ACES 2015 in Philadelphia

I spent last Thursday through Saturday in Philadelphia for the Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES) Conference!

This was my first time in Philly, and my first time presenting at a conference. We stayed at the Downtown Marriott near the Convention Center (which was a great location), and I was able to explore a good part of the city. The conference itself was overwhelming (sooooo many sessions!), but I enjoyed meeting new people and having a few days of professional development. I haven't made my mind up about my thoughts on Philadelphia yet because there were things I liked and didn't like about it, but I would definitely go back to see more museums.

Liberty Bell!

Liberty Hall where Continental Congress occurred.

View of city from Lincoln Square.

Lincoln Square

Reading Market- really cool and right across from our hotel!

City Hall

A Frosty at the train station- I had 20 miles the next day!

I also did a nice run along a trail by the river on Friday morning that went by the art museum and Boathouse row- I wish I could have explored it more by bike! Philly has a lot of very historic buildings in the midst of all the newer skyscrapers, so I would love to learn more about the history of the city for another visit. I really enjoy cities, so I can honestly see myself living in a number of them, but Philly has a different feel to it which is why I can't put my finger on my thoughts about it exactly. 

It was a good end of the week and all the traveling went smoothly- love the train:) Hope your weekend was great!

Milo

If you know me or have read this blog, you know I am a cat lover. My boys, Milo and Romo, have made appearances numerous times.

Romo loved Milo, and Milo took the role of big brother pretty well:)

I got Milo in the spring of 1999 as a kitten. He was my dream cat- an orange tabby- and was named after the similar cat in the great movie "The Adventures of Milo and Otis." My family's cat Beanie had passed that February, and Milo was a welcome addition a few months later. He was the very first kitten we ever had, and we loved the energy he brought with him (but not that whole clawing the couch/climbing curtains thing...#webelieveindeclawing)! He was also our first boy cat, so we discovered what fun they are, which would eventually lead me to getting another boy cat 9 years later.

He quickly became friends with our dog, Ginger, and tormented our other cat, Mandy. His personality was nothing but fun and social from the beginning, and he was popular among friends and family. He even sucked his tail when he was a baby:) It was the cutest thing ever! I wish I had those pictures scanned.

Milo grew to be a very big boy (18 pounds- but I stand firm that he was big boned NOT fat) and never let go of his cool demeanor. He tolerated Romo when we got him, and always won the fights they would have. Though as he got older he definitely got grouchy, he was a snuggler, always let me pick him up, napped on my dad's lap every day, and always meowed loudly when I would sing to him (I think my pitch hurt his ears)! Though I think my parents didn't appreciate his 5 AM (even on weekends) wake-up calls for food or his preferences in seating areas (he was a GREAT seat stealer- warm spots were his favorite).

Our first cat to drink from the toilet...and he sadly isn't our last.

Chillin' in the tub...because, why not?

His last few years weren't as great- he developed diabetes that required twice-a-day shots- but he still never lost his personality. We didn't know what went into taking care of a cat with diabetes (it is a lot), and we were thankful that we were able to control it for the last 5 years. The vet had warned us that cats with diabetes don't typically like past 16 years, so we were always watching out for changes in his behavior. Sadly, just a month ago we noticed he was losing weight and discovered a tumor in his mouth. We were able to prepare ourselves and made sure the last few weeks were as comfortable as possible for him. Yesterday we found out that the tumor had broken his jaw and he no longer could eat. We made the decision to end his pain then, in a way I hope was the right choice, and one in which I wish we could offer to people:(. My mom and I got to spend some nice time with him to say goodbye before it was done.

Christmas 2014

Milo was 16 and a half years old and brought joy to out family and our friends. I never will probably have another cat with the same laid-back, social personality (nor one as big), and I will for sure never forget him. He is the 100% reason I became a cat person!

We will love and miss you, Milo, and we hope you are now pain-free and at peace:)

What's on my TV

With all the new shows that come each fall, I frequently get overwhelmed with the new choices of shows to watch. I am not a good "casual viewer" of shows. When I watch a show, I feel the need to watch it every week and stay up-to-date on what is going on. This puts unnecessary pressure on myself, but I hate being behind in the plots!

This summer I tried to watch a few shows on Netflix that were highly recommended- Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, The Wire- and I am just not into them. I think violence/blood/guts/zombies is not what I am currently craving in a TV show. I also started The West Wing, and I like it but have a hard time binge watching it. Mainly I stuck to rewatching old shows I have already seen a million times...but I wanted to spread my horizons. When the new shows started over the past few weeks, I got excited about new additions to my lineup.

So here is what has been on my TV lately:

1. How to Get Away with Murder: I heard about this last year but never gave it a fair shot because it comes on at 10 PM and I am never up that late! It began streaming on Netflix recently, so of course I watched the entire first season in one week (to be fair, it rained a lot)! I really liked the first season, but have not loved the first two episodes of season 2. Hopefully it will get it's groove back.
2. The Mindy Project: I have watched this since it started on FOX, but now it is on hulu, so I had to register for a free trail to keep watching. I hope I can keep doing that to watch this whole season. Mindy Kailing is hilarious and I like a lot of the supporting characters.
3. Quantico: This is a new one that I really liked the premiere episode of! It's about the FBI training academy and flash-forwards to a terrorist attach that was presumably done by one of the cadets, so it will keep you guessing all season. I like the leading actress a lot. I am hopeful it will stay good!
4. The Grinder: OMG FRED SAVAGE! I love seeing him on my TV screen and not strictly behind-the-scenes (he directs/produces a lot). This one was funny and looks promising!
5. Grandfathered: This looks promising too, and I enjoyed the first episode. I love John Stamos.
6. The Affair: My girlfriends and I randomly found this this past weekend and saw three episodes in a row. It apparently won the Golden Globe last season, and we all were sucked in. It is told from two different perspectives so you don't really know the whole truth the whole time. Sadly, it is on Showtime so I can't watch it at my house, but it gives us an excuse to get together to watch!

So those are the new shows I am into! Enough to keep me busy, right? I also have been on a reading spree, which I do a lot of during commercials or when I am on the elliptical on cross training days. I love to multitask! :)

What is on your TV?

Richmond Marathon Training Part 2

Here is another cluster of weeks of training! I had 1.5 weeks of no running due to a nagging hip/IT band pain developing. I figured I would take it as a sign to rest and make sure it doesn't develop into anything worse. This is what happens with long training seasons!

August 23- 30 (Week 7)
Mon- Elliptical
Tues- 4.1 miles
Wed- 6 miles speed work
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 13.1 miles
Sat- Rest
Sun- 6 miles speed work
Total: 29.1 miles

August 31- Sept 6 (Week 8)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues- Rest
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 4.15 miles (am) + 3 miles (pm)
Fri- Rest
Sat- 16 miles (hip pain developing)
Sun- 3 miles
Total: 38.15 miles

September 7- 13 (Week 9)
Mon- 8 miles (hip pain recurring)
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 4 miles (ankle pain- decided to take some time off)
Thurs- 3 mile walk
Fri- 3 mile walk
Sat- Elliptical
Sun- 5 mile walk
Total: 12 mile running + 11 miles walking

September 14- 20 (Week 10)

Mon- 3 mile walk
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 3.75 mile walk
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 4 mile walk
Sat- Elliptical
Sun- 3.5 mile run:) Injury feels good!

Total: 10.75 miles walking + 3.5 running

September 21- 27 (Week 11)

Mon- 4.25 miles
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 4 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 18 miles
Sun- 3 miles
Total: 37. 25 miles

I have 7 weeks to go! Two more long runs (I may do two 20's this cycle) and the rest of the longer runs are drop backs of 12 miles. Weekday runs are heading into high gear, though, with some 9 and 10- milers coming up and the shorter runs jumping to 5 miles. It's nice to have the end in sight, and I am enjoying the cooler weather but am even more excited for it to cool off even more!

VB and RIC

I finally have something to post:) I went to Virginia Beach this weekend to visit a friend and then the UCI Road Championship was in full swing when I came back, so lots of fun events!

We'll go in reverse order to the scene on Monument Avenue for the men's time trials!

Back up to Saturday with this cutie and some sunshine:)!

So thankful to live so close to the beach:)!!! Feeling very proud of my city today.

Sleeping more, running less and UCI bike race!

Hi there! Wow, my posts has definitely slowed down since summer and traveling has come to an end. I guess when I am not traveling I don't feel like I have a lot to post on:)! So here is a quick catch up since our coffee date last week.

1. I have been on a running break for about 10 days now. I was worried about some minor aches and pains becoming chronic, so I decided it was a good time in my training cycle to take a breather. I will end up missing a 16- and 12-miler total from the break, but I have already done two 16-milers, so I feel good about breaking. Next weekend I will come back and probably run with the novice group for 17 miles since my group is doing 20, but it will just depend on how I feel. I am feeling pretty good from this break, so maybe I will be able to kick out a 20-miler no problem? Wishful thinking:)
2. I have gotten SO MUCH MORE sleep during this running break. It has been amazing, and I think is what has contributed to me feeling so much better. I can run in the evenings most days after work now that the weather has cooled off, so this should continue once I get back to running. I may do one weekday a morning just to change things up when I have my evening classes, but I am totally sold on evening, fall running!
3. Since I haven't been running I have been walking in the evenings, and I am still a firm believer in walking to keep your mental sanity and get some endorphins from the outdoors!
4. The UCI bike race starts in Richmond this weekend! The city has been prepping for this for months and it will be neat to have people from all over the world visiting Richmond over the next 10 days! VCU is closed, so I get an extra week off class (hence why classes started so early in August), and I am hoping to check out some of the races in the evenings next week!
5. I started watching Below Deck on Bravo last night and I think I have a new guilty pleasure! It is about the crew of a chartered yacht. Since being on my cruise this summer, I am fascinated about the lives of the crew members, so this hits the spot.
6. I love having my windows open:) Anyone else?!

I hope you have a great weekend! I am headed to Virginia Beach to visit a friend and enjoy some last rays of summer!

If we were on a coffee date

If we were on a coffee date, I'd make you walk to Starbucks with me through Carytown and I would order a venti iced skinny vanilla latte, because iced coffee will be out of season soon and I need to milk it for all it's worth! And caffeine is my best friend some days!

If we were on a coffee date, I'd talk to you about my PhD program, because I am so loving teaching this semester. I am already thinking ahead to my dissertation, pulling articles and thinking about my study. I love it. Such a good decision, despite all my trepidations. You don't always know if you are going down the right path, but I am a firm believer that every thing happens for a reason. Creating your own path is the most exciting part.

If we were on a coffee date, I'd talk about how I am ready for fall weather and fall running. The miles I have run this summer have been my highest ever and I am so ready for running after work as opposed to the mornings and being in 50(!) degree temperatures!

If we were on a coffee date, I'd ask you if you like your job. I'd want to know how you work through the days/weeks/months when it is not as fulfilling and what you do to combat that.

If we were on a coffee date, I'd want to know about your sleeping schedule. Does everyone need less sleep than I or am I just a zombie?

If we were on a coffee date, I'd want new book recommendations. I need some good chic lit:)

If we were on a coffee date, I'd talk about new, easy recipes for lunches and dinners and how to best cook for one person!

If we were on a coffee date, I'd ask about your family and what your personal goals are for the future. How your relationships are, and how as I approach 30, I feel my relationships with friends changing as they settle down and start families. How I am no where near wanting that and how some days I wonder if I am missing something internally that everyone else has?

What would you want to talk about if we went for coffee?