ShannonAlbert.com - June 2009

When Kami and I went to the Kanye concert, some of my coworkers were surprised that I was going. Some didn't know I liked his music and one 30-year-old woman said "I've only been to 3 concerts my whole life." Three concerts...really? I didn't know how many I'd been to and started thinking through the list. Here's the ones I can remember.

Debbie Gibson
Michael Jackson
Poison
Warrant
Tesla
Celine Dion
Garth Brooks
Gwen Stefani
Black Eyed Peas
Tom Petty
Kanye West
Justin Timberlake
Pink
Jewel (many times)
Def Leppard
Joe Cocker
Elton John
Ratt
Rolling Stones
Bowling for Soup
N.E.R.D.
Rihanna
Alanis Morissette
Jason Mraz
And a million hair bands that I can't remember because they all performed at Rockfest-type things and they all run together in my brain now.

Favorite concert of all time? Michael Jackson. Second favorite - Justin Timberlake.

What concerts have you been to and what was your favorite?

Our view 3 weeks from today.

Blake is now starting summer day camp at the YMCA where he has to take a lot of stuff with him - swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, packed lunch, etc. We haven't had many reasons to do packed lunches in the past except for Payton's summer camps and it's an additional morning activity I don't really look forward to. I already pack my own lunch, have my gym bag, Blake's backpack, etc., so it's one more thing on the list. However, I know that when I can infuse a little creativity into something I dread, it makes it more enjoyable.

If you've eaten at a Japanese restaurant before, you may have seen a bento that looks like this:


Strictly speaking, bentos are partitioned boxes for food. Bento lunches take on additional characteristics in that they are usually focused on being healthy, don't contain anything disposable (such as Ziploc bags or plasticware) and have a bit of whimsy to them (food in the shapes of animals, jokes written on paper and put into the lunch, etc.). There are even many websites dedicated to the topic.

I decided to do my own version of a bento for Blake's lunches this summer. Instead of getting the fancy set or a traditional one, I'm just making my own up with foods that Blake likes (which are pretty much nothing like the foods they typically show in bentos). I will also include a freezer pack so it the food doesn't spoil (not typically included in traditional bentos).

Here's today's pseudo-bento made for Blake's lunch...

Fruit kabob, sandwiches in triangle shapes, trail mix, celery w/peanut butter in cupcake holders, joke written on index card ("Why was the nose sad? Because he didn't get picked." Blake will love it.). My presentation could use some work. I'm hoping to get some more stuff to make it better and more fun.

When I was a kid, we had peony bushes in our yard so when I came across these peony blooms at the farmer's market, I had to get them especially since they are only in bloom for one more week. The smells take me right back to being a little kid living in the small house on Farrow.

This week was the first week of half-marathon training which entails exercising 6 days a week. The exercise varies between running, cross-training and lifting weights. Today, I ran 4 miles in a better time than I had expected and that was my "long run" for the week. Eventually the long runs will work up to a half-marathon.

I chose to ride my bike this week for cross-training, going 4 miles both times. I discovered that I'm kind of a bike riding wimp. I just don't go as fast as most people can but I think that means I should keep trying. I can feel it a lot in my hamstrings and glutes which are the parts of me that need the most work anyway.

Andy did some of the cross-training and running with me this week which made it more fun. Luckily his shins haven't been bothering him and he's able to run again.

On the weight loss front, I've been stalled at the same weight for a few weeks. My clothes are fitting better but the scale hasn't moved. That's incredibly frustrating for me since I'm working out so hard and being very strict with food. I'm going to change some things this week and see if that helps.

Andy has actually lost quite a bit of weight since he's been able to exercise lately and has chosen to eat healthier. It's always easier for men. I'm happy for him and a wee bit jealous that the same isn't happening for me.

Next up is week 2 of half-marathon training which is an exact repeat of the first week. Not too bad...looking forward to it!

Lessons learned this week:
- I hate running on a treadmill now that I'm going multiple miles. I did it once this week and it was the most boring thing I've done in ages. The temperature at the gym also isn't kept low enough for me to run multiple miles so I was sweating more than I ever have. Yuck.
- Hard to run while wearing glasses. Finally got new contacts which helped a lot.
- The 6 days a week schedule is hard but knowing that Marcy is following the same schedule helps me to stay on track. The ability to exchange Garmin 405 data makes it possible to train together without actually being together.