two other volunteer opportunities to help with the mid-term elections:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.whenweallvote.org/">When We All Vote</a>- taken directly from their website..."Volunteers across the country will give people an opportunity to register to vote through a partnership with Rock the Vote, and ensure people don't fall through the cracks in the voter registration process."</li>
<li><a href="https://thelastweekend.org/">The Last Weekend: Volunteer in the Midterms</a>- taken directly from their website too..."Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day." Even though I'll be working Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th, and traveling on Monday, November 5th, I've already signed up to volunteer the evening of the 5th and I'll see what I can do on November 6th (Election Day). </li>
</ol>
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If you're so inclined, sign up too! It feels really good to be part of the solution instead of just complaining about current events. Take it from me- someone who has been on the sidelines for like 97% of her life up until a few years ago.<br />
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So that's Month 9 for ya!<br />
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I'm already looking forward to Month 10 and will need to take a look at what I've done and what's left to accomplish.<br />
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Thanks for playing along!</div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-80421386095334447372018-07-21T15:56:00.005-07:002018-07-21T15:56:50.720-07:00This is 39 (Month 9, Check-in 1)It's been a couple of months since I've done a run down of my progress, so let's get to it.<br />
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<b>Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month</b><br />
I had every intention of going to yoga while I was in Ireland last month, but it didn't happen. I waited too long into my vacation and then by the time I looked into it, the times weren't convenient. But don't you worry, I more than made up for it this month when Katie and I went to goat yoga here in Los Angeles! I was inspired to look into goat yoga when my friend Gayla and her daughter posted about it on Facebook. They live in Dallas, so I wasn't sure if it'd be an option in LA. I was so happy when I discovered that the only place in LA was just a few miles away from home.<br /><br />Goat yoga is as ridiculous as it sounds. I have no clue who came up with the idea, but it is equal parts silly and hilarious. In our class, there were two goats who just roamed around the studio and would walk between your legs while you were in Warrior pose and would also jump on your back if you were in Child's pose or Cat/Cow pose. There was one woman who walked around with the goats, coaxing them with little treats and another who would clean up after them. Because listen. When the goat's gotta go to the bathroom, they just go wherever. When this happens in class, you're supposed to yell out "Blessings!" so the handlers know they need to clean up a mess. At the end of the class one of the goats relieved himself right behind me and my mat, but luckily not <i>on</i> my mat. So phew.<br /><br />Katie and I had a really good time. It's not like the best class to take if you want a real yoga workout. But you can certainly get in enough of a workout for it to be worthwhile. And I mean come on, you can say you worked out with a goat on your back!<br /><br />
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<br /><b>Be mindful of communication: try not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing</b>I'm doing okay <i>okay</i> job on this goal but could probably benefit from putting some additional intention towards this one. Overall, I'm being mindful of what I say, but I wouldn't say I'm 100% consistent with it. So...something to consider in the final three months of This is 39.<br />
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<b>Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress</b><br />
I waited too long this month cause I'm gonna hafta cram. But yes. This isn't a goal I struggle with accomplishing each month.<br />
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<b>Buy and use really good eye cream every day</b><br />
Check! The eye cream I purchased when I first started this ditty is almost gone. So I'm gonna hafta replace that. But this has become a habit that I don't have to think about too much, which is nice.<br /><br /><b>Call my grandparents 1x/week</b><br />Yep. Calling my grandmother is one of my favorite parts of the week. And as I've mentioned before, I love that she counts on and looks forward to it. It's been one of my favorite goals this year because there's a closeness between me and my grandmother that didn't exist before just because we both know what's going on in each other's life.<br /><br /><b>Camp at/near the beach</b><br />This one hasn't happened yet and based on my crazy travel coming up for work (and weddings and 40th birthday parties), I'm concerned that it may not happen. But...I'm also not prepared to call it yet.<br /><br /><b>Create a solid emergency savings fund</b>I'm not making as much progress on this as I'd like, but at the same time we still don't have any credit card debt, so that's rad. And I think in the next few months, we will have a tiny cushion that I can continue to build upon in the next decade.<br />
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<b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling for work)</b><br />I will admit I've been a bit lazy with this one and we need to spice up our date nights. Part of the problem is that work has been bonkers lately and I'm so into my half marathon training and still keeping up with my resistance training so by the end of the night I Am Toast. Plus Steve is in Summer Steve mode, so it's not a good mashup. I'm hoping I'll find the motivation to be more adventurous with our date nights, but for now, they've been mostly about making dinner together, going to the movies and enjoying other routine things where we just get to be in each other's company.<br />
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<b>Denver trip with my twin to see the twins</b><br />This one hasn't happened yet and there's a chance it may not happen. But there's also a chance that it may happen next month if a bachelorette party lands me there. We'll see. If we don't go in August, I don't know that I'll be able to squeeze it into the month of September, but I'll certainly try- especially if Katie is up for it.<br /><br /><b>Do a Segway tour</b><br />This has not happened, but it will absolutely happen and I can't wait. If I do go to Denver, this would be a good thing to consider. But it may be something fun to do in one of the cities I have to travel to for work as well. Detroit is an intriguing thought, but I don't know that I'd have the time for it. If I have to do this along Venice Beach, I will!<br /><br /><b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages</b><br />Yep! Last month I got a heavenly facial at Burke-Williams (thanks to some gift cards I received for Christmas/Valentine's Day) and I've now exceeded this self-care goal. And I think I'll continue to over-achieve on this goal too- especially since I have more gift cards to use. I do love this goal and appreciate that I no longer cringe at massages and that the facials help solidify the skincare routine I've got going at home.<br />
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<b>Get my photography hanging up somewhere in public</b><br />I actually brought a couple of my photos of Percy home with me when I was in in Ireland in June. I had two photos blown up of Percy and the intention was that they would go up in the Thatch. I should have made that happen when I was there in June, but if I have to, I'll do it when I'm there in October. I have a couple of other photo ideas as well that I may set in motion. While I had hoped this would be a little more organic- like part of a photography exhibit or something like that- I think it's a goal I can still make happen.<br /><br /><b>Go to Weight Watchers meetings every week (I'm in the country)</b><br />I missed my first meeting three weeks ago. It's because I was eating like crap and didn't want to face the music. But. I stopped that nonsense and went two weeks ago to settle up, if you will, and it's been back on track ever since. It's good for me to have that level of accountability. This goal absolutely keeps me honest. And I do enjoy Weight Watchers (for the most part) and I love going and weighing-in and starting a new week of better eating.<br /><br /><b>Hike 1x/month</b><br />
More on this in the next update<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Journal at least 4x/week</b><br />I've slipped a little bit on this one. Because I typically write at night and I'm wicked tired by the time I fall into bed, some weeks I haven't been writing all four days. But I'm okay with that. I think this is one of those goals that will net out by the end of the year. I think I'll hit the number (208), but it won't have been from doing it 4x/week. I also think I'll need a new journal by the end of This is 39. Which for someone like me who really likes stationery and journals, this excites me more than it should 😛.<br />
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Learn how to properly apply eye liner<br />I practiced some while I was in Ireland (thanks Robin!), but I need to work on this one more. I know I'll accomplish this goal within the next three months. But so far I can't say that I've mastered eyeliner application.<br />
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<b>Milk a cow (in Ireland)</b><br />I went to great lengths to try and cross this off my list while I was in Ireland in June, but it turns out that milking cows is almost entirely done by machines now. At one point a few days before I left Ireland, I stood in the middle of the Thatch (it was a locals night, so it wasn't filled with tourists or people there for music and dancing) and asked the bar filled with farmers who knew someone who had some cows I could milk. And ya know what, no one did. It's such a bummer. I'm hoping we can make something happen when I'm there in October for the 40th birthday party. But who knew it would be so hard to find a cow to milk in Ireland? (Not me!)<br /><br /><b>Nurture my marriage</b><br />It's been a rough summer for Steve. He's wanted to make some major professional changes that we just can't make happen yet. So it's been really challenging figuring out the best way to support him throughout all of this. I keep coming back to trying to listen and be supportive instead of being judgmental and reminding him what he can't do. And then I'm still trying to do the little things- like his laundry so he can really enjoy being on break, saying yes more than no (to things he wants to do when I don't feel like it, including restaurants to go out to or things to eat for dinner), leaving little notes here and there and generally trying to make life more pleasant for him (which makes life more pleasant for me too).<br /><br />But August is when my work travel starts up and it's also when Summer Steve turns into School Steve and that has historically been challenging for us. So I'm keen to get ahead of this so we can be smarter about the ways we can support each other and nurture our marriage so we don't end up in a bad place.<br /><br /><b>Organize and back-up photos</b><br />Thanks to Cyrena (again) I've made more progress with this. But it's honestly one of those never ending projects. I am hoping that I've fully organized and backed-up all of my past photos by the time my birthday rolls around so that moving forward it won't be such a bitch of a project. Right now it's so painful because there are thousands and thousands and thousands of photos to go through and categorize and organize. I know I'll get there, but oof, this one is insanely time consuming.<br /><br /><b>Plan a kick ass 40th birthday trip</b><br />Katie and I are slowly putting plans in place for our 40th in Ireland. People have already bought tickets (eeeek- so exciting) and we've got a Facebook group going for people to talk through plans and stuff. (If you haven't been invited to it and you're thinking of going, let me know and I'll happily add you to the private FB group). One thing I really want to nail down soon is the transportation plan for the night of the party. The Thatch is three miles outside of town and we need to make sure people get to and from the pub responsibly. I'm also looking forward to putting together suggestions of things for people to do during the days that they're there. It's crazy that it's just about three freaking months away. Woah! It's going to be so much fun though and I seriously can't wait!<br /><br /><b>Read 20 books</b><br />This is another goal I crossed off the list. Since my last major update, I've read:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Loyalty-Truth-Lies-Leadership/dp/1250192455/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532212428&sr=8-2&keywords=a+higher+loyalty&dpID=415TMcCGi-L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, And Leadership</a> by James Comey. I wanted to read this so I could make my own decisions about this man and the pivotal role he played in the 2016 election. The book was a little slow at times, super interesting at other times, and overall a good read. I had no clue he was part of the investigation that led to Martha Stewart in jail, for example. Would I recommend it? I guess so. I got the book from the library and it was a good library book, but not something I need to own.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Not-So-Perfect-Life/dp/0812987713/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532212619&sr=1-1&keywords=my+not+so+perfect+life+sophie+kinsella">My Not So Perfect Life</a> by Sophie Kinsella. We chose this book for our work book club and since it was nearly 500 pages, I brought it with me to Ireland. Well, as it turns out, I finished this book four days into my two-week long vacation. It was very good and I absolutely would recommend it. Coming off of the Comey book, it was a really nice change and a book to get lost in. I haven't read a lot of Sophie Kinsella's books, but this made me look into others she wrote.<br />
<br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yes-We-Still-Can-Politics/dp/1538711710/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532212759&sr=1-1&keywords=yes+we+still+can+dan+pfeiffer">Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump</a>. I have tried to read a few politically leaning books and have struggled to get started or get through them (Hillary's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/1501175564/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532212706&sr=1-1&keywords=hillary+clinton+what+happened">book</a>, Dan Rather's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Unites-Us-Reflections-Patriotism/dp/1616207825/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532212723&sr=1-1&keywords=dan+rather+what+unites+us">book</a>, Ben Rhode's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-Memoir-Obama-White-House/dp/0525509356/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532212738&sr=1-1&keywords=ben+rhodes+world+as+it+is">book</a>), but I devoured this book. I absolutely LOVED it and found it fascinating, educational, inspirational and helpful in understanding how the election of 2016 turned out the way that it did. Dan is very sincere and honest and sarcastic and he played a front row seat for most of the Obama election(s) and presidency. So he has a great perspective. I'd absolutely recommend reading this book.<br />
<br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surprise-Me-Novel-Sophie-Kinsella/dp/0399592903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532212974&sr=8-1&keywords=surprise+me&dpID=51Yu3JYsOxL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch">Surprise Me</a> by Sophie Kinsella. I didn't love this one as much as I loved My Not So Perfect Life, but I read the book quickly and enjoyed the storyline enough to keep looking into more books by this author. I would recommend this, but I'd say read it after My Not So Perfect Life.<br /><br />I'm so happy that I've been reading so much. Steve <b>hates</b> phones in the bedroom and as I work on nurturing my marriage and stuff, I'm doing way less on my phone (pretty much only sneaking it out when he's gone to bed) and way more reading actual books. Me likey.<br /><br /><b>Resistance training 3x/week</b>I think I've only missed one workout in the past couple of months. I've done a really really good job of staying on top of this goal and I'm super excited to have not only seen a difference in my body, but I can feel a difference in how strong I feel and in moves that I can complete much easier than when I first started. It feels good to be stronger and to make progress.<br /><br /><b>Run a Half Marathon</b><br />
More on this in the next update<br /><br /><b>Sisters-only trip</b><br />I'm doubtful this will happen but...maybe?<br /><br /><b>Ski in California (w/ Katie)</b><br />Also doubtful this one will happen since I blew it in the winter and don't see us going water skiing!<br /><br /><b>Stay on top of BRCA2 gene appointments</b><br />For sure. I actually have another set of appointments on Wednesday. It feels good to be on top of this and to not have to feel anxiety over letting things slide for a year. Here's hoping Wednesday's appointment is uneventful.<br /><br /><b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers app</b><br />Nope. Still just not doing this. But I am eating well and eating according to the Weight Watchers program. I'm simply now tracking. As I (think) I've said before, if I were eating like crap, I'd take more of an issue with this. Since I'm making smart and healthy decisions consistently, I'm not gonna be hard on myself.<br /><br />
<b>Try surfing (w/ Steve)</b><br />Not yet!<br /><br /><b>Use my real camera at least 1x/month</b><br />
More on this in the next update<br /><br /><b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the House)</b>More on this in the next update<br /><br />
<b>Write an article/short story about Clancy and try to get it published</b><br />No progress made on this goal. Must get started!<br />
<br /><b>(Already) Completed Goals</b><br />Try Ethiopian food<br />Eliminate credit card debt<br />Exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18.476)<br />Finish the remaining stair walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book<br />
Go on a solo road trip that includes at least two nights away<br />
Travel some place new<br />
Try meditating for 21 days in a row<br />
<br />It's nice to see more of my goals get crossed off. And with three months to go before my birthday, it's good to see what I need to make happen. I'm not stressed about any of these goals. I'm feeling confident about nearly all of them. And for the goals that won't happen, that's okay. I refuse to put energy into worrying about what's not gonna get done when there is so much that I've accomplished and made progress on this year. Which is a really nice attitude adjustment from someone who usually isn't capable of such rational thinking!<br /><br />I'm excited to see what I get done in the next three months and how close I get to crossing nearly all of these things off my This is 39 goal list!<br /><br />As always, thank you for coming along for the ride, for supporting me and encouraging me, and for being excited for this crazy journey.<br /><br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-69344406737505647372018-06-18T10:58:00.001-07:002018-06-18T11:04:39.860-07:00This is 39 (Month 8, Check-in 2): A Solo Road TripDuring my trip here in Ireland I was able to cross another goal off my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">list</a>: Go on a solo road trip that includes at least two nights away. While I really would have liked to have driven to Idaho or New Mexico (two places I'd like to explore), I knew that this trip would provide me with an opportunity to accomplish this goal.<br />
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To help ensure I followed through with the trip, in the middle of April I booked a B&B in a town called Allihies (pronounced Ah-luh-hees) after I was inspired by some photos on Instagram. The town looked super charming and cute and I knew it'd help me explore somewhere new within Ireland. The past couple of years, I've gotten a little lazy and have mostly stayed at Gene's with exploring just around this part of the country with short same-day trips. This goal helped me step out of that comfort zone and I'm so glad that I did it because I got to see a beautiful part of Ireland.<br />
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I set this goal because I just don't spend a lot of time by myself. I'm someone who replenishes her energy by being around other people. And even though I work alone from my home office, I'm always communicating with people and I tend to be fairly social outside of work as well. I was intentional with this goal. Even when I'm in Ireland, I'm still surrounded by a lot of people. I got some offers in the pub for some company, but I was happy to have the time to myself to just be, and see, and do.<br />
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The ride from Gene's to Allihies was a doozy. My directions were sending me here, there and everything and I'm pretty sure I was on the least direct way to arrive to my destination. Luckily, the last hour and a half was just unbelievably beautiful. Here are some photos I took while driving the Healy Pass:<br />
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And here are some photos of Allihies:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the yellow building is where i stayed for two nights</td></tr>
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It was a quiet first night. I stayed in and used the night to take a pause from drinking and did some writing, reading and blogging. I was lulled to sleep by the sound of the pub below. And fended off the thoughts of "I should just go back to Gene's tomorrow."</div>
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On Tuesday I was up nice and early (and sober!) and took a quick drive to <a href="https://www.durseyisland.ie/">Dursey Island</a>, which is home to Ireland's only cable car. I've been wanting to do this for a few years but was too lazy last year and the year before to do the drive. I had no real plans beyond getting on the cable car, but as it turns out, I decided to walk the length of the island and back (nearly 7 1/2 miles in total). With no water and no food and no hat and I got a wicked sun burn.<br />
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The cable car only holds six people at a time. Local residents have priority. And it's a five minute ride. I got there early because I didn't know how busy it would be and ended up waiting about 30 minutes before I was able to get on. One farmer got on with 10 bags of fertilizer and no one else could go on with him. I had to laugh at that. Here are the photos I took of my day on Dursey Island (which has no shops, pubs, restaurants and very few homes):</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is the farmer who took the cable car alone with his 10 bags of fertilizer! i realized he had to walk to his farm to get his tractor so he could get the fertilizer back!</td></tr>
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I had an incredible day walking by myself, talking with the few people I met along the way (including an adorable older couple, Fergus & Margaret) and seeing another beautiful part of Ireland.</div>
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Once back in Allihies, me and my sunburnt face got a bite to eat at the only restaurant in town (O'Neills) and then went back to the B&B where I crashed after a long day outside in the hot sun and on my feet. </div>
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I was up early again on Wednesday for what I knew was going to be a long drive back to Gene's. I made a lunch date to meet up with my friend Jen (who I met on my very first trip to Ireland- she and my sister Kara worked together on the Jersey Shore during college summers) whom I hadn't seen for 10 years!<br />
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Before that though, and the reason I got up a little earlier than I wanted, was because I was taking the longer way to get there so I could go and see Eyeries (pronounced Eye-ra), which was promised to be another cute coastal village in West Cork.<br />
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I was totally unprepared for how absolutely charming Eyeries was. I stopped and took a handful of photos and was bowled over by how precious the place was. It will go down as the cutest and most colorful village I've ever been to in Ireland. Here are some photos I took:</div>
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From there I headed over to Cork, but not before passing through another adorable village. I actually drove through and a few minutes outside of town I was still kicking myself for not stopping to take photos. So I turned around and caught these photos of Ardgroom:</div>
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So cute, right? And really, so bright and colorful and cheery. I loved both of these villages so much and am glad I went the long way to see them.<br />
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My lunch with Jen was delightful and delicious and I loved meeting Harry:</div>
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Overall, it was a great three days/two nights away. I powered through the anxiety and discomfort of being alone. I resisted the urge to cut the trip short by a night. And I got to see some more beautiful places in this country I love so very much. </div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-23984726552088054762018-06-12T15:47:00.001-07:002018-06-12T15:49:13.683-07:00This is 39 (Month 8, Check-in 1): All About Those StairsOver Memorial Day Weekend, I decided to just go for it with my stair walks. And by go for it, I mean finish all 17 remaining over a four day period. What can I say, I am my father's daughter: if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.<br />
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WHAT WAS I THINKING? </div>
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I was thinking how I didn't want to have any more weekends this year devoted to completing stair walks. I was thinking how I didn't want to have more physical activity required of me in addition to my half marathon training and my three times a week resistance training goal. I was thinking that I could bang them out over a four-day period.<br />
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And I was right.<br />
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Crazy. </div>
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But right. </div>
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<b>Friday, May 25th</b><br />
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Thanks to Heather, I got in two walks before work even started.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #14- Magic Gas- 511 steps over 2.5 miles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #17- Fellowship Park- 148 steps over 1.5 miles </td></tr>
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Out of the two of these, my favorite was the second walk. Although we got lost, we saw some really cool places that were complete off the beaten path and made me want to explore longer. Walk #17 is definitely one I'd do again. <b>I ended up getting in 20,382 steps and covering 9.50 miles. </b>Side note: I also joined my friend Ivette for a Santa Monica stair walk after work. So that's why my step count was so high. #bonkers (I know.)<b> </b><br />
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<b>Saturday, May 26th</b></div>
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This is when things started to get out of control. I decided to do three walks before meeting a friend and her parents for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. in Brentwood. So I got up super early and drove to the other side of town where I did these three stair walks in Silver Lake:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 16- Allesandro Loop- 700 steps over 2 miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #19- Silver Lake Circles- 370 steps over 2.5 miles </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #20- Sunset Junction Loop- 305 steps over 2 miles</td></tr>
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Of the three of those, my favorite was walk #19. I didn't realize I'd be seeing the stairs painted like a piano so that was a fun surprise. And then the neighborhoods I walked in were really nice and some of them had super impressive gardens.<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5i8aT9z2_bs/WyAiRSug-tI/AAAAAAAAygA/PYAzrX2CLu8jpv2bP1sNsur5mlcqVo9UgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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After breakfast I somehow talked Steve into going back to Silver Lake so we could do another walk together. We did this one: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #22- Coffee Table Loop. 268 steps over 2.5 miles.</td></tr>
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I, of course, wanted to do another one. But Steve wasn't having any of it. So I ended up going on another walk- my 4th for the day- and really enjoyed it. Although, truth be told, my dogs were barkin'!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Lake Terraces West- 190 steps over 2.5 miles</td></tr>
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There were so many adorable and fun stairs and it made this final walk of the day so much more interesting and enjoyable. <b>I ended up getting in 27,305 steps and covering 12.54 miles. </b></div>
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<b>Sunday, May 27th</b></div>
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I figured out at this point that I *only* had 10 more walks to go. The good news is the distance wasn't tooooo bad for all of them, so if I worked really hard I could probably make it work. So Sunday was the craziest day because I did six f'n walks. Here's what they looked like:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #23- Astro Loop- 674 steps over 3 miles. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk # 24- Silver Lake Terraces East- 762 steps over 2 miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #25- Swan's Way- 369 steps over 1.5 miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji6NMmYddU4/WyBBIO7RwiI/AAAAAAAAyg4/bEFAOgrYevsvxReEtWnk2xR9UkxFNhfNwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji6NMmYddU4/WyBBIO7RwiI/AAAAAAAAyg4/bEFAOgrYevsvxReEtWnk2xR9UkxFNhfNwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5824.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #26- Cove-Loma Vista Loop- 664 steps over 2.2 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46jOrVHLIQY/WyBBIKPj4cI/AAAAAAAAyg0/kz7EbCtZQdIQpsp_N8BAnUpIPXfbB7ZngCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46jOrVHLIQY/WyBBIKPj4cI/AAAAAAAAyg0/kz7EbCtZQdIQpsp_N8BAnUpIPXfbB7ZngCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5825.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #28- Los Angeles River Loop- 115 steps over 3 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3icHPqkk4LA/WyBD-1uOZbI/AAAAAAAAyhQ/iPnLEB1aussRTgReWUY99-T0Hab6o6V9wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3icHPqkk4LA/WyBD-1uOZbI/AAAAAAAAyhQ/iPnLEB1aussRTgReWUY99-T0Hab6o6V9wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5835.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #27- Silver Lake Court- 603 steps over 3.2 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
My least favorite walk of the entire book happened on this day. It was Walk #28- the Los Angeles River Loop. In my mind, there's no reason it belonged in the book.<br />
<br />
I had a lot of fun this day, although for sure my body was like "Molly. What in the hell are you doing?" The last walk was really hard. My legs were toast and there were a lot of up steps to climb. Somehow I persevered and miraculously got in all six walks! <b>I ended up getting in 30,945 steps and covering 14.11 miles. </b></div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Monday, May 28th</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
My body was tired when I woke up, but I got up in the 5am hour and made my way to the other side of town, again, for what I knew was going to be my final four walks of the book! Because I had been sharing all about my walks on Instagram, a friend reached out and said she wanted to join me. I snuck in one walk before meeting up with her and it was interesting:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX-JdA2Jstk/WyBGoq6yuYI/AAAAAAAAyhc/q7Fqnlo-65Q-Tuvh0rIbnQU9-vqTR0_0wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX-JdA2Jstk/WyBGoq6yuYI/AAAAAAAAyhc/q7Fqnlo-65Q-Tuvh0rIbnQU9-vqTR0_0wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5830.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #38- Universal City- Happy Trail- 229 steps over 2.2 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Sandy and I met up at Griffith Park and I'm so glad I had company for this walk because it was the longest and hardest one of the day. It was also very pretty and a walk that I'd do again.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb_62VENN4s/WyBIQHPboWI/AAAAAAAAyho/Hp-pvsyI8T4Zc2ZKpcs5Gu4dSQanhvskQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb_62VENN4s/WyBIQHPboWI/AAAAAAAAyho/Hp-pvsyI8T4Zc2ZKpcs5Gu4dSQanhvskQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5832.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #29- Griffith Park Loop- 463 steps over 3.8 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We got to see so much- beautiful Los Feliz houses and neighborhoods, Griffith Park, the Observatory and the Hollywood Sign. It was really nice. And while parts of it were challenging, it was great to have company! Thank you Sandy!<br />
<br />
After we said our goodbyes, I drove to the other side of the park for my second to last walk of the day and of the entire book!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dkzHC4PiNWU/WyBIRJo_-wI/AAAAAAAAyhw/oMKfYhiSd_A2fR6j3tYrJ6t1bLfIabFMACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dkzHC4PiNWU/WyBIRJo_-wI/AAAAAAAAyhw/oMKfYhiSd_A2fR6j3tYrJ6t1bLfIabFMACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5833.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #32- Fern Dell and Immaculate Heart- 193 steps over 2.1 miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I loved the painted WHY on the sidewalk as I was starting my first walk. It was pretty accurate given all that I'd put my body through to finish the walks. This was not my favorite walk and I wouldn't do it again. There was one pretty stair case, but I couldn't take a good photo of it because I thought I was going to get eaten to death by a couple of dogs who lived in a house along that stair case. I was happy to be done with the walk, but there were parts of it that had me huffing and puffing. I don't need to say that my body was all "WTF?" But onward I went!<br />
<br />
My final walk of the book brought me over near the Hollywood Sign. It was a perfectly fine walk, but I wouldn't do it again either. Just not all that interesting. If I had been more strategic about it, I would have ended on a really great walk. And I would have done it when Katie (who's joined me on a fair share of stair walks over the years) was in town. But alas, neither of those things happened.<br />
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Here's the final stair walk: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x_vDk2kI4mY/WyBLK-YaxXI/AAAAAAAAyiI/TsUSq26ync0tHhmy5ANtmuOlkghCNlKbgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x_vDk2kI4mY/WyBLK-YaxXI/AAAAAAAAyiI/TsUSq26ync0tHhmy5ANtmuOlkghCNlKbgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5849.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk #35- Temple Hill- 108 steps over 2 miles </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was a quick morning. With *only* four walks, <b>I ended up getting in 26,559 steps and covering 12.22 miles. </b></div>
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And this is how happy I was when I completed the book:</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFzSl0xNpS4/WyBLQuMSELI/AAAAAAAAyiM/1Kp5WDv_QqQWn26C_FcGv6Xx7P9AtCJLgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFzSl0xNpS4/WyBLQuMSELI/AAAAAAAAyiM/1Kp5WDv_QqQWn26C_FcGv6Xx7P9AtCJLgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5275.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
Completing this goal was bananas. I admit that. All told, over the four day long weekend I did:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>17 new walks (and my typical Santa Monica stair walk as well)</li>
<li>Logged 105,191 steps</li>
<li>Covered 48.37 miles</li>
</ul>
<div>
I have LOVED seeing the city of Los Angeles through this book. It remains my favorite way to explore the city and to show it off to friends who are visiting.<br />
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I look forward to continuing to do some of these walks, but I also look forward to, for now, putting my stair walks on the back burner so I can focus on my half marathon training and resistance workout goals.<br />
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Thank you for following along on this crazy adventure. I'm very happy to say that this goal is now complete- <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker </a>updated! </div>
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-10979788498574339512018-05-23T19:53:00.003-07:002018-05-24T11:08:15.012-07:00This is 39 (Month 7, Check-In 2)I'm happy to say that month seven hasn't felt as overwhelming as some of the other months. It may be due to the heavy lifting in previous months that has allowed me to cross off a handful of my goals including:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Try Ethiopian food (if you missed that blog post, you can read all about it <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/05/this-is-39-month-7-check-in-1-that-time.html">here</a>)</li>
<li>Eliminate credit card debt</li>
<li>Exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18,476)</li>
<li>Travel some place new</li>
<li>Try mediating for 21 days in a row</li>
</ul>
<br />
But I also think it has to do with finally smartening up and not waiting until the last few days of the month to do some of the more time-intensive and challenging goals (yoga, volunteering and going hiking).<br />
<br />
At any rate, here's a summary of some of what happened this past month:<br />
<br />
<b>Call my grandparents 1x/month: </b>The highlight of this goal this month was when I talked to my grandmother the morning after the Royal Wedding. I asked her if she had gotten up to watch it and her response was on point: "Oh did I ever dear I loved every instant of it. They're a charming couple, I think. There was more to it than just watching two people get married." Apart from putting a big smile on my face, I think my grandmother summed up the wedding perfectly!<br />
<br />
<b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling for work):</b> We weren't very good at this last month and unfortunately that trend continued this month too. Although we did go to dinner and a movie (Life of the Party, which was far better than I thought it'd be!) Next month is going to be challenging too because I'll be in Ireland for 2 1/2 weeks and Summer Steve will be doing his East Coast trip (luckily there's a lot of overlap between our two trips). And honestly, this time of year we're both just hanging on as hard as we can to the finish line of the school year. We're officially in the white knuckle part of the year where we both do the best we can. So date night and nurturing my marriage take a lot of patience and intention. These goals are helping me remain mindful of that.<br />
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<b>Finish the remaining stair walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book: </b>I've been doing a great job of continuing to cross more of these walks off my list. So far this year I've completed 12 and have 27 left (if I counted correctly to begin with). With the Memorial Day weekend coming up, I'm hoping to get in about 5 - 6 walks in the next few days. But in the last month, I only did three of them. I'm officially done with Highland Park and am starting to move into the Echo Park/Silver Lake/Los Feliz part of town!<br />
<br />
As always, I've stumbled upon some very cool and fun neighborhoods that I'd never normally see. My favorite walk that I did this past month was Walk #12 which found me in a historic Victorian house district throughout Echo Park. I never even knew that existed, but the houses were gorgeous and seemed so out of place (see in the second photo below)!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBZViwTMek/WwYeteim8KI/AAAAAAAAyTw/mCuYiIfhqkYhoOQo_oYWpWxM3JUZty2fQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBZViwTMek/WwYeteim8KI/AAAAAAAAyTw/mCuYiIfhqkYhoOQo_oYWpWxM3JUZty2fQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 8- Highland Park - Highlands. 422 steps over 3.2 miles. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mybaFx8Jz9s/WwYeteR9OyI/AAAAAAAAyT0/LtBKDkfavkYlztYkELnG4ShIH0AAxEtUACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mybaFx8Jz9s/WwYeteR9OyI/AAAAAAAAyT0/LtBKDkfavkYlztYkELnG4ShIH0AAxEtUACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5043.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 12- Echo Park Lake Victorians. 428 steps over 3 miles. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgqEsposxZA/WwYetVVg0lI/AAAAAAAAyT4/hhdlVRW2ZeoudSZvJZn8ItuvIxfxs5dEgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgqEsposxZA/WwYetVVg0lI/AAAAAAAAyT4/hhdlVRW2ZeoudSZvJZn8ItuvIxfxs5dEgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5044.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 13- Laveta Terrace. 236 steps over 2 miles. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages: </b>I had a glorious facial today with my friend Jena and now only have to do one more facial before I've completed this goal. I have a feeling I'm going to be so good at this particular self-care goal that I'll exceed this one. Which is fine by me!<br />
<br />
The nice thing is that I'm absolutely seeing the benefits of putting attention to my body in this way. I move better. My skin looks and feels better. And it is helping provide a nice overall balance to my health, especially with all the increase in activity. I don't know what took me so long to do this kind of self-care, but I'm so glad that I'm doing it now!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAxeaD468l4/Wwb_bpEWkWI/AAAAAAAAyU8/NqaTODYh-TQVxtRl-KrtApQ-NdvoI9EKwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAxeaD468l4/Wwb_bpEWkWI/AAAAAAAAyU8/NqaTODYh-TQVxtRl-KrtApQ-NdvoI9EKwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5041.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-facial selfie. Thank you Jena!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Read 20 books:</b> I've finished a couple more books in the last month and only have four more to go before I've accomplished this goal.<br />
<br />
The two books I read this month are: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Memoir-Crooked-Little-Semi-Ever/dp/1250131561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527128398&sr=8-1&keywords=happiness+the+crooked+little+road+to+semi-ever+after">Happiness: A Memoir: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After</a>. I liked this book but didn't love it. And <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Will-Always-Write-Back-Changed/dp/0316241334/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527128529&sr=1-1&keywords=i%27ll+always+write+back">I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives</a>. I totally recommend this book (thank you Leah!) about how an unlikely school assignment led to the most amazing relationship that has endured the test of time and distance. The beginning was a little rough as it started when the author was in middle/high school and didn't have big things to worry about. But overall it's such a sweet and special story.<br />
<br />
<b>Run a Half Marathon: </b>You guys! Half marathon training is going really well. I'm up to 3 1/2 miles without stopping. I'm running 3 - 4 times a week. I'm totally staying on track with the training. And I'm feeling really great. I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this and for seeing the progress and results I've already seen in the 4 1/2 weeks since I started.<br />
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I've been holding myself accountable by going on Instagram after each workout and sharing a few stories about that day's run. Thank you to those of you who are watching and commenting. It's more helpful than you know. I'm really looking forward to continuing to progress through the training plan and gaining more confidence that I will cross that finish line!<br />
<br />
<b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers App:</b> Nope. Still not happening. What's most important to me is that I'm following the program. And I am. Ya know, I went bonkers (as I do from time to time) in the first part of the year and by mid-March I was all "Enough Molly." And I actually listened. In the past nine weeks I've lost 21.4 lbs. I feel really good and that's what I need to use as my barometer. Not if I'm adding things to the WW app or not. So while I'm not knocking this goal out of the park, I'm also not eating everything in sight. So it's still a win to me!<br />
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<b>Use my real camera at least 1x/month:</b> Last week I found myself at the farmer's market because I was desperate for some lilacs. Unfortunately they weren't that good. But I did manage to snap some photos of some beautiful and colorful produce.<br />
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the House): </b>Thanks to a couple of good friends, I was provided with an amazing opportunity to volunteer with <a href="https://www.gotrla.org/">Girls on the Run Los Angeles</a> earlier this month. Together with my wombmate and three other friends who all work a variety of event-related jobs, we were assigned to be in charge of parking. Now anyone who's in events knows that directing traffic and parking on event can be a pain in the ass. And sometimes it does not bring out the best in people. With Sawnia at the helm, this rock start group (Karen, Katie, Cari & I) managed to live us to our self-imposed name "A+ Parking Team." It was a very fun experience and although it was an early day (out the door by 5:55 a.m.), it was great to be part of something so meaningful and to have fun while doing it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This next month is going to be super exciting because I'll be making progress on my goals while I'm in Ireland on my annual trip back home! I. Can't. Wait!</div>
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Thank you. As always. For coming along for the ride. For reading my blog posts. For investing in these crazy goals. And for being part of my amazing support network!<br />
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<br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-53320630980872968992018-05-20T17:16:00.003-07:002018-05-20T17:26:32.694-07:00This is 39 (Month 7, Check-In 1): That Time I Tried Ethiopian FoodWell you guys. I crossed another goal off my list: Try Ethiopian Food.<br />
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Ethiopian food is something I've wanted to try for over a decade, but never brought myself to do it for a variety of reasons which may be interesting but aren't particularly important. But once I put it on my goal list, I knew I'd get it done this year, especially with a few people who offered to go with me (thank you Jeanette, Chuck & Mark).<br />
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In the end, my friend Mark was the lucky recipient to share this evening with me. After a series of rescheduling due to conflicts on both of our parts, Mark and I finally set the date for Tuesday, May 8th. We met in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ethiopia,_Los_Angeles">Little Ethiopia</a>- an actual neighborhood in Los Angeles that's chock full of Ethiopian restaurants, coffee shops and stores. Mark had already done some research and had two restaurants for me to choose from: <a href="http://www.messob.com/">Messob</a> and <a href="https://www.lalibelala.com/">Lalibela</a>. We chose Lalibela because it smelled better and the menu seemed more authentic, even though the ambiance of Messob was more traditional. Lalibela had the type of interior that made you feel like you could be at any restaurant in any city in any state/country. There wasn't anything ethnic about it...ya know, beside the cuisine served inside!<br />
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Mark, having declared that he wasn't eating meat anymore (a fact that I unconsciously overlooked even though he mentioned it at least twice) ordered the Veggie Utopia: <i>A special combination of 14 veggie dishes: Shibera Asa, Gomen, Shero, Miser (2), Dinich, Cabbage, Ater, Suf- sunflower seeds, Tematim Fifit, Fosalia, Keke aletcha and salad</i>. It seemed a bit excessive, but he wanted me to be able to taste some of his food as well (thank Gods).<br />
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I, on the other hand, looked over the menu completely at a loss of what to get, realizing that doing some research ahead of time may have been a smart move. I consulted the waitress, and Mark helped too. He tried to suggest I try one dish and share his, since it was a lot of food. I was indignant and insistent (this would come back and bit me in the ass Big Time) that I get something more substantial. After all, I was hungry and it was my first time eating Ethiopian food. So ultimately I chose a meat combo, because I love meat and I thought it'd be best to order something that allowed me to try a few different things. I went with Cornis: <i>A combination of the three popular meat dishes: Kitfo, Tibs Fir-fir and Derek Tibs with Kinche soft cracked-wheat layered on top (two servings). Created by Lalibela's main chef, this restaurant favorite mixes the many rich flavors of our most well-loved dishes to satisfy your different cravings. </i><br />
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Mark and I caught up and talked while we waited for our meals to be prepared. It was, as always, good to be in Mark's company. He's the type of person who makes you happy just by being around him. We laughed and laughed some more. And then the food came.<br />
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Oh boy.<br />
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As I saw Mark's plate lower down in front of him, I thought "Ooooooh! How pretty!" And then I looked on in horror as my plate came into view and thought "Oh no. I've made a very big mistake." See for yourself:<br />
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What the f*ck is on my plate, you're asking? Well...</div>
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<li>On the outer edge is the Kitfo (finely chopped prime lean beef seasoned with herbed butter sauce and spices served with Ethiopian cottage cheese). </li>
<li>The pile of light brown food that looks like poo/intestines is actually Tibs Fir-Fit (injera moistened with tender beef cubes simmered to perfection in berbere sauce, fresh tomatoes and garlic). </li>
<li>And the pile of mush on top was actually the best part- the Derek Tibs (well-done beef chunks grilled in spiced butter with sauteed onions, green peppers and Ethiopian spices).</li>
<li>And then why not just throw sliced hard boiled egg on top? It really pulls the meal together, dontchya think? 😐</li>
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I tried everything on my plate. But unfortunately I just didn't like it. Part of me couldn't get over the looks of my food. I mean...honestly. Look at that steaming pile of...food? </div>
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Mark was being The Sweetest. He was so excited to share this experience with me and was really generous in paying for my meal. I wanted so badly to like this. But me and Ethiopian food just don't have much of a future I'm afraid. Mark's food on the other hand was definitely more palatable than mine. I wouldn't say I had "major food envy", but there were certainly more things on his plate that I could - and did - eat. By the time we were done, it looked like I had barely touched my food, whereas Mark's plate was pretty near clean. See: </div>
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I packed up my food and brought it home to Steve who enjoyed it far more than I did (phew). I was so glad to not have it go to waste! </div>
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All in all, it was still a really fun night. Mostly because going anywhere with Mark is a fun adventure. He can make anything, including an unappetizing culinary experience, something that makes me smile and laugh.<br />
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I am in no rush to go back and have Ethiopian food. But I am grateful for the experience with Mark (and his excitement, generosity and patience). And, crazily enough, I actually would give it one more try. I'd just order waaaaaaaaaaay differently.<br />
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More than anything, I'm very glad I get to totally cross another goal off my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">This Is 39 list</a>!Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-69999101547812964282018-04-26T07:04:00.000-07:002018-04-26T10:29:54.701-07:00This is 39 (Month 6, Check-In 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Month six has flown by, but it's also been filled with lots of progress and lots of insights. I'm gonna do a quick rundown of the list of goals:</div>
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<b>Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month: </b>Yep. Done! I did another restorative yoga class. This time I tried <a href="http://www.naamyogala.com/">Naam Yoga</a> in Santa Monica. Unfortunately they don't offer a free class or a free week like many other places here, but I bought a two-week pass for $35 so I can get in month six and month seven, and maybe even hit another class or two because why not. I really like restorative yoga and I don't even feel badly about going and not breaking a sweat because I do so many other things for exercise and it's good to have something chill. So yeah, I think restorative yoga is gonna be my jam. </div>
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<b>Be mindful of communication: try not to say anything I wouldn't want anyone overhearing: </b>Okay. Am I still being mindful of communication? Yes. Absolutely. But I'm not really doing a great job of holding back on the things I don't want people overhearing. So I need to put more attention to this goal.</div>
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<b>Blog at least 2x/month about my goals and progress: </b>Check! I actually got in three blog posts this month. Go me!<br />
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<b>Buy and use really good eye cream every day: </b>Oh yeah. This has really become routine at this point. I missed a day in the past month, but for the most part, I'm nailing this goal.<br />
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<b>Call my grandparents 1x/month: </b>I talk to my grandmother once a week and I really like it. Our conversations don't last that long, but I love that she expects my call. In fact, when I called her on Saturday, she said how much she looked forward to my weekly call and it made me smile. My grandfather has been gone for four months now and I've certainly noticed a difference in my grandmother. Her memory is fading a bit (to be expected for 92 years of age) and she's definitely not as active and social. So I worry about that a bit. But I do enjoy our conversations and look forward to the few minutes when we do chat and I fill her in on what I've been up to since our last talk. And she never misses an opportunity to tell me how much she loves Steve "He's such a nice young man." Which never fails to make me laugh.<br />
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<b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week:</b> I have to say that this one has slipped a bit. I've been getting lazy on this front and we've been relying on dinners at home or a quick meal out as date nights. So I want to put a little more attention to this next month and plan some nice, unique and fun things for us to do together. We did have some nice time together when we went up to San Francisco, but I want our time at home to be a little more...intentional and couple'y. So I'll work on that.<br />
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<b>Finish the remaining stair walks in the stair walk book: </b>I realized that I really needed to get a freaking move on it if I planned on accomplishing this goal. Because while there are a lot of days between now and October 23rd, I am going to start running out of weekends that I'm home starting in June. Between Ireland (two times) and a family wedding in October and then six event weekends, I'll be gone quite a bit. So I decided to kick it into high gear and in the past two weekends alone, I've crossed five stair walks off my list. I absofreakinglutely LOVE this way of getting around and seeing my city. I've said it before, but there's just no way I'd ever see these parts of Los Angeles if not for the stair walks and I love, love, love them. And when there are people visiting (hi Leah!), it's a great way to explore and get out of Santa Monica.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiS0BhP3mOY/Wt6xnq4xg6I/AAAAAAAAyGA/MnNcyz2BcpML85jakJxDz0dwpcYYdplKQCEwYBhgL/s1600/walk5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiS0BhP3mOY/Wt6xnq4xg6I/AAAAAAAAyGA/MnNcyz2BcpML85jakJxDz0dwpcYYdplKQCEwYBhgL/s640/walk5.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 5- Mt. Washington. 466 steps over 3.2 miles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDiayR3ouRo/Wt6xniv61DI/AAAAAAAAyF8/aWN6jgBek0kVAUemE2-x4TFLOu54sGceQCEwYBhgL/s1600/walk6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDiayR3ouRo/Wt6xniv61DI/AAAAAAAAyF8/aWN6jgBek0kVAUemE2-x4TFLOu54sGceQCEwYBhgL/s640/walk6.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 6- Hermon and Highland Park. 386 steps over 3 miles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aCRxplr5nM/Wt6xovydY2I/AAAAAAAAyGY/jzz1jBdoCesZ5_7WxoLXo3RQRwl-4y0WQCEwYBhgL/s1600/walk7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aCRxplr5nM/Wt6xovydY2I/AAAAAAAAyGY/jzz1jBdoCesZ5_7WxoLXo3RQRwl-4y0WQCEwYBhgL/s640/walk7.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 7- Highland Park-Southwest Museum. 568 steps over 3.2 miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEFmQtdtfLM/Wt6xpPDQJdI/AAAAAAAAyGc/5dVMss5MqLMN50xiatWaT-2Nw3zLEBnwwCEwYBhgL/s1600/walk9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEFmQtdtfLM/Wt6xpPDQJdI/AAAAAAAAyGc/5dVMss5MqLMN50xiatWaT-2Nw3zLEBnwwCEwYBhgL/s640/walk9.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 9- El Sereno Circles. 350 steps over 1.8 miles. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sB6BYsc7-ds/Wt6xnQEwLzI/AAAAAAAAyGY/Y-yvsOcZj4E8yHxgKk_GjZQnLJYQaagegCEwYBhgL/s1600/walk10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sB6BYsc7-ds/Wt6xnQEwLzI/AAAAAAAAyGY/Y-yvsOcZj4E8yHxgKk_GjZQnLJYQaagegCEwYBhgL/s640/walk10.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk 10- Happy Valley and Montecito Heights. 626 steps over 3.7 miles.</td></tr>
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I did the first two walks by myself and then Katie and Leah joined me for walks 7 & 9. And then Leah and I did walk 10 on Sunday. It Was Epic. Super hard in one spot where we scaled the side of a mountain, but then we got that crazy unexpected view of Los Angeles (by gaining permission to trespass on private property). </div>
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19 more walks to go!</div>
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<b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages: </b>This month I treated myself to two massages and it was amazing. It no longer feels like a painful experience and I actually fell asleep during my last massage (something I've always heard of, but never believed could really happen)! While my friend Leah was in town, we had a luxurious day of self-care. We hiked (see next category). We went to Burke-Williams and used the spa amenities, bouncing back and forth between the shower, the hot tub, the misting shower, the steam room, the hot tub, the misting shower, the sauna, the hot tub, the solarium, and once again, a bitchin' shower. It was just magical! We capped off that day with massages and honestly, the only thing that could have made it better was restorative yoga. But we opted for soosh instead!<br />
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<b>Hike 1x/month: </b>Leah's birthday started off at Will Rogers for a quick hike to Inspiration Point. I'd like to do some more strenuous hikes, but I like that this hike is so close by and easy. Plus there are horses and while I don't want to ride them, I do like to look at them!<br />
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<b>Nuture my marriage: </b>I've done a really good job for the past five months in giving some serious thought to this and doing small things here and there. And I've continued that in month six, but I've also found myself slipping back into some habits that don't lend itself well to nurturing my marriage- like being...unsupportive and sassy (not in a fun way) and kinda egging Steve on a bit. So while I'd like to think I do something every day to nurture my marriage (and I know I in fact do) I need to do more work on this in month seven. In a nutshell, progress is being made for sure, but I'm nowhere near perfection (and that's okay).</div>
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<b>Read 20 books:</b> I've made some good progress this month finishing for more books:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sheltering-Rain-Jojo-Moyes/dp/1443428132/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545439&sr=8-2&keywords=sheltering+rain">Sheltering Rain</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paris-Other-Stories-Jojo-Moyes/dp/0735222304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545456&sr=8-1&keywords=paris+for+one">Paris for One</a> by Jojo Moyes </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Lucky-Ones-Novel/dp/0399563091/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545476&sr=8-1&keywords=we+were+the+lucky+ones">We Were the Lucky Ones</a> by Georgia Hunter (part of a book club with work)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Alone-Novel-Kristin-Hannah/dp/0312577230/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545495&sr=8-1&keywords=the+great+alone">The Great Alone</a> by Kristin Hannah</li>
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14 down, 6 to go! I've got this one!<br />
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I have three books I've got in rotation right now and one of them is a library book, so I'll probably focus on this one next. I'm definitely enjoying reading more and love that I have a non-digital way to engage my brain and my heart.<br />
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<b>Ski in California with Katie:</b> I blew this goal. As in, there's no way I'm going to accomplish it. I waited to long to look into this and by the time I did, the only place to go skiing was 5+ hours away and would have cost like $350 just for two one-day ski passes, and that doesn't include gas and lodging and food and I don't want to hit this goal that badly to blow more than $1k on it. So I'm going to think of another goal and replace this one. Moving on. </div>
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<b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watcher's app:</b> I'm still hit or miss with this. But the good news is I'm still 100% hitting all my food goals. The nuggets of super helpful wisdom I took away from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Food-Therapist-Intention-Indulge-Without/dp/1478918160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524546018&sr=8-1&keywords=the+food+therapist">The Food Therapist</a> are still so present in my day-to-day actions with food (#winning). I haven't had any major meltdowns with food (hooray) and I've lost every week for the past six weeks (f yeah!). I don't feel like I'm completely depriving myself (phew), but I also feel like I'm guiding my decisions based on my long-term goals and not my right now cravings (a major shift for me). I'm also working out a ton (which I love) and enjoying feeling lighter and fitting into my clothing better (boo yeah). So I'm not gonna beat myself up for not doing this one thing perfectly when everything else is seemingly falling into place (good for you Molly!). Plus. I haven't abandoned it all together. I just tracked my food today 😁.</div>
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<b>Try meditating for 21 days: </b>I talked about this during my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/03/this-is-39-month-5-check-in-2.html">Month 5, Check-In 2</a> update, but I successfully completed by Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Experience: Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit. And I really, really liked it. There was so much I took away from the experience and I wrote those mantras, centering thoughts and key takeaways down after each meditation so I can go back and read them when I need it. Overall, the meditation was a positive experience and I hope to find time to integrate meditation into my daily life. I loved the intentional energy put into breathing and sitting quietly and being still. It felt hard and yet completely healing. I need more of all of this in my life and I don't see how it could do anything other than help. So here's hoping I actually make the time to prioritize meditation on an ongoing basis.</div>
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<b>Use my real camera 1x/month: </b>Our spring break getaway to Montecito (boring), Cambria (beautiful) and San Francisco (fun and delicious), was the perfect opportunity to break out my real camera! Here are some of my favorite photos taken on that trip with Spring Break Steve:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moonstone Beach, Cambria, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gorgeous scenic overlook along route 46 from Cambria to Paso Robles. How very Irish looking!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the highlights of the trip was driving by the headquarters for Andy Boy- makers of Steve's favorite vegetable: broccoli rabe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful day in San Francisco and a gorgeous and clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge</td></tr>
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month (must include something to help flip the house):</b> Another month another volunteer shift with <a href="https://foodforward.org/">Food Forward</a> and I did 12 more postcards for Postcards to Voters. This time for a special election in upstate New York!<br />
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<b>Write an article/short story about Clancy and try to get it published:</b> I met with my friend Elisabeth (thank you!) who helped me put some thought into what it is I'm trying to accomplish with this piece about Clancy. She helped me think through some things like: what's my angle, what makes this story different from the others written about dogs dying, what audience is this for, etc. She also helped me think about practical things like spending some time just sitting and writing and not judging myself and just seeing what comes out on the page. I haven't done anything since our initial meeting, but it was good to pause and consider this goal since pretty much nothing has happened since I put this on the list.<br />
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As you can tell, month six was another really busy month. I'm glad that I made so much progress on my goals, including <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/04/this-is-39-month-6-check-in-1.html'">eliminating credit card debt</a> and <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/04/this-is-39-month-6-check-in-2.html">making major decisions about which marathon to run and committing to a program and a race</a>!<br />
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But I learned a few things this month too. Mostly that while I'd love to hit all these goals I've set out for myself, I'm okay with it if I don't. My intention behind this whole thing was to make this final year in my 30s really count and to feel really good about myself as I head into my 40s. And if nothing else was accomplished, I'd be more than okay with what I have done. That kind of progress makes me feel happy in a way that's hard to describe. I've spent so long beating myself up for the things I haven't done and it's led to some really destructive behavior and negative self-image shit that I don't want to carry forward in my life.<br />
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I was talking with a friend about this shift (Hi Terri!) and how this experience in setting these goals and working towards accomplish them has taught me that the journey is just as, if not more, important as the crossing off of all these goals. Being mindful of all of these goals is helping me be a better person, a better boss, a better employee, a better wife, a better friend, a better sibling, and most importantly, a better, kinder friend <i>to myself.</i> And at the end of the day, that's way more important than saying that I crossed everything off my goal list, especially if it didn't feel fulfilling to accomplish all of that.<br />
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As I head into the second half of this year, I'm going to see where I can go deeper and where I have room to put more intention to some of the goals. And I'm also just going to enjoy the journey and continue to be excited by the overall benefits and transformation in this quest to get to 40 gracefully and honestly as a better version of myself.<br />
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Thank you for coming along for the ride!<br />
<br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-32296135334289870282018-04-23T20:21:00.000-07:002018-04-23T20:21:02.942-07:00This is 39 (Month 6, Check-In 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Holy. Shit.<br /><br />So this happened a few hours ago:</div>
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<br />One of the biggest goals I set for myself this year was to run a Half Marathon. And one of the biggest goals I'm afraid I won't accomplish is to run a Half Marathon. So this past month I've done two things to make this goal a reality:<br />
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<li>I purchased an Apple Watch in hopes that it will help me stick to my running schedule. My friend Patrick, who has inspired me with his own path to fitness, sung the praises of the Nike+ Run Club app and how it made him an "accidental runner". </li>
<li>I actually researched Half Marathons in the area and as you can see from the photo above, I actually registered! My schedule becomes crazy once we hit June and pretty much stays that way until just before Thanksgiving. Weekends are limited, but by some amazing scheduling miracle, the Long Beach Marathon (with a half marathon option) takes place after the last weekend I'm home before the big 4-0 Birthday Bash (and a family wedding I'm attending). </li>
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Using the Nike+ Run Club app, I entered a bunch of details, including the race date, the distance, how much I can run now (not much) and it auto-magically spit out a 24-week training plan that will take me from this week through the Half Marathon. Which is great. Because I don't have to think and just have to do what someone else has figured out works best for me to do to be able to run a Half Marathon without dying.<br /><br />Woah. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm kinda everything in between those two emotions. But more than anything, I know I can do this. If I follow the plan (which I WILL) and if I set the time aside (which I WILL) and if I take care of my body (which I WILL) and if I respect this process (which I WILL), then I've got this, right?<br /><br />For my 30th birthday, I had every intention of losing weight and running the Dublin Marathon. And then I didn't. I didn't lose the weight. I didn't run the marathon. Photos of myself back then really bummed me out. I was disappointed that I didn't accomplish that goal. </div>
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I still hope to run that marathon one day. But for my This is 39 goal list, I decided to be smarter about accomplishing a running goal. The Half Marathon seems doable. I'm carrying less weight around, for starters. I also feel more mentally ready to tackle this. And I'm giving myself plenty of time to properly train.<br /><br />Guys. I'm doing this! </div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-77996035538071937522018-04-19T21:48:00.003-07:002018-04-20T11:03:51.456-07:00This is 39 (Month 6, Check-In 1)One of the biggest goals I wanted to accomplish this year was to <b>eliminate credit card debt</b>. And I'm happy, relieved, excited and proud to share that as of April 16th, We Have No More Credit Card Debt.<br />
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The truth is, I've been bad (read: careless) with my money for a long time. When I first came out to California in the winter of 1999 as part of a student exchange program, I got my first credit card...and it was sort of downhill from there. I wasn't prepared for the responsibility of a credit card. Being on the other side of the country while my mom was going through treatment for breast cancer with all these opportunities around me and no extra money laying around (or having the kind of parents who would give you money for shit like that) meant that I just started charging things on a magical credit card. And it went that way for many, many, many years until I realized that I had to significantly change my spending habits and learn to be more responsible with my money.<br />
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Steve has been largely hands-off in this department, which meant I was able to keep spending money on things I truly didn't need (how much stationery and socks does a girl need? Actually don't answer that). Over the years, I'd asked for help (thank you Katie Grant and Samantha), but (similar to losing weight), I wasn't ever in the right head space to actually stick to anything. However, a few years back, after some failed attempts, we both took stock of our financial situation and agreed it was time.<br />
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What's helped? More than anything, a commitment to paying off our debt and seeing it through. Which has meant saying no to some things (like going to people's weddings- SORRY- or getting a new couch or dining room table or loading up on expensive clothing or buying the really nice and expensive Christmas/birthday presents we'd like for our friends and loved ones or being able to make sizeable donations to support my friends' charitable efforts) and saying yes to other things (like increasing our monthly payments, even if it means getting a little uncomfortable at the end of each month).<br />
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I do feel an incredible weight lifted off my shoulders. But I don't think it'll be fully realized until next month when I don't have to make another credit card payment and we can actually save that freaking money and put it towards our emergency savings plan- another goal of mine.<br />
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Stay tuned for my next blog post where I'll go into more detail on what else I've been up to in month six!Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-6985517909337872922018-03-24T17:42:00.001-07:002018-03-26T18:21:02.190-07:00This is 39 (Month 5, Check-In 2)Um...this year is going by a lot quicker than I had anticipated! I can't believe I'm about to enter my sixth month of my 39th year. Woah. I'm still enjoying the structure of the goals and have better managed a couple of the more challenging monthly goals for me to complete (volunteering and going hiking). I still need to work on the yoga thing since that seems to wait until the last minute. Read on for what else I accomplished besides a <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/03/this-is-39-month-5-check-in-1.html">trip to Miami and some sweet photos</a> in month five.<br />
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<b>Hike 1x/month:</b> My friend Katie Grant & I went for a hike with her daughter Tessa. We checked out <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=612">Kenneth Hahn Park</a> which is right in the middle of LA. Although I've driven by plenty of times, I've never actually gone into the park. I loved the park itself and love the idea of nature being so easily accessible and available in a city which most people don't associate nature with...but the hike itself wasn't my favorite. It could have been the way we went as the last part was super steep and I kept feeling like I was one second away from falling. And I wasn't even the one with a baby strapped to my chest! Katie Grant didn't seem to sweat it at all, which was all the more impressive. Regardless, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed the sights and I was glad to explore some place new in my own city:</div>
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<b>Attend a yoga class at least 1x/month: </b>With two days before my month's end, I found myself at a restorative yoga class- the first one I'd ever been to. I checked out a new (to me) yoga studio and had a really crazy good experience. First of all, the <a href="https://mandalacenter.us/">center</a> was really nice. The energy was calm and the place was clean. I got there about 10 minutes before the class started and was the only one there for another 5 minutes. </div>
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And then we found out the instructor was running late. I was already in a calm state, so I just grabbed my book and waited for her to show up. Now, I've never taken a restorative yoga class before and I had no clue what to expect. What I did know going into it was that, at an hour and a half, it was going to be the longest yoga class I'd ever taken.<br />
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Well my friends, I'm here to tell you that I <i style="font-weight: bold;">loved</i> this class! I didn't stand up once. I didn't break a sweat. And yet afterwards I felt as if I had been hit like a truck because it was such an intense workout. I channeled my inner Busy Phillips and did a few Instagram Stories post class and I looked like I had just awoken from a hibernation. (Side note: if you're not following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/busyphilipps/?hl=en">Busy Phillips on Instagram</a>, please do it. It's highly entertaining and her stories make me laugh all the time.) The crazy thing is that we only did a handful of poses (like maybe less than 10), but we held each one for so long and It Was Awesome.<br />
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The instructor was super attentive (I forgave her for being late the second she showed up) and brought over more bolsters and blankets and was just so reassuring, warm and kind. If you've never done a restorative yoga class, go!<br />
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<b>Nurture my marriage: </b>During my Month 4, Check-in 2 <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/03/this-is-39-month-4-check-in-2.html">blog post</a>, I went into great detail about the decisions I needed to make and the conversations I needed to have- both with myself and with Steve. And I'm happy to share that we made some big decisions about our vacation time together and apart. Next week, when Spring Break Steve comes out to play, we are going to go on a California road trip that will bring us to Montecito/Santa Barbara, Cambria and San Francisco. We're playing the trip back home by ear; we'll either head straight back to Santa Monica or we'll figure out where to stay along the way.<br />
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Although I'll be spending some of that time working, the time when I am not working will be 100% Molly & Steve time. Which means limited time on the cell phone (for me- Steve hates cell phones and continues to think of them as "an option, not an obligation." #ouch #whyhesnotmyemergencycontact) and lots of time reconnecting and enjoying one another's company. Steve has also assured me that he's really excited to "emotionally eat my way through Spring Break." I told him I'd be happy to watch from the sidelines as I will not be emotionally eating my way through his Spring Break. I am looking forward to slowing down, enjoying each other's company, getting outside of Santa Monica, catching up on some reading and writing and just chilling out with Steve by my side.<br />
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In June, I will be returning to Ireland for my annual trip back home to fill my soul and in July, Steve will be going to the east coast to fill his soul (and I am going to try and join him for some portion of that). I need to be careful though, because sometimes what's said in the spring doesn't hold true in the summer and we end up getting into some trouble and having communication and connection issues. I'd like to think that because I'm being more intentional with the time we are spending together all the time, that it will help mitigate that. But...time will tell.<br />
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<b>Read 20 books: </b>In the last month I finished <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521771926&sr=8-1&keywords=a+gentleman+in+moscow+by+amor+towels">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> and<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Horrible-Wonderful-Tragicomic-Memoir/dp/1492664103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521771956&sr=1-1&keywords=everything+is+horrible+and+wonderful"> Everything Is Horrible And Wonderful</a>. </div>
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A Gentleman in Moscow was 480 pages. It was a really nice book- no crazy plot or twists and turns. Just a sweet book, with respectable characters and an interesting story line to keep you engaged all the way to the end. It's a bit of a time investment, but worth it. Add it to your list of books to read. </div>
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Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful was a total departure from that. I finished the book in two days and was laughing and crying throughout the quick read. It's a story about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_Wittels">Harris Wittles</a>, a comedian, and writer and executive producer of Parks and Recreation, who died at 30 of a drug overdose. His sister wrote the book detailing Harris's addition and attempts to get sober and shared her experience the first year after his death. It was so sad to read because I cannot fathom what it's like to lose a sibling. I don't know how I'd go on. Having experienced the death of my father and Clancy (I'm not saying they're the same, but I am saying that they're both traumatic and heartbreaking), I know that you do go on. But holy hell, it's a pain I can't wrap my brain or heart around. And reading this book gave me a peek into how you move forward while your heart is shattered in a million pieces and you keep the memory of your sibling(s) alive. While it sounds heavy AF, I would totally recommend this book. Stephanie, the author and Harris's sister, is funny and witty and real and relatable.<br />
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<b>Resistance training 3x/week:</b> The day after I got back from Miami, I was doing my third resistance training for the week (barefoot inside my carpeted living room) when my foot felt funky while jump roping. I decided to keep going until I couldn't. Then I put on some sneakers and continued with my workout. Bad move. The next day I couldn't put my full weight on my left foot and I knew I'd have to take it easy. So I stopped doing resistance training and my run/walk and stair workouts for a solid week and a half. I started back up with an easy and slow run/walk workout. It wasn't until I took my sneakers off upon getting home that I felt my foot hurting. F me. Not wanting to push it any further, and really freaking out about the possibility of doing real damage to my foot, I opted to make a doctor's appointment instead.<br />
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I was able to get in the next day and my doctor poked and pushed at my foot and determined it'd be best for me to do some physical therapy, put some topical anti-inflammatory ointment on the top of the foot and to "listen to my body", but staying off my feet completely wasn't necessary given her assessment.<br />
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That was a week and a half ago and my foot is feeling much better. I haven't gone for physical therapy and even though my doctor called me the day after my appointment to suggest that she line up an X-ray just in case my foot didn't feel any better this week, I don't think it's necessary.<br />
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As of this week, I'm back into it with resistance training and following along in my Sweat app on my iPhone in my home gym. But this time only and always with sneakers on my feet. </div>
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<b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers app: </b>I started tracking my food again <i>and</i> following the Weight Watchers program (as opposed to showing up to meetings just to weigh-in and see the damage I was doing by mindlessly eating whatever I wanted) on Tuesday March 13th and have been going strong since. In my last blog post, I went into great detail about the ways in which I've struggled not just the past few months, but for as long as I can remember. My relationship with food has been unhealthy at best. And it really, really bums me out. But I feel like I'm making significant progress right now.<br />
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Apart from tracking food and following the program (which is huge, I realize), there are a couple of other things that are helping. The first is that I've started to read this book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Food-Therapist-Intention-Indulge-Without-ebook/dp/B071FZSSCG">The Food Therapist</a>. If you, too, struggle with food in any way, I 100% recommend this book. (I realize I've recommended a lot of things in this blog post already, but this is really, really good.) I'm only 78 pages into the 214 page book, but I've pulled <b>so many</b> nuggets of information out that have been hugely helping in reframing how I'm thinking about food and my relationship with it. Here are just five of the many things that have really resonated with me and that I've been able to put into practice to help me as I consider the relationship I want to have with food and how I want the future version of myself to look and feel:<br />
<ul>
<li>The goal isn't to punish yourself for missteps, but to understand how, when, and why you've ditched your long-term goals for your more immediate wants; this is the crucial first step to closing the gap between your intentions and actions. </li>
<li>...for many of us, there's a major disconnect between the way we think about ourselves right now and the way we view ourselves in the future. </li>
<li>...we've got to stop treating the future versions of us like strangers, because the research suggests that we more actively people think about their later selves, the less likely they are to say "screw it" to their long-term goals, whether they're financial <i>or </i>health-related. </li>
<li>Having a healthy relationship with food <i>doesn't </i>mean always choosing the eating behavior that supports the long-lens goal over the immediate want (because, let's be real, that sounds like a total drag). Instead, it's about having the ability to pause and consider the options at hand and then a make a conscious choice. (Yes!)</li>
<li>...be prepared to make <i>some</i> compromises for the sake of your future self. Yes, eating <i>should</i> be enjoyable, but it's not possible to cater to your every right-now craving and still get the future outcome you desire. (Wow. This one really, really has helped me a lot.)</li>
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In Chapter 3 of the book, you're encouraged to write a letter to your future self too. (It also happened to coincide with the same suggested action from the weekly Weight Watchers meeting.) I took this assignment seriously and wrote a long letter to my future-self in my journal and it made me feel hopeful. So many people tell me that I inspire and motivate them. That I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. And not being able to accomplish my weight loss goals have made me feel like a failure. I'm working to reframe this narrative too. It doesn't serve me well and I'd like to take this additional tidbit from the book and put it into practice more: "...if you encourage yourself to view lapses as a result of your efforts, rather than character flaws—signs that you're weak and incompetent, for example—you'll be more likely to learn from your not-so-healthy eating behaviors and improve your approach."<br />
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This book has come at a time when I really needed it. And with some down time on the horizon next week while Steve and I are on off on our California road trip, I look forward to making more progress in the book and seeing what else I can take away from it to help in my ongoing quest to change this back and forth, up and down, all or nothing relationship that has not served me well for many, many years.<br />
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The other thing that's been helping is...<b>Try meditating for 21 days: </b>In typical Molly fashion, it seems like I'm in this all or nothing state. Tracking my food. Following Weight Watchers. Reading The Food Therapist and now meditating. It's a lot. and I worry that I'm setting myself up for...I don't know that failure is the word I'm looking for...but maybe imperfection. But I don't give a shit about that. I'm not looking to do this perfectly. I'm just looking for ways to change what I've always done to make my weight-loss more lasting. And right now I'm going with what's happening- focusing on progress and not perfection.<br />
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But I couldn't ignore the fact that Oprah's latest meditation challenge was beginning and it seemed perfect when I saw the ad on Facebook: <a href="https://chopracentermeditation.com/experience">Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Experience</a>: Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit. I mean come on. Is that not a message from the Universe or what?<br />
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I'm five days in and it's been really enlightening. The meditation starts out with some words from Oprah, then some words from Deepak (where he shares the centering thought and the mantra) and then you're left to do the meditation for about 15 minutes.<br />
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Apart from one other meditation attempt at a company meeting a million years ago (give or take a few years), I haven't ever tried meditating. Skipping over Meditation 101 means I spend a lot of my time trying to chase off thoughts from entering into my brain when I'm trying to peacefully sit with nothingness and waiting for the ding that tells me my time is up. So while my actual meditation practice needs a lot of help, I know that there are benefits I'm getting just from the attempt. And once the meditation wraps up, I write about it in my journal- mostly the thoughts shared beforehand by Oprah and Deepak- and that's been equally as helpful as the meditating itself. Here are a some nuggets of info that I've received from the first five days:<br />
<ul>
<li>When you think about food and your hunger level, consider the feeling of fulfillment vs. feeling full</li>
<li>What in my life makes me feel heavy? What makes me feel weighted down? It's not just food and I have to be willing to examine those things.</li>
<li>As my emotions flow freely, my life is lightened. This was the centering thought on day three and really made me think about how sometimes I don't honor my feelings. I try to be realistic and when I do that, I don't let myself <i>feel </i>my feelings. That prevents me from allowing feelings to move on and instead creates a bottle neck of my feelings which I then tend to feed those feelings via crappy food.</li>
<li>The inner feeling of lack is where cravings come from. </li>
<li>I need to be willing to ask myself "What am I hungry for right now?" This will help me better understand why I'm making poor food decisions. Mostly people eat because they're bored or tired or angry or sad. I must be willing to explore and analyze more than I do now to better understand what I truly need (according to Deepak, my true self never lacks for anything). The idea that my true self doesn't lack for anything and that I already possess everything I need to feel fulfilled is something I need more time with...</li>
<li>Our bodies want to be healthy, but our habits and thoughts are what create imbalance. (Word.)</li>
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See- enlightening right? I mean some of it is like another message from Captain Obvious. But to me, weight loss stuff isn't hard from a logical standpoint. Like...I know what to do. I just don't always do it. What I'm learning from meditation and from The Food Therapist is that there's a disconnect between my intentions and the actions I'm willing to take. And I need to do some serious work to close that intention/action gap.<br />
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I'm grateful for the meditation and the book and, more than anything, my willingness to continue to explore and grow and learn and try to find the right ways to improve and understand my relationship with food. </div>
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month: </b>I volunteered in three different capacities this month.<br />
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Guys. I went so far outside my comfort zone on my first one. I made calls on behalf of the Conor Lamb for Congress Campaign on March 12th. I knew when I made the goal to volunteer at least once a month, that I would <i>have </i>to do something that contributed to flipping the House in November. When I saw the opportunity to make calls for the Conor Lamb campaign appear in a <a href="https://swingleft.org/">Swing Left</a> email, I knew I just had to do it.<br />
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The organization made it <i>so</i> easy to volunteer. I signed up on some website, they emailed me instructions and a script and then when it was time to make calls, I logged into a website and calls were auto-magically sent to my cell phone! As someone who has managed and made a ton of calls for large outbound call campaigns for work (both related to the 3-Day and way back in the day when my love of calling strangers began at the UNH Alumni), I was fascinated and impressed by the technology.<br />
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I was incredibly nervous about something answering the phone or asking me any in depth questions. Apart from <a href="https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/">Pod Save America</a> and Swing Left emails, I hadn't actually ever heard of Conor Lamb more than like a week or so before I started making the calls. I didn't know much about him. And I certainly knew nothing about his opponent...including how to pronounce his freaking name! I was Not Qualified to make these calls. But I read the information I received, I went online to <a href="https://conorlamb.com/">Conor Lamb's</a> website, and I just did the best I could. And you know what? It was fine! I survived. I had fun. I recalled a lot of really fun memories making calls like this in my past (hi Lindsay!). I spoke with some interesting people. It felt really amazing to contribute to the change I want to see in this country. And when Conor Lamb won it felt really freaking cool to know that I played a very small part in his very big win! I'll definitely do something like this again.<br />
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I did another stint with <a href="https://foodforward.org/">Food Forward</a> at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on March 14th. In the post-volunteer Food Forward email, I learned that we collected 816 pounds of fresh, local produce and donated 100% to Groceryships, Mother's Kitchen, PATH Villas at Del Rey, SMC Students Feeding Students, Step Up on Second and St. Joseph Center. Below are two of the people I volunteered with grabbing some of the full boxes from the farmers that we weighed and then handed over to the organizations to use to feed people who need this food the most:<br />
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It was a beautiful day and I'm enjoying volunteering with Food Forward and plan on this being something I do once a month. <br />
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The last thing I did was write postcards to voters! I've been wanting to do this particular volunteer opportunity for a while now but I never got around to making it happen. No more! I learned through someone on Twitter (who replied to a tweet I wrote about making calls for Conor Lamb) where to go to get more information (that would be right <a href="https://postcardstovoters.org/">here</a>). You sign up on the website, they email you instructions, you write a sample postcard, take a photo for approval and once approved, they email you additional instructions and the addresses of your first five postcards. When you get those out the door, you can text Abby the Address Bot who will send more addresses for whatever campaigns we're currently writing postcards on behalf of. I've only done five so far, but again, it feels good to be part of the movement.<br />
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Plus, I <a href="https://www.collectivevision.us/">purchased</a> 100 postcards and hope that between now and November, all of them will be sent to potential voters to Flip the House! </div>
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So...that was month five! It went by quickly and there was a lot going on. I feel mentally exhausted by a lot of it, so our little road trip is well-timed.</div>
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I'm looking forward to seeing all that happens in month six!<br />
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-81141045736219535582018-03-21T23:20:00.002-07:002018-03-21T23:20:21.274-07:00This is 39 (Month 5, Check-In 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
One of my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">This is 39 goals</a> is "to travel some place new" and I'm happy to share that at the end of February and into the beginning of March, I found myself in Miami- a destination I hadn't been to before!<br /><br />Miami isn't realllly my scene (beach life and warm weather isn't really my thing- yes, I know where I live seems to contradict that). But I was there for a work conference and since I'd also get to cross off another goal, I decided to embrace it whole heartedly.<br /><br />I had the opportunity to go to Miami a couple of days before the conference and rent a cute little bungalow in the Coconut Grove section of Miami with Jill (Schmoopy) and Erin. Thanks to Jill for doing the legwork on the accommodations and to Erin for having the good sense to rent a car, even though we thought we'd be able to bike/walk/use public transportation/Lyft around Miami. We ended up in a cute place and with a hilarious car that will keep us laughing for years at the absurdity of the size of the back seat.<br /><br />Immediately upon landing and stepping outside, I was met with the dreaded muggy and humid weather that plagues the East Coast and caused me to flee for a climate that doesn't experience those crazy things. I really admire those of you who can adapt to a warm, moist (sorry if you're one of those people who hates that word!) climate; I just don't happen to be one of them. I kept my complaining to a minimum (at least I think I did) but also didn't spend anywhere near as much time outside as I had hoped either.<br /><br />While the main reason I was in Miami was for work (and it'd take up nearly 1/2 of my time there), I was determined to get in some sight seeing and ultimately landed on: Little Havana, Wynwood Walls & an art deco walking tour of South Beach.<br /><br />First up was Little Havana. Jill & Erin scooped me up from the airport and off we went to walk around Little Havana and get a bite to eat. Here are some photos from our first excursion: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I should have bought one for Steve-o! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Little Havana was filled with a few different tourist traps and some pretty amazing touristy "gifts". I couldn't help but snap a photo of this tacky hat! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The highlight of Little Havana was <a href="http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/sport/maximo-gomez-park-domino-park/115777">Domino Park</a> where we got to see people of all ages playing the game</td></tr>
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We also stopped for a bite to eat at a local restaurant, where I got some Cuban food (it was alright) before heading back to the bungalow. I was glad we got in a bit of sight seeing because as soon as we got back "home", I had to catch up on a few hours of work.</div>
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On our second day in Coconut Grove, the highlight was going to a super funky hipster neighborhood called Wynwood Walls. You can read all about them <a href="http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com/">here</a>. But first- we stopped by <a href="https://saltydonut.com/">The Salty Donut</a> to fuel up for our walk to and around the walls. And that was quite an experience.<br /><br />Although we got there at the end of the day, we managed to snag the last gluten free donut and we had some mini donuts that were poked with syringes so you could infuse your donut yourself. Pretty fantastic if you ask me.</div>
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<br />There was plenty to look at while walking to the Wynwood Walls with graffiti All Over The Place. Here are a couple of my favorite photos I took on that walk:<br />
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<br />After a little bit, we ended up at the Wynwood Walls where we walked around and marveled at people's incredible talents. The space itself was very cool- a wide open area where you walked from one building to the next with every inch of indoor and outdoor space utilized for featuring another unique artist. It was a bit of a sensory overload, but here are some of my favorites:<br />
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After the Wynwood Walls, we went to a restaurant nearby where I enjoyed a FLIGHT OF EMPANADAS (which were delicious) and then we topped off the night by hitting <a href="https://www.vickyshouse.com/">Vicky's House</a> where I got an oreo milkshake with a hot fudge and captain crunch rim while playing Mario Bros. on an old school Nintendo #heaven. It was as amazing as it sounds! The milkshake was a bit much and I threw most of it away before I even left the store. But holy hell, what I did consume of it was delicious. See:<br />
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On day three we had to say goodbye to our cute little bungalow and Coconut Grove so we could head to the hotel where the conference was being held.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Cute little bungalow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">As seen in Coconut Grove</td></tr>
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The rest of day three and all of day four were spent inside the Hilton in downtown Miami where I didn't go outside until early Friday morning when my company hosted a pre-conference run throughout parts of Miami. Here are a couple of cool photos I took on that run:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Me and Schmoopy- all sweaty and smiley!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sunrise in Miami </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The sunshine. A yacht. And a cruise ship. Very Miami. </td></tr>
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Friday night had me catching up with a dear friend I haven't seen in a reallllly long time. It was great but by 8:00 p.m., I was toast! We said our goodbyes and I went up to my hotel room where I got all my things pulled together.<br /><br />On my final day in Miami I was truly blessed with a perfect day. Zero humidity (PTL!), sunshine, a light breeze and beautiful blue skies. It was a perfect day for an art deco walking tour of South Beach!<br /><br />A friend and former co-worker joined me on the adventure and I'm so glad she did. I learned some very interesting things about Miami in the process. Like what? I'm glad you asked. Like this:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Miami was founded by a woman and is the only major U.S. city to be founded by a woman (Julia Tuttle). She convinced the co-founder, Henry Flagler, to extend his railroad from central Florida to Miami, to build a luxury hotel and develop a new town.</li>
<li>It's nickname for many years was "God's Waiting Room" because the average age was 68</li>
<li>Yiddish was the primary language in the 1920s</li>
<li>The Versace Mansion is the third most photographed house in America (behind Graceland and The White House)</li>
<li>Miami is home to the largest cruise ship port in the WORLD (I drove by and got anxiety just looking at the size of some of the cruise ships- no gracias!)</li>
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The tour was perfectly fine and they peppered in some interesting facts throughout which kept us engaged. But even if the tour guide did no talking, it would have been fine. Because there was a lot of pretty things to look at. Here are a few of my favorite photos I took during the tour: </div>
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After the art deco tour, I hopped in a Lyft, booked it back to the hotel, grabbed my stuff and headed out for the airport. I had a miserable day of travel as it turns out with FOUR HOURS on the plane before we finally took off. I couldn't complain too much, though, because I got upgraded to First Class and it made all the difference. But still. I kept thinking "I could practically be in Ireland by now."<br /><br />Overall, Miami was perfectly fine. I truly enjoyed going some place new and exploring some of the main highlights of the area. (Bad on me though, I never actually stepped foot <i>on</i> the beach. Oops!) I really enjoyed hanging out with my friends <i>before</i> the conference and seeing more of my friends and colleagues <i>at</i> the conference. And I'm glad I got to cross off two of my goals (travel some place new and use my real camera 1x/month).<br /><br />Thanks Miami! While I don't feel the need to go back again anytime soon, there are certainly much worse places to go and there are more things for me to explore if I do find myself there again.<br />
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-85332981887458508772018-03-09T18:52:00.002-08:002018-03-11T13:07:13.171-07:00This is 39 (Month 4, Check-In 2)I purposefully skipped one of my goals last month (updating this blog for a second time) because the end of the month was just Too Bananas. Between finalizing everything for Cycle for Survival and then getting ready for a six-day fun/work trip to Miami, I thought I could squeeze in one more update, but then I just had too much on my plate. And instead of stressing myself out, I figured who the F cares if I do one update in month four, and three updates in month five? (The answer to that question is "no one."). So here we are.<br />
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Here are a few updates from the end of month four:<br />
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<b>Attend a yoga class: </b>Okay guys. I went to a hot yoga class. I thought it'd be "interesting" to try it out. So I got a free week at <a href="http://hot8yoga.com/">Hot 8 Yoga</a> and had reallllly hoped that I would like it. Unfortunately the yoga studio smelled gross, which put me off right from the start. I thought for sure there'd be a diffuser or <i>something</i> (anything!) to make sure it didn't smell of sweat, but, not so much. I also didn't love the instructor or the flow of the class. I made it through without dying (bonus!), but I knew I wouldn't go back. Would I try hot yoga again? For sure. Just not at that studio.<br />
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<b>Nurture my marriage: </b>I don't mean to be all new flashy, but MARRIAGE IS F'N HARD (said Captain Obvious). Like really hard. Steve and I have had our fair share of ups and downs over the years and the last year has been particularly challenging. Steve doesn't do well with me traveling and we tend to go through a cycle where the first half of the year is great and the second half of the year (which coincides with my work travel and when Summer Steve turns into School Steve) isn't. And there have been some other challenges that I won't go into, but they've been hard and pushed both of us into some not so fun places of discomfort. When I added the goal to nurture my marriage in the fall, I didn't know exactly what that would entail. I just knew that I had to put more care and attention and love into my relationship with my husband.<br />
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A lot of our challenges have had to do with the energy each of us were bringing home and adding to our relationship. We've both been paying more attention to that, and I've been responding positively to the ways in which I've seen Steve work on this. It's made a big difference for both of us.<br />
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I'm no expert on nurturing a marriage, but here are a few things that I've done that has made both of us smile and brought a warmth to our relationship that I'm really digging:<br />
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Heart-shaped <a href="https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/lemon-ricotta-pancakes.html">lemon ricotta pancakes</a> for breakfast on Valentine's Day! I got up early so I could make Steve's favorite pancakes. (And then documented the whole thing, which almost ruined Steve's mood. Note to self!)<br />
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Soaking up knowledge from those around you is also super helpful. I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people whose marriages inspires me and teaches me about ways in which I can do this differently (and sometimes, how to be better, too). One great example of this is the podcast I listened to of Dax Shephard interviewing his wife, Kristen Bell. Dax just started a new podcast called the Armchair Expert and Kristen was his first interview. Their bickering, their honesty, their clear love and admiration for one another- all of it shines through in this. And there is such a realness to how they show up for each other, what challenges them in their relationship and I found myself nodding along and in some instances, 100% getting it. It's a long interview, but I totally recommend listening to it- <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/kristen-bell">here</a> you go!</div>
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I found these really great blank cards from Paper Source and have left two little notes for Steve to find:</div>
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Get a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/cinematic-lightbox-message-letters-FSC/dp/B01MS550UL/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1520648574&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=light+box+with+letters&psc=1">Ligthbox</a>! We've had one for a while and just got around to using it for more fun/loving purposes. Steve even added his own message that I got when I came back from my trip to Miami last week and it made me laugh and smile. </div>
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It's such a small thing, but can make a big difference and add a little bit of fun to your home and love to your relationship.<br />
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I learn every day about being a better wife and a better partner for Steve. I'm not always the best at it, but I am always trying. And so is he. And as far as marriage goes- it IS hard work. But if you're with the right person, it's always worth it. Even the bad times. But especially for the good ones (duh).<br />
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I've got a lot on my mind right now in terms of nurturing my marriage because I have to really weigh and consider this against my annual solo trip to Ireland that I take every June. If I put nurturing my marriage first, I wouldn't go. But that also seems like a really big personal sacrifice that I'm not willing to give up. Eeek. My hope is that Steve and I can plan a trip together for the two of us so that I can still do this trip which fills up my soul and sustains me all year long. (Full disclosure, I'm going to Ireland in October for my 40th. But that's going to be, like, a big thing with a group of people. So it won't be the Molly-centric trip where she gets to do whatever she wants whenever she wants without having to worry about anyone but herself.)<br />
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All that side- I'm smiling more, I'm spending more time with Steve, I'm listening more and I'm feeling supported, loved and taken care of by my husband. And I'd like to think that this goal is helping to accomplishing that. Screw that. I <b>know</b> this goal is helping to accomplish that.<br />
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<b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers app:</b> Yeah...I'm still not doing it. I'm following Weight Watchers for the most part (my trip to Miami threw me off and I haven't quite gotten back on track yet). But even when I'm making good food decisions, I haven't been tracking the food.</div>
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Here's the thing. I <i>have to</i> work on my relationship with food. I <i>have to</i> do more work on improving my all or nothing tendencies when it comes to food. And maybe Weight Watchers isn't the way to go. But I have to find something that's a better match. I was very conscious about not putting weight-specific goals on my This is 39 list because I'm So Sick Of All of That. I'm 4+ months into this year and I feel like I'm getting further away from the food/weight/body goals that I've set for myself.<br />
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While I'm not promising that I'm going to start tracking and following the program 100%, I am going to spend some time this upcoming month on making some positive changes to my relationship with food. Scouts honor (does it matter that I'm not a Scout?).<br />
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<b>Use my real camera 1x/month: </b>I took a glorious day off from work on February 16th and was gifted with a gorgeous sunny and clear day in Santa Monica. I took my camera and went off exploring and lunching. Santa Monica was sparkling and shining:</div>
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I'm in <i>love</i> with that second photo of the sailboat. I love the shimmery water and the simplicity of the photo. And the other two photos perfectly showcase how lucky I am to live some place so freaking beautiful.</div>
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month:</b> I <b>loved</b> my experience volunteering with <a href="https://foodforward.org/">Food Forward</a>. This organization "fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people in need, and inspiring others to do the same."</div>
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I met up with a small group of volunteers at the (Wednesday) Santa Monica's Farmer's Market so we could collect fresh fruits and vegetables (which would normally go to waste) so we could then donate them to hunger relief agencies in the area. The process was quite simple- we split up and went up to each farmer asking if they wanted any boxes for donations. If they said yes, we put the boxes together, wrote their name on the box, handed it over and made note of how many boxes they took. Once all farmer's had been approached and all boxes had been handed out, we took a break until 15 minutes after the market closed.<br />
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I used my break time to pick up a few things and was pleasantly surprised when I was given things for free or severely discounted (I was wearing a Food Forward apron). I tried to pay, but I got a variation of this comment "No no. Thank you for what you're doing." I really wasn't expecting that, but it was very much appreciated.<br />
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When the time came, we started walking back around and picking up the boxes from the farmers. And I gotta tell ya, I walked away feeling even more appreciative of and impressed with each farmer. I <i>love </i>that they were willing to donate their produce to people who truly needed it.<br />
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The boxes filled with produce was brought back to the middle of the market where we organized, weighed and then dispatched the goods to the organizations who were receiving everything. It was great. And two hours later, I was on my way back home to work.<br />
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A few days later I got this great email: Thank you for joining us at the Santa Monica Wednesday Farmer's Market on February 21. We really appreciate your time and support for Food Forward. Thanks to your help, we were able to collect 1,295 pounds of fresh, local produce and donate 100% to Groceryships, Mother's Kitchen, PATH Villas at Del Rey, SMC Students Feeding Students, Step Up on Second and St. Joseph Center.<br />
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I loved the experience and I'm already signed up for another shift!<br />
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How yummy do those veggies look? All from the farmer's market!</div>
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So that's how the second half of month four went! I can't believe I'm already 1/4 of the way through This is 39!Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-72658961709832747402018-02-16T21:52:00.001-08:002018-02-16T21:53:20.039-08:00This is 39 (Month 4, Check-In 1)Well month four has blown by quickly! I just updated my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker</a> and I'm sort of overwhelmed by how far into this year I already am. It's almost a quarter of the way over. Which seems bananas.<br />
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There are a few big things I've accomplished this month that I want to call attention to:<br />
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<b>Exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18,476)- </b>CHECK! I started fundraising on January 31st and set my goal to $25k in 25 days. I took on this challenge because my friend George was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in December and this is a rare cancer that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center allocates funding to. And when you raise $25,000 for this event, you can choose where you want your funds allocated. While I always had it in the back of my mind that I'd do this (and direct funding towards the type of rare cancer my father passed away from- esophageal), I realized that this would make a bigger difference for George now. And so my 2018 fundraising challenge was born!<br />
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Only 10 days into my fundraising, I surpassed last year's fundraising total. And as of today, I have raised more than $26k. With another $1k promised (and not in my account yet), I know that I'll be able to get to my updated goal of $28k and hopefully beyond. I'd really love to get to $30k, but we'll just see where this all shakes out. Another cool thing is that last year I had 220 donors. And as of today, my donations have been made possible by 219 donors. So I think it's safe to assume that I'll also exceed the number of donors that I had in 2017 as well.<br />
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I am unbelievably proud of this accomplishment. And I am overwhelmingly grateful for all the support I've received from my amazing network of family, friends and co-workers. And I'm very fortunate that Paula has been encouraging her personal network to support my fundraiser as well. I knew that I would work as hard as I possibly could to make my goal, but I didn't think I'd be in the place I'm in- that I'd meet my fundraising goal with eight days to go! It's a wonderful feeling, but after doing all my fundraising in a short period of time, it's weird and unsettling to have <i>this</i> much time to do my fundraising.<br />
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I am so happy to be able to do something that offers Paula & George hope and can sort of take their mind off of all the sad and scary elements of George's diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, I have been on the receiving end of some of the nicest notes from those who are supporting my ride. Here's one that totally made me cry: <i>Hey Molly...I can't even begin to say how proud I am of you for the work that you do to help others. You are a true altruist. You know, when we grow up with people, you don't ever think of how you may impact each other later on in life. We spend most of our time going to classes, joking around in between, eating lunch and going to recess. Life goes by so fast. I mean seriously, I'm 40 this year and I feel like it was yesterday that I was walking the halls at Lancaster Elementary, picking on you and Katie, calling you Little Moo. I don't think I've actually seen you in person for more than 20 years (crazy, right?), yet I feel like you are a dear friend and that if I ever needed to talk or place to crash, you'd be one of the first people I call. You've brought me comfort in times where I had lost almost all hope. You've made me cry with your kind words of love and encouragement. You are a kind soul Molly. Please don't ever change. You impact lives in ways you may never know. Thank you.</i><br />
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I mean how overwhelmingly nice is that comment? Shoot...I just feel like doing this, while it's ridiculously hard work, is something that brings so much love into my life. And I'm so grateful.<br />
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The ride is next Saturday and I know it'll be fine. Although I am slightly scared that I haven't been on a spin bike since last year's event. Oops.<br />
<b><br />Finish the remaining stair walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book-</b> I knocked two more stair walks this past month (so far). Steve and I did one boring walk and then the next day my friend Cathy & I did an unbelievably cool walk.<br />
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The walk Steve and I did had some pretty elements, but there were some long, boring stretches. And we were both wanting it to be over sooner than it was. Here's what it looked like:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my new favorite photos of Steve-o which was taken at lunch post-stairs</td></tr>
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The very next day, Cathy and I went on another stair walk and I loved it! It was shorter than the day before and my favorite part was that we ended up getting dropped into the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy parkland, specifically Elyria Canyon Park. It's one of the things I love the most about Los Angeles- even in the middle of the city, you can find yourself submerged in nature and surrounded by quiet and unbelievable beauty that makes this New Hampshire girl very happy! See for yourself:<br />
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<b>Get four facials and four massages- </b>You guys. I got my first real massage tonight. Like all deep tissue and stuff. And I actually didn't hate it! I can count on two hands (and maybe even one) how many times I've gotten a massage. Historically it just hasn't been my thing. But as I get older, I'm realizing how important this aspect of self-care is. While I make great efforts to get up frequently during the day, I'm not always successful at it. And although I'd say I lead a fairly active lifestyle, I can still go long periods of time through any given day of doing nothing. All that to say, I can feel my body aching differently than ever before. And I can see how massages (and yoga) can play a big role in making sure my body isn't so stiff and achey.<br />
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I've been gifted several massage gift certificates, so I have no excuse to go. Tonight while I was getting squished and pressed and having all the knots and kinks worked out, I kept thinking that the phrase "hurts so good" really applies to massages. My hope is that it won't be as painful in the future, especially if I keep up a regular schedule. But for now, I'm sore from my massage and can't wait to go back soon!<br />
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Tomorrow morning I'm using another gift certificate to Burke-Williams and getting a facial. Which I'm pretty excited about. Also because I get to use their amenities, which for me will include the steam room, the sauna and the hot tub.</div>
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<b>Hike 1x/month- </b>Four days into the month, I got my hike in. My friends Maril, Carrot (Maril's adorable Frenchie), Elise and I went on a hike in Fryman Canyon on a gorgeous LA day. It was a wonderful way to catch up with friends and be active and outdoor. I was struggling more on the hike than I had hoped. But not having been fully recovered from my stupid cold, meant that breathing was a little difficult (and I think some of that had to do with how much crap I ate in December and most of January too). At any rate, we had a lovely time!</div>
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Alright- that's it for now! I will update on the second half of the list before 2/23!<br />
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-38995015505066506932018-01-23T21:40:00.003-08:002018-01-23T21:46:37.068-08:00This is 39 (Month 3, Check-In 2)Wow. I'm already three full months into this 39th year and it's going by so quickly. I just got done updating my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker </a>and I'm glad that I'll have as a reminder of all I've done.<br />
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Similar to my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2018/01/this-is-39-month-3-check-in-1.html">first update</a> of the month, I don't plan on doing a play-by-play, but want to hit on a few updates that have transpired in the second part of the month.<br />
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I'm noticing a pattern and it's not making a few of my monthly goals enjoyable- especially when I wait until the end of the month. Volunteering, going to yoga and getting a hike in don't seem to happen until the month's nearly over, and then I'm in a bit of a panic getting those things accomplished. I've had the best of intentions in month two and three to not do that to myself but we're three months in and I haven't changed that pattern. The good news is I've already lined up my next yoga class (next Sunday) and volunteer gig (February 7th). So month four will already be better in that regard!<br />
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<b>Volunteer 1x/month- </b>Because I waited so long, none of the leads I had for volunteering worked out. Instead of letting this goal get by me, I grabbed my wombmate, a pair of work gloves and a reusable shopping bag and headed down to the beach for a two-person sunset beach clean-up. It was beautiful. And in the end, what I loved most about this volunteer opportunity is that it taught me that you don't need a sign-up sheet, a shift or an organization in order to donate your time and make a difference in the world around you. Katie and I had a really nice time cleaning up the Santa Monica beachfront area and it was really sweet when two people stopped to thank us for doing it. Here's the beautiful sunset we were treated to and the trash we recovered from the beach:<br />
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<b>Attend a yoga class 1x/month- </b>Taking advantage of a free week of yoga classes (and strategizing so it falls at the end of month three and the beginning of month four), I found myself at a 2:15 p.m. yoga class this afternoon. I thought <i>for sure</i> I'd be one of a handful of people in the class. Turns out I could not have been more wrong. I got there a good five minutes early thinking that'd be more than enough time to line up a prime spot in the back of the room. Instead the studio was completely full. Like more full than any other yoga class I'd been in before (seriously, I'm not being dramatic). Like so full that the instructor had to ask people in THE FRONT ROW to scoot over and make room for me all front and center (nightmare). I'd say the average age in the room was 68 and honestly, I just had to laugh at the absurdity of being placed in the front row so close to the women on either side of me that we touched several times during the class and had to negotiate during some interesting poses. It was a realllllly good yoga class though- all space and location issues aside. The "gentle yoga" class felt really great and was just what I needed.</div>
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<b>Hike 1x/month</b>- My friend Terri accompanied me on a Sunday morning hike at <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=626">Will Rogers State Park</a>, which is conveniently located a few minutes from my place. I've done this hike a bunch of times and while I hope to explore new hikes in future months, this was a perfect hike with perfect company.<br />
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Apart from these three tricky goals that tend to sneak up on me, here are a few other things I've done since my last post:<br />
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<b>Use my real camera 1x/month</b>- I used it on New Year's Eve and took it out again for a spectacular sunset on 1/19 and I'm so very glad I did. </div>
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<b>Read 20 books</b>- Thanks to my friend and an advanced copy, I was able to get my hands on a copy of a book I've been waiting to read- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Still-Me-Novel-Jojo-Moyes/dp/0399562451">Still Me</a> from JoJo Moyes. The book doesn't come out for another week, so it felt extra special to get to read it before most people. I've read the two books that came out before this one (Me Before You and After You) and this one was just as good. I plowed through it in a matter of days, staying up until 1:00 a.m. on a work night even!<br />
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I have three books out from the library that I need to make my way through- I've started two and still have to crack open another one. I don't usually like to have multiple books going at at time, but it is what it is. More than anything, I'm grateful that I'm doing so much more reading than I have been in quite some time.<br />
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So there you have it! Three months in and I'm feeling really great. Although food stuff and tracking is still in the toilet, I'm back into a good workout routine, and I'm feeling confident that at the end of month four, I will have made significant progress in pulling myself together when it comes to my food choices. I also know this time next month I will be in the thick of one of my most important goals- to exceed last year's Cycle for Survival fundraising ($18,476)- and Steve and I will be super close to paying off all credit card debt! Woo Hoo!<br />
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So much to look forward to and so much to be proud of already! Hooray for This is 39!<br />
<br />Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-74289051014139881102018-01-15T10:49:00.002-08:002018-01-15T21:19:11.888-08:00This is 39 (Month 3, Check-In 1)I can't believe I'm already in month three of my year-long quest to accomplish 39 goals. As usual, my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker</a> is super helpful in the accountability department, as is this blog. The first part of this month has been really interesting. While I've made significant progress on my goals and have added lots to the accomplishments column, I've also gone backwards on some things. Partly due to being super f'n sick and partly due to be super f'n negligent in treating my body with respect and eating well. I'm an all-or-nothing kinda gal, and the past few weeks have highlighted that in lots of ways. I'm workin' on it. I really am.<br />
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Because I was so sick (ugh- I landed in urgent care on Christmas Day with, what turned out to be, a sinus infection), I didn't stick to my three days a week of resistance training (which I'm okay with), but I did get some serious reading in and made major headway on the insane-o task of organizing and backing up all my photos. But I also stopped tracking my food and that's basically gone off the rails. I haven't beat myself up over all of this. I'm just moving on from the point I'm at now.<br />
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All that aside, let's jump in:<br />
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<b>Finish the remaining stairs walks from the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Stairs-Walking-Historic-Staircases/dp/1595800506/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516038882&sr=8-1&keywords=secret+stairs+of+los+angeles">book</a>: </b>I had grand plans over the holidays to get a lot of these walks in. I was looking forward to being able to drive all over the city when so many people are out of town and it's actually possible to get almost anywhere in 20 minutes. But my body had other plans for me. I did get in one walk, yesterday, with Steve-o. We did walk #2, which found us in Eagle Rock on a gorgeous 80° day. Highlights included super cute houses, like the one below, a Tai Chi mural that Steve-o loved and (not pictured) running into a 92-year old WWII veteran, Larry, whom we met because his dog's leash was stuck to the wheel of his wheelchair and Steve stopped to help him.<br />
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<b>Get 4 facials and 4 massages: </b>Thanks to the insane generosity of one of my best friends, Penny, days before Christmas found me relaxing and indulging in some major self-care at <a href="https://burkewilliamsspa.com/">Burke-Williams</a>. I spent a few glorious hours in a hot tub, a steam room, a sauna, getting a massage and then a facial. It. Was. Amazing. And thanks to Christmas, I have enough gift certificates to more than fulfill my goal of getting three more facials and three more massages during my 39th year. Spending the day taking care of me in a relaxing and luxurious environment was completely restorative and I'm looking forward to doing more of this in the year ahead.<br />
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<b>Organize and back-up my photos: </b>Because I was bed and couch ridden for most of the time between Christmas and the New Year, I deleted thousands and thousands and thousands of photos and videos. I also went through my work computer (I try really hard to keep personal things off there, but it's been a good place to back-up some photos) and TWO different external hard drives. I also purchased <a href="https://lightroom.adobe.com/">Lightroom</a> and have been using that to help me easily go through photos as well.<br />
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When I first started this project, I had nearly 22,000 photos/videos on my laptop. I kept getting messages that I was running out of room on my computer. Today my laptop has 1,771 photos and 79 videos on it. I'm no longer getting stressful messages that my computer is running out of space and I feel so much better knowing the photos I have are ones that I really and truly want. The task is nowhere near complete, but I'm getting there and looking forward to a few months from now when it's all organized and I can start a better process of organizing and backing-up my photos on a regular basis- not just once every 39 years!<br />
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<b>Read 20 books:</b> In just the past few weeks I've read:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Monks-Table-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/0312357680">Murder at the Monks Table</a>- a quick and easy read that was just the thing I needed to get me back into reading. Thanks to my friend's mother for passing the book along over Christmas cookie decorating!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Me-Dad-Hardship-Purpose/dp/1250171679/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516039915&sr=1-1&keywords=Promise+Me%2C+Dad%3A+A+Year+of+Hope%2C+Hardship%2C+and+Purpose">Promise Me, Dad: A Year of of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose</a>- This wasn't as quick and easy at the first book I read, but it was a really beautiful book about a father's love for his son(s) and a peek into the Obama Administration from Joe Biden's perspective. I really enjoyed the book- and the rabbit hole I went down on YouTube afterwards. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Purpose-Novel-Humans/dp/0765388111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516040029&sr=1-1&keywords=a+dog%27s+purpose">A Dog's Purpose</a>- Given the Clancy-size hole that still exists in my heart, I wasn't so sure this was the smartest book for me to read. But I really loved it and it didn't break me apart like other books about dogs and loss that are out there. It was really nice to think about Clancy's purpose and the happier times we had with him. I mean, of course I cried. How could you not? But it was a good cry. So, if you're a dog person, I highly recommend this book. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Memoir-Cory-Taylor/dp/1782119787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516040141&sr=1-1&keywords=dying+a+memoir">Dying: A Memoir</a>- I read this list of music and book <a href="http://time.com/5082975/barack-obama-2017-book-music-list/">recommendations from President Obama</a> and this book stood out to me. (I tend to gravitate towards books like this because I learned early on that we don't talk about death enough and it has the potential to be a really beautiful experience if you deal with it openly and honestly.) It was a pretty quick read (especially since I went all Type-A on the book and decided I wanted to finish it in five days, so determined the number of pages I'd need to read each day in order to do that). I enjoyed the book, partly because it didn't go into excruciating detail about the author's illness and death. It was a beautiful, simple and real account of her life against the backdrop of knowing that she was dying. </li>
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While being so sick really sucked, I'm grateful that it helped me kickstart this particular goal and has gotten me back into reading. I have a handful of books that I'm currently reading now and am very much hoping that as I ease back into a more balanced life this month, that I set aside time each day to read, even if it's just a little bit. The fact that I take books out from the library and am on a deadline helps too!<br />
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<b>Resistance training 3x/week: </b>I had to be okay with not accomplishing this goal when I got sick. I thought about powering through, but on certain days, I knew that just was not an option as I truly could not get up off the couch. So I missed two weeks of resistance training. Instead of letting this get in the way of doing it for the other 49 weeks of the year (assuming I don't get that sick again), I'm just moving forward and getting back into it. This past week I did my three days of resistance training. And while it was humbling to be so out of shape, it felt really good to move my body that way.<br />
<b><br />Stay on top of BRCA2 gene appointments: </b>Last month I had my breast MRI and everything was fine. Phew and hooray. And on January 10th I went to USC for my 1/2 day of appointments. It's a really intense experience because you get blood drawn, see the breast oncologist and the gynecological oncologist, get more invasive testing and by the time you're done, you have been poked, prodded and touched A LOT. But one of the major benefits of The Lynne Cohen Clinic through USC is that I have all my tests in one day, I see all my doctors in one day and, most importantly, I walk out with all the results from my tests. I'm happy to report that all is fine- all tests came back clean and clear.</div>
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Having said that, the appointment was pretty intense. Because of my age, there's a lot more focus on when/if I'm having children (short answer- I don't know). With the breast cancer gene, my risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer goes up significantly. So if a person doesn't plan on having children, the recommendation is to go the surgical (vs. surveillance) route, earlier rather than later, to pretty much eliminate your risk of getting cancer. For all these years, I've been living under the (as it turns out false) assumption that because of my family history, I didn't have to entertain the idea of getting a hysterectomy. No one in my family has had ovarian cancer and only my mom has had breast cancer. So I was really kinda planning on just continuing with surveillance for the foreseeable future. Turns out I was wrong. My gynecological oncologist suggested that I start thinking of freezing eggs if I wasn't sure where I stood on the having children side of things and eliminating the stress of not knowing and consider a cutoff age of when I'll have a hysterectomy. Ooof. Ovarian cancer is very hard to detect and when a woman does get it, it's usually advanced and has spread. In an effort to prevent all of that from happening, she recommends considering surgery. By the age of 50, you're sort of playing with fire. But apparently 45 is a good age to aim for. I don't know why I thought for all these years that I wouldn't have to take such permanent action, but I did. And now my head is swirling and my mind is reeling. I don't know what I'll do. But I know my timeline for making decisions has shifted considerably. </div>
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<b>Track each day's food in the Weight Watchers App:</b> Nope. I stopped doing this on 12/22 and have been eating like garbage. I keep thinking "tomorrow's the day". And so far that hasn't happened. But the difference with today about tomorrow is I'm actively putting my food plan together for the week, going shopping and doing some major food prep. So I'm looking forward to resuming food tracking and getting this under control, like, soon.</div>
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<b>Use my real camera at least 1x/month: </b>On New Year's Eve I found myself watching the last sunset of the year. The ocean is completely hidden from sight and you need to set aside what you see right in front of you to know and believe that something so beautiful and filled with possibilities is right in front of you. And I thought this photo is very representative of the year as a whole. 2017 was a beautifully complicated year with so many ups and downs and filled with some really big losses for me. But it was also beautiful and filled with so much love and laughter and fun and hope and action and kindness. And that's what stands out most- the beauty of it all. </div>
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Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-54940707035223257122017-12-22T19:41:00.000-08:002017-12-22T19:41:03.665-08:00This is 39 (Month 2, Check-In 2)I didn't learn my lessons from last month and ended up waiting until the end of the month to get two of my big goals in: yoga and volunteering.<br />
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This morning, on my first day of winter vacation, I found myself up at 6:00 a.m. and shortly thereafter, at the gym (on the last day of my membership) for a 6:30 a.m. yoga class. Next month I'd really like to attempt to not wait until the last day because I quite enjoy yoga. And I think if I went earlier in the month, I'd go more than once. I'm going to explore different yoga studios now that my gym membership is up and see where I can get some free classes Good news- I remembered to turn my alarm off. So no dog barking alarms went off.<br />
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On Wednesday I volunteered at <a href="http://www.vchcorp.org/">Venice Housing Community</a>. I took this directly from their website: <i>Founded by local community members in 1988, Venice Community Housing has been developing lasting, neighborhood-based solutions for low-income families and individuals for over 28 years. We own and manage 216 units of non-profit affordable housing, both transition and permanent throughout Venice, Mar Vista and Del Rey. We also provide comprehensive supportive programs including job training, youth development, life-skills coaching, and family services to help people regain or retain their self-reliance. Our non-profit, permanent affordable housing helps people whose wages haven't kept pace with rents in their own neighborhoods. And for the most vulnerable who can't make it without help, we provide permanent housing with supportive services that allows them to live with dignity. </i>So the cool thing about this non-profit is that I've unknowingly walked by it many, many times over the years as it's located a couple doors down from my favorite Mexican restaurant in LA (La Cabana)<br />
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Thanks to Volunteer Match, I found this opportunity and showed up Wednesday afternoon to help set-up for their annual holiday party. It's always a humbling experience to give to those who aren't as fortunate as you are, especially around the holidays. I met a few lovely ladies who were also volunteering and had to laugh at how much being an event person makes me a turbo volunteer. To every five chairs I carried (at once!), another woman brought out one. This sight was pretty funny while we were placing chairs:<br />
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I'm still trying to find the right volunteer opportunity that helps flip the house (who am I?!) in 2018. I know there will be no shortage of opportunities, so until the right one comes above, I'm going to keep exploring options close to home that allow me to make an impact in my community.<br />
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One of the biggest goals that I made major headway on this past month, and since my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2017/12/this-is-39-month-2-check-in-1.html">first update</a> earlier this month, was "stay on top of BRCA2 gene appointments." I had my breast MRI (my first bit of surveillance since August of 2016- <i>not cool Molly</i>) on Tuesday morning. It's not a fun experience at all. But, it's a necessary one. And I'm happy to share the results I got yesterday: Benign findings. No suspicious masses or areas of abnormal enhancement. I don't get too freaked out about my test results, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get anxious at all. Of course my mind wanders to the worst case scenario. Which is why it's all the more important that I remain on top of my surveillance. That way if they do find something one day, it will be caught early because I will not have let more than six months pass between tests. Anyway- a huge sigh of relief.<br /><br />
Tomorrow I'm making headway on my four massages and four facials goals and I'm really, really, really excited about that.<br /><br />I also reallllly need to get moving on my goal to read 20 books this year. I am currently reading three books: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/1501175564/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514000076&sr=8-1&keywords=what+happened+hillary+clinton">What Happened</a> by Hillary Clinton, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Unites-Us-Reflections-Patriotism/dp/1616207825/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514000093&sr=1-1&keywords=what+unites+us">What Unites Us</a> by Dan Rather and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Me-Dad-Hardship-Purpose/dp/1250171679/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514000119&sr=1-1&keywords=promise+me+dad">Promise Me, Dad</a> by Joe Biden. (Side note: if you had told me a year and a half ago that I'd be reading three politically slanted books, I would have laughed in your face.) I'm hoping my two week vacation will provide me with an opportunity to relax and read and make some headway here.<br /><br />A few other goals I want to put some attention to during this break are:<br />
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<li>Date night with Steve- since we're both off and don't have a ton of holiday-related obligations, I hope we can do some fun things so we can also nurture our marriage. </li>
<li>Finish the remaining stair walks- I plan on getting a few of these crossed off my list in the next month and I'm excited to do more exploring at a time when Los Angeles isn't too busy.</li>
<li>Organize and back-up photos- I came out of the gate strong on this one, but I've stalled the past couple of weeks. So I need to pick this one back up and get my photo library down to a more manageable size. The good news is that I've made so much progress already that I can now sync my phone to my computer because I've freed up enough space on my Mac.</li>
<li>Write an article/short story about Clancy- I don't know exactly what this will look like, but I want to get this started.</li>
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Month two- check! And I'm feeling really good about everything I've set out to accomplish. It doesn't feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew and it's guiding me in having a really productive and focused year.<br /></div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-27129515765174982722017-12-16T19:55:00.000-08:002017-12-16T19:55:33.248-08:00This is 39 (Month 2, Check-In 1)Month two of year 39 is going well. I'm writing this from my sister Meghan's couch in Brooklyn where I'm working and on Quinn-duty. I'm loving the extra family time but struggling with the cold weather (it's currently 22<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">°). </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />I'm still charting my progress on my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit#gid=851563042">tracker </a>and finding it helpful in the accountability department. <br />
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For this update, I want to focus on a handful of the goals that I've outlined<br />
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<b>Call my grandparents 1x/week- </b>I added this goal to my list because with grandparents who are in their 90's I recognized that time is limited and I needed- <i>no wanted</i>- to be intentional with connecting with them the best way I could when living on the other side of the country. My grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer about seven years ago and then about a year and a half ago, it had spread to his bones. Bone cancer is typically very painful, but he was very fortunate to never experience major pain related to it. However, about a month ago, he was admitted to the hospital, got pneumonia, felt better, left the hospital and then spent the past few weeks riding a bit of a health-related roller coaster filled with ups and downs.<br />
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I still made an effort to call at least once a week (and during most weeks called more than one time a week). Often times, I wasn't able to talk to my grandmother or my grandfather (who was having trouble speaking). But I wanted them to know I was thinking about them.<br />
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On a random Sunday when my grandfather was "visiting" his home (he was spending most of his time in the Care Center inside the senior living community he lives in), I happened to call while he was still there. Although he had a hard time speaking, I felt so fortunate to get to hear his voice. When I said hello, he very slowly said "It is always so good to hear from you." I teared up knowing it was likely the last time I'd hear his voice...and I was right. A few days later, on Tuesday, December 5th, my 93-year old grandfather died.<br />
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It's a major loss for our family and for anyone who knew him. He was a remarkable man who led an extraordinary life. (You can read more about him <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/francis-dewey-burke-93-world-war-ii-gunner-police-official-and-father-of-tv-star-chris-burke-20171213.html">here</a>.) And I will miss him so very much. I'm grateful to have 39 years of memories to draw upon and for this particular goal which helped me to be in regular contact with my grandparents. I know it'll help me play a more active role in my grandmother's life as she learns how to live life without her husband of 69 years (holy cow). I visited with her yesterday and she seemed...lost. How could she not be? I can't begin to imagine what it's like for a 92-year old woman to suddenly be without the man she's spent 75 years alongside. In time, I hope she'll be as okay as can be expected. But I know she can plan on hearing from me at least once a week to make this sad time in her life just a little easier on her heart.<br />
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<b>Date night with Steve at least one night a week (when I'm not traveling)-</b> Apart from this week, I've been home much more than I have the past several months and it's been great for me and Steve to get back into a routine and just hang out together. We're still mourning the loss of our beloved Clancy and both of us have had a hard time being inside the apartment where we're surrounded by memories of him. We actually got rid of our cable, but have been using some of our date nights for the simple things like sitting on the couch and watching a movie after making dinner together. I'm going to be off from work for two weeks over the holidays (Steve gets three weeks off) and I'm looking forward to doing more with Steve. But so far this month we've done things like gone to a wedding and celebrated the anniversary of when we met 16 years ago! (11/30) and went to a work Christmas party (the highlight was listening to Steve laugh uncontrollably- one of my very favorite sounds in this world- while his co-workers did karaoke). It's been really nice and here are some photos from these moments the past month:<br />
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<b>Finish the remaining stair walks form the Secret Stairs of Los Angeles book- </b>The day after Thanksgiving, Katie and I got up and went on a stair walk. I couldn't decide which one to do, and Katie smartly suggested that we just start at the beginning. So this walk found us on Stair Walk #1 on the Pasadena Eagle Rock border. It was a beautiful walk throughout some neighborhoods I never, ever would have found myself in. And bonus- it was a great way to work off some of our Thanksgiving dinner indulgences :)<br />
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<b>Hike 1x/month- </b>At the beginning of my second month, I went for a great (and short!) hike in Topanga Canyon with Katie and our friends Carrie and Jena. It was a belated birthday celebration for Carrie and it was such a lovely way to spend a couple of hours catching up with girlfriends. I also loved exploring a new (to me) hike. Here are some photos from that glorious day:<br />
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<b>Resistance training 3x/week- </b>On and off for the past year, but totally on for the past nine weeks, I've been using the app <a href="https://www.kaylaitsines.com/">Sweat by Kayla Itsines</a> for my resistance training. I do really well with other people telling me what to do and I don't actually need a gym membership for this. I've bought myself a workout bench and have weights, a jump rope, a medicine ball and keep adding to my home gym so I have no excuse to not get in my resistance training. This week while in Brooklyn, I impressed even myself by going to Crunch Fitness and getting a one-day free pass so I could get in my workout. Another night I worked out in Meghan and Rob's apartment while everyone else was long asleep. And then earlier today, my niece Lila and I worked out together in the basement of her house. Two of three workouts this week was about improvisation, but I like that I'm not letting not having all the equipment I need get in the way of accomplishing this goal.<br />
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<b>Use my real camera at least 1x/month- </b>Venice Beach is always an amazing place to take photos. After a Sunday morning breakfast date with my friend Cyrena and her mother, we walked over to the skate park and took some photos. Here are a couple of photos I snapped during that morning:<br />
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It's been a productive month so far, but yet again, I've left some of the big ones to the final week. (I tried to volunteer last week, but the organization cancelled because of the fires in southern California.<br />
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More next week!Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-90063344350914677392017-11-23T22:10:00.000-08:002017-11-27T10:23:49.778-08:00This is 39 (Month 1, Check-In 2)Keeping myself accountable to my goals is so incredibly helpful in ensuring I accomplish them. I know that's a totally Captain Obvious statement. But for me, the goal setting and reporting back on them is making a huge difference.<br />
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For example, yesterday morning, knowing that I had two days left to accomplish some of my monthly goals, I found myself at a 7:00 a.m. yoga class and by 10:00 a.m., I was volunteering to help set up Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless. If these things were not on my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2017/10/this-is-39.html">This Is 39 goal list</a>, I would not have done it.<br />
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The yoga class went well. (I mean apart from that moment at 7:02 a.m. when my alarm went off. Nothing like a dog barking alarm ringtone to disrupt the freaking energy in the room!) I can't remember the last time I attended one in person, but with one month left on my Equinox membership, I knew I'd be going there. I did things in that yoga class I'd never done before. And while there were some things I couldn't do perfectly, just the act of showing up and participating certainly made me feel better. I love yoga, but it's not something I make the time for often. So adding it to my monthly goal list is my way of hoping I start to incorporate it into my life more regularly. I know it'll make a difference in my overall well-being.<br />
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While some of my volunteering needs to be politically minded (I'm still getting used to the fact that politics is something I care about since I went the first 38 years without putting any energy towards it), I knew Thanksgiving would give me the perfect opportunity to give back and chose to do it with <a href="https://westsidethanksgiving.org/">Westside Thanksgiving</a>. I've wanted to do this for years, but of course never got around to it. I was there for a couple of hours and what made it even better was that I got to do it with my friend Carrie and her two children. I loved sharing the experience with them and we're already looking forward to ways in which we can volunteer together again in the future. While it was a little disorganized and included a little too much standing around for my liking, it felt really good to give back and help set-up the space for Thanksgiving dinner.<br />
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Another goal I crossed off my list since <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2017/11/this-is-39-month-1-check-in-1.html">my first update of the month</a> is my monthly hike. Before my final event of the year in San Diego and with my friend Tara and the wombmate, we went for a hike on another gorgeous Southern California day. While it wasn't a new hike, it was just what we needed. And, we almost died! Not really, but we did come across a freaking rattlesnake! Katie heard the suspicious noise and smartly took off, while Tara and I looked down only to see the thing slithering away. Needless to say, we picked up the pace and were Freaked Out!<br />
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One goal I want to call special attention to is my effort in organizing and backing-up my photos. I started out with over 22,000 in my iPhoto library. It's the blessing and the curse of having an iPhone which so easily captures all the moments of your life- even the ones you'll never go back and look at. My insanely large photo library is also the result of my seven months and eleven days of documenting the life of Clancy and four trips to Ireland. I've set aside a bit of time and a critical eye and am happy to say that my iPhoto library currently sits at 9,681 photos. This means I've deleted <b>over 12,000 photos so far! </b>I will be very happy once I have this beast under control and now that I've gone through so many photos, I absolutely know this is in sight!<br />
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While I already talked about my eye cream goal during my previous blog post, I have to give a shoutout to my friend Wags who brought me back some eye cream from Korea! While I have some eye cream already, I'm finding myself gravitate towards places like Sephora and Ulta to see what other products are out there to minimize the signs of aging and wrinkles (who am I?) so this was an incredibly sweet and thoughtful gift from Wags.<br />
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There's nothing else I need to call special attention to as far as my goals go. I'm tracking it on my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IMjfZkIqHcolld0tK45bGVDWgOTlnIZRjdMlEAxYkj8/edit">tracker</a> and absolutely have a good handle on what I've set out to do. I'm still enjoying the focus and the ways in which I'm stepping out of my routine and comfort zone. And I can't wait to see what I get up to in month two!<br />
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Thanks for following along.<br />
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xomMolly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432371260608397995.post-47228095568211779242017-11-11T11:34:00.001-08:002017-11-11T11:34:35.148-08:00This is 39 (Month 1, Check-In 1)Well. As promised during my <a href="http://www.mollyfast.com/2017/10/this-is-39.html">This Is 39</a> blog post last month and as outlined in my goal list, I'm reporting in to share how I'm doing on my list of goals/things I want to accomplish in my 39th. Let's hit it:<br />
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<li>I have been mindful of communication and trying not to say anything about someone I wouldn't want them overhearing. BUT. This is hard. Harder than I'd like to admit. But by being aware of it on a daily basis, it's helping me make careful and nicer word choices. I'm not always succeeding, but I am always thinking about it. And I know by the end of my 39th year, this will be easier. </li>
<li>Eye cream- check! I've only missed one day of application so far. Thank you to my good friend Brooke (a wonderful esthetician whose new Glory! mask is now available <a href="https://www.facebook.com/skinstoryskincare/">online</a>) she recommended this: (also I can't wait to report on the eye cream my friend Wags brought back from her recent work trip to Korea!)</li>
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<li>For the past few weeks, I've spoken with my grandmother each week. Getting in touch with her is challenging because my grandfather isn't doing so well and is in a separate area of the senior living community where they live. I'm sad that I haven't spoken to him, but I'm glad that I'm keeping in closer contact with my grandmother during this sad and challenging time. </li>
<li>Date night with Steve has been fun. Sometimes it's just making and eating dinner together at home. And other times it's been going out promenading and getting a bite to eat. But more than anything, and especially during event season, it's just about being protective with the time we do have together.</li>
<li>I was intentional about not making weight-loss goals. While I'd love to lose weight over the course of this year, I didn't want to set a specific number or make this about the scale. So instead of focusing on that side of things, I've made other goals that, if followed, will only help me make this a healthier year and one in which I lose weight. So I've been going to Weight Watchers meetings (three so far). For a really long time while I've still been attending meetings, it's really just been to weigh-in. Sometimes I stay, but most times I go, weigh-in and leave. At almost every meeting, however, I'm inspired by people in the meeting and walk away with a nugget of info to help me in my own weight-loss efforts. This past week at a new-to-me meeting, the leader shared a story about a woman who stretched out her birthday for days and then a week later was thinking of not going to a friend's birthday party because she didn't trust herself to make healthy decisions. The leader reminder her "it's not your birthday." It's amazing what that one response has done for my thinking. And I hope in moments of celebration, I can remember and consider if I need to be celebrating or just nourishing my body. </li>
<li>Getting back into journaling is good for me. There's just so much going on between work, love, the world we live in, and everything in between. And life always works better for me when I'm writing things down. I think I've maybe missed a day, but so far I'm journaling far more consistently than I have in a long time. </li>
<li>I've been successful in no McDonald's. There have been times since 10/23 where I have had a case of the Fuck Its as far as food or following any sort of healthy routine is concerned. And remaining on track with not turning to McDonald's (one of my go to binge/drunk food choices) is something I'm very proud of. It's not like it's <i>that</i> hard. But still. </li>
<li>Nurturing my marriage is important this time of year. Especially when I'm traveling so much for work. Steve and I have to work hard to remain connected. He thinks the phone is an option and not an obligation and when I'm gone, it's my only way of being in touch with him. And when I'm home, we need to readjust to being back in each other's orbit. We're working hard on communication, quality time and making plans together. And I'm learning what it means to nurture my marriage. </li>
<li>Thanks to my friend Nick, I have a bit of an accountability partner with my organizing and backing up of photos. I have over 21,000 in <i>one of</i> my iPhoto libraries. I can't really focus on backing anything up until I go through what I've got and do a serious purge of these photos. This very well may be a goal that I don't accomplish until the end of my 39th year. While it's daunting, I'm determined! (P.S. I've already trashed over 2,000 photos. So...progress.)</li>
<li>Resistance training 3x/week has been hard, but so so good to stay on top of. I love resistance training. I always feel better when I'm doing it and certainly afterwards. I also *love* to be sore! And this app, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sweat-kayla-itsines-fitness/id1049234587?mt=8">Sweat</a>, is well worth the investment. I work out much better when someone tells me what to do. It hasn't necessarily been easy with all my travel. But I've made it happen three times each week. Even if it means stealing weights and bringing them up to my hotel room! </li>
<li>I haven't been to the doctor in over a year for my BRCA2 gene appointments. Which really isn't cool at all. But. I have nearly all my doctor's appointments lined up. I'm going in December 5th to see the gynecological oncologist, December 13th to see the breast oncologist and then I just got my authorization for my breast MRI, which I think will happen on Monday November 20th. It feels good to be back on top of this and I won't let this much time lapse between appointments again either. </li>
<li>It hasn't been pretty but I have tracked every single day's worth of food since 10/23. There have been days when I've gone wildly over my daily points allowance (and my weekly anytime points too), but I can honestly say that this is the first time since I've ever been on Weight Watchers that I've actually tracked every little thing. I can only imagine the positive ways in which this will benefit me this year and hopefully translate to much more awareness, action and weight loss. </li>
<li>Yesterday I took my camera out for a morning of exploring. My friend Kristin, whom I haven't seen for 21 years since our senior year of high school, came to Los Angeles for a quick in-and-out trip and I couldn't let her pop into town without getting to see why LA is so freaking rad. We did a quick few hour tour of some of the highlights: The Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Boulevard, The Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Marilyn Monroe's cemetery, Muscle Beach, Venice Beach, The Venice Boardwalk and a dip (of the toes) in the Pacific Ocean. I love, love, love seeing my city through someone else's eyes and here are a few of the photos I took:</li>
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It's been a productive month and I've really enjoyed having these goals/things to do to guide my actions. What I love the most, though, is that even though I haven't been 100% perfect, it's not derailing my commitment to see all of this through for my entire 39th year.<br /><br />I can't wait to tell you about the other things I'll be doing in the remaining 13 days of this first month in my next post.<br /></div>
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Here's to 39!</div>
Molly is Fasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14779402628693089970noreply@blogger.com1