A Resolution Fit for Keeping

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. I very rarely make them and even more rarely keep them. However, this year has been different...

Last fall I decided to do a half-marathon in Dallas with one of my best friends. I had done a few half marathons before, and it always took me too long to run again after completing one. So with race day in early December, I decided to make my New Year's Resolution running-involved. I decided to do one running/fitness event each month. This way I would constantly have a goal to work toward and I wouldn't fall of the training wagon.

So far, I've been pretty successful! A recap:

January
I kicked off the year with the 2013 Donut Dash. My best friend Courtney came to visit, and we had a blast running it. Each water station had boxes of donut holes, not to mention the full donuts at the beginning and end of the race. Eating a donut hole at each of the five water stations was a great added challenge to the 3 mile run.

Courtney and I with our Finisher's donuts!

Lots of donut holes at every water station.

February
Next, my friend Kimberly and I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k (Are you sensing a theme? I seriously only run to eat). Getting there was absolute craziness. The traffic was horrible and there were many times that we thought about turning back and skipping the mess. Luckily, we pushed through and made it to the race. Although we were a few minutes late, we just hopped in with a later heat and nobody seemed to mind. It was a good race and at the end we were given a cup of hot chocolate, chocolate fondue and all sorts of treats to dip in said chocolate. This made the craziness all worth it.

Kimber and I with our goodies!

Yummy treats!

My mom came out to cheer us on and navigate the traffic!

March
John's sister, Abby, and I decided to do a 10 mile race this month. We were both training for our big runs in May--Abby was running the PIttsburgh marathon, and I was running the half. I was extremely nervous about this run because Abby had told me she wouldn't let me stop. Luckily, we made it through the entire thing and Abby was nice enough to run EXTREMELY slow with me. In all honesty, the hardest part about this run was finding a Dr. Pepper afterward. Two gas stations and a Rite Aid later, I had to settle on Diet. Boo. And unfortunately for me, this run turned out to be the last long run of my half-marathon training (oops).

Just a 10-mile run in the park

April
It was decided that I would move to Pittsburgh the month of April, and I chose my moving date based on my next event. April 13 I participated in my first ever CrossFit competition and on April 14, John and I drove away for good. I love CrossFit, but I'm not very good at it. Luckily, I just barely finished in the top half of women in the beginner division. I was so grateful that my parents and friends were able to come and cheer me on (and not to mention, help pack things and move after the event)! I haven't been able to join a CrossFit gym in Pittsburgh yet, but I do kind of miss it. Maybe someday I'll get back into it.

So glad my friends came to watch and cheer me on!

Clean and jerk competition--105 lbs!

Gotta love CrossFit... and burpees!

May
The Pittsburgh half marathon! You can read more about it on my previous blog here.

Marathon and half-marathon finishers!

June
Abby and I signed up for the 5k Color Me Rad. Basically you wear white, run 3 miles and every so often have colored paint powder thrown on you. We decided to go with the "Risky Business" theme and wore oversized white dress shirts, tube socks and shades. For whatever reason, we think this concept was lost on people. Idiots. It was a really fun run, although the race course was mostly on a gravel parking lot, and it made for a terrible running surface.

Rocking the Risky Business look. You get it, right??

And after... Covered in color.

July
Not long after the color run, Abby suffered from an alleged foot injury. I'm not entirely sure what the exact diagnosis is, but she has to stay off of it for a good month or two. Luckily, my hero swooped in and agreed to do a 2 mile charity walk for Pittsburgh Charities. Target was participating, so I signed us up along side my co-workers. Saturday morning, we put on our matching Pirates T's (we got them for free at the game the night before), and we arrived at the race site around 7:45. The walk was scheduled to begin at 8, or so I thought. The website said they were expecting thousands of people, but the starting line was surprisingly desolate. It wasn't until I checked another website that I realized the walk actually started at 9:30. I wish I had seen that site earlier. But even the flyer at Target said it started at 8, so who was I to second guess it? Luckily, John was understanding, and we decided to just take our own little walk and leave. Unfortunately, my July event was a bust.

In front of the fountain at The Point. I wish the walk had started at 8.

But look... it's really not my fault.

August
I have already registered for my August event, and I'm very excited for it. It's the Cranberry Township Aquathlon--a 5k run, 400m swim and 2.8k run. I did a sprint triathlon back in college, but I sucked at the biking part. So I'm glad this one replaces the biking with more running--well as glad as you can be about having to run more. Feel free to ask me how my training is going and make sure I'm staying on track.

Meeting the Mallicks

Every two years the Mallick siblings and their families get together for a family reunion. This year it was in Buffalo, NY over the 4th of July weekend. And I had the great pleasure of joining John for the vacation. John's dad is one of nine children. Eight of the nine were able to make it for the weekend and most of them are married with 1-3 children. I met a lot of people. It was a blast!

The reunion was held at John's aunt and uncle's house. They have a huge backyard with lots of land, including a pond stocked with fish! They put in an above-ground pool, built an amazing deck around the pool and even have a trampoline! We hung out at the house most afternoons, as there was plenty to do there. There was also a ton of food. I had just recovered from a little food poisoning incident where I dropped a couple of pounds. But I had no problem gaining it back with the pizza and wings that Buffalo is so famous for.

We arrived in Buffalo on the 4th for a nice picnic and fireworks show, put on by John, some of his uncles and cousins. Then, Friday morning we went to the Maid of the Mist. I had only seen the Niagara Falls a few months earlier on our trip back from Toronto, but I really got to experience it this time! It was so fun to get doused by the falls. After the boat ride, John and I trekked up the steps just along the falls. We were SOAKED!

American Falls from the Maid of the Mist.

Me, John, his sisters and cousin on Maid of the Mist.

The stairs we climbed after the boat.

That afternoon we did some arts and crafts. John's mom is a very skilled crafter, and she made everyone "smash" books. She brought stamps, stickers, pages and brads galore for us to fill our books with. Then we'll add pictures from the reunion. I'm pretty sure this was John's favorite part of the day. My favorite part of the day was that night when all the women of the family sat on the deck and shared some laughs. We also got to know his Aunt Maureen very well. She's so funny.

Family craft time

Such a good sport.

On Saturday, we went for a hike along the gorge. It's a beautiful trail along the Niagara River, and it's crazy to think that you're looking at Canada on the other side of the river. We had a relaxing afternoon, which included exploring the shops of Lewiston. Lewiston is a super quaint and cute town. I loved it. That night we went out for a BBQ dinner, which doubled as a surprise party for his Aunt Diane. They hired a photographer to take family pictures, and I was lucky enough to get this one with my handsome man.

Enjoying the BBQ and open bar!

The highlight of the dinner was when John's 10-year-old cousin, who I was sitting next to, turned to me and said "Aunt Jessica? (pause) Er... what do I call you?" This happened just after we bonded over our love for macaroni, chicken fingers and fresh baked bread. For once, my picky eating paid off!

Sunday morning was my favorite. We went on the whirlpool jet boat tour, which takes you through class 5 rapids! (Class 6 is the highest level, which the river also has. Unfortunately, the class 6 rapids are too dangerous for their boats, so we didn't get to go through them). As our guide said, no matter where you sit on the boat, it's still going to feel like you jumped in a pool. Of course, I sat in the front row with John, his uncle, cousin and sisters. We were creamed by the waves every time we went through them. There are some pictures where you can't even see us because we're under water. And it was cold!!!! They offered you ponchos to help protect you/keep you warm. I stupidly denied one. But I don't really regret it. 

We ate lunch along the river at a little place called the Silo. Their haystack sandwich was featured on Man vs. Food, so I had to get one. Steak, mozzarella, mayo and hashbrowns on a hoagie. It was delicious!

Our group before the jet boat tour.

So much fun!

I'm starting to think I should have people meet me in Lewiston instead of visiting me in Pittsburgh. It was seriously such a great weekend. The town, the activities, and the people. I loved it all!

I Love Zoos So Much, I Might As Well Marry (in) One

A few weeks ago John won two tickets to the zoo. That same day I was given a Target "Bullseye" dog, for being a top cashier. Naturally, we decided to switch prizes. When John and I had a day off together, we decided to go to the zoo. It was  really hot/muggy. I love zoos. I do not love hot/muggy. So, we had a pretty alright time. Here are some pictures from our trip to the zoo:

Snow leopard sleeping up next to the glass.

Baby gorilla at the zoo. They have to
nurse him because his mom is sick.

Can you imagine holding a baby gorilla as your job??

Adorable red panda!!!

Tiger cooling off in the waterfall. So pretty!

The flamingos must be eating gourmet
meals out of that chafing dish...

Baby rhino chillin next to his mama!

Baby elephant!!

The polar bears.

Underneath the swimming polar bear!

John and I with the polar bear.

Bottom view of sharks
during feeding time.

PENGUINS!

John and Molly, the camel

John has also recently decided that he wants to visit all of the major league baseball parks. There are 30 different ball parks, and he had seen 5 of them before he decided this. So he's mapped out his trips for the remainder of the season and set off on his first one last week. He went to Cincinnati for a Reds game and to visit two of his dear friends. I believe the highlight of his trip was eating nachos out of a batting helmet...

Great American Ballpark

Since I'm not totally in love with baseball, John has agreed that any time I accompany him on a trip to a ballpark, we can also go to the zoo! He doesn't understand why I love zoos so much, but I just do. It's nice to able to walk, talk and be entertained. Plus every trip is guaranteed to be different, even if you go to the same zoo! I just love zoos.

Needless to say, this blog is about to become full of pictures of baseball stadiums and zoos.

Haunting at Hickory Hills

Let me start out by saying I don't believe in ghosts. At least, I don't think I do. But there have been some pretty strange things happening in the apartment lately, and I have no explanation for them.

Wednesday, June 19
When I first moved into the apartment, John and I put up a wire shelf in my closet. I embarrassingly needed more room for my clothes, plus it was nice to have extra storage space. Currently, my laundry supplies, hats and a box of athletic shoes/gear are kept on the shelf. Last week I bought a package of toilet paper and set it on top of the box until it was needed. And there everything peacefully sat, but then....

I'm in the shower Wednesday and I hear a big boom. When I open the closet door, I see the box and toilet paper have fallen off. Strange. I put it back and think the vents must have blown it off or something (I had the air running while I was in the shower so the mirror wouldn't fog).

A few hours later I hear a boom again. The box and paper towels have AGAIN fallen off. I put them back and notice there are absolutely no vents in the closet. I deduce that since the box is up against the wall, a neighbor must have banged in that spot causing everything to shift.

Later that night, John is over and I've told him about the mysterious falling box. A little while later, we hear the boom. Box and TP are on the floor. John refuses to open the door and fix it, though he swears he's not spooked and there's no such thing as ghosts. So the next day, I put the box and paper back up, made sure it was really sitting level, and it hasn't fallen off since. But that doesn't mean things weren't still happening...

The box of athletic gear and toilet paper that kept falling off.

Friday, June 21

I'm sitting in the living room eating my breakfast. I only have 5 minutes until I have to leave for work, so I don't bother turning the tv on. I'm just sitting in the dark, munching on some toast when I hear ticking. The ticking starts to increase faster and faster until "whoong," gong sound. Time's up.

I know what this ticking is. It's the timer to my scattegories game. I had taken it over to John's grandma's so we could play when Emily was in town. This was mid-May. The timer was at the top of the box because I remember it going off when I put the game away. This was mid-May. I had never heard the timer go off since that time, until that Friday morning. Weird.

Again, I think it must have something to do with vibrations through the wall. Maybe my upstairs neighbor stepped heavily right above the box. My games are stacked shelf to ceiling, this could make sense.

I'm sitting at home that afternoon after work,when I hear the timer go off AGAIN! Twice in one day?? I facetime my sister to tell her what's going on and see what she thinks. As we talk, I also remember that the tenant before us broke her lease early. Why? Why did she leave? We don't know. But could it be because there's a ghost?

Saturday, June 22

Forgetting about the timer, I open the coat closet to get my purse. The timer goes off again. Now the ghost is really playing games with me, and I am not in the mood for scattegories. I go and take care of the business I was heading out to do. I get home and start to relax when I hear the timer AGAIN!

That's it.

I rearrange the games so that scattegories is no longer in the corner. I haven't heard the timer since.

Scattegories sat in the top, left corner of my coat closet when the timer kept going off. I have since rearranged the games.

Am I starting to believe in ghosts?

When I was talking to Megan, she said from her experiences (watching Long Island Medium), ghosts aren't out to haunt or hurt. They usually just want you to realize something or find something.

So, I decided to do some google searches on hauntings in Hickory Hills (my apartment complex). I found an article about a woman who "committed suicide" in my apartment complex (doesn't say which unit). She apparently shot herself while her boyfriend was in the shower. Now I'm wondering if I'm supposed to be solving her death. Was it really a murder? Should I be looking for clues? Call up the old boyfriend?

Megan also said that she thinks super natural stuff happens to those who don't believe in it, so that they will become believers. So yes, I believe in ghosts. Leave me alone now, ghost.

(For the record, my google searches didn't turn up anything about ghost hauntings in Hickory Hills.)

Me and the ghost. We're friends. All is good here!

I don't want any of this to stop you from coming to visit though. My other sister, Sara, said the ghost is probably friendly. After all, she likes games. And Scattegories really is one of the best there is.

I Know How To Pick 'Em

Warning: You may not want to read this post while you're hungry. There are a lot of food pics, as every main attraction in Pittsburgh has to do with food.

A lot of couples that I know seem to have weekly "date nights." While living in different states, date nights were pretty much impossible for John and me. And it hasn't gotten much easier since moving here.

Between AT&T, LA Fitness and Target, John and I rarely have the same night off, and we almost never get a weekend. But for some very odd reason (perhaps the universe is no longer against us), we seem to get the same days off! We don't even request it, but nearly once a week we are both given a day off that we can spend together. And we (mostly I) make sure it's put to good use! Some of our recent "date days":

A Day Out In Robinson
On one date day, we drove out to Robinson to go to a restaurant that we've been wanting to go to since before I moved here! It's called Burgatory. Helluva burgers and heavenly shakes! Our anticipation build up was not at all for nothing. We created our own delicious burgers... chosing our meat, rub, cheese, toppings, etc. and enjoyed some unbelievable shakes!
    
Then we went to the Robinson theater and saw "Now You See Me." A very fun summer movie with a sub-par ending. Definitely worth seeing once, though.

Local Eats & Treats
On another date day, we decided to stay nearby and celebrate Pittsburgh. We started the afternoon at a cute cafe we've had our eye on. It's called the Tomato Pie Cafe and located right next to the park I like to run/walk in. After eating the pizza (decent), we decided to walk it off at the park. We found a neat little course that has 20 different work out stations and was clearly put up back in the 80's. We plan to go back some day and dominate it!

  
That night we went to the re-opening of Point Park. Point Park is where the Allegheny and Monogahela Rivers join into the Ohio River. The "Point" has been closed for the past 7 years, as they have been renovating the park and fountain. But we were there for the grand reopening! It coincide with the Three Rivers Arts festival, so we also got to eat some tasty food and enjoy a FREE concert--Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. SO GOOD!
    

For The Record...
This date day was a "John" day.
He recently bought a record player, so we had to go get some vinyls. He found a record store in Squirrel Hill, and we made the trek out to Jerry's Records. We spent a good amount of time browsing through the thousands of records and finally decided on a few. (I got Paul Simon's "Graceland" album, of course. John got Huey Lewis' "Sports," Jackson Browne's "Saturate Before Use" and a Van Halen album). Although we have since found a better record store (see below), I'm hoping we'll go back to Jerry's every so often. There's a cookie and cake shop nearby, and that made the whole trip--S'mores cookies!!
  
After our record purchases, we headed to the ball park. John used his "special" tickets that he got when he purchased season tickets, and they were awesome!! The seats were cushioned, there was a nice indoor bar/concession area, we got foot-long hot dogs (too much hot dog) and we were SHOWN ON THE JUMBOTRON!!! It was during the 7th inning stretch and for me, the highlight of all our date days.


Picky, Picky
And our most recent date day, was a "Jessica" day. I have driven by an orchard just up the street from me a few times, and I've been pestering John about going. Today, I finally got to go, and we picked our own strawberries! After we filled our bag, we were walking back down to pay when we ran into one of the farm owners. We were asking him questions about the apple trees when we told him it was a our first time to the orchard. So, he put us in his little cart and gave us our own private tour. Apparently his dog has to ride shotgun, so John and I shared a seat in the back.
They also have some animals, which John got to feed. He seemed to enjoy that part most.
  
Then we went to "The Attic." It's a record store that's a lot closer to my apartment and a lot more organized than Jerry's Records. We both like this record store more, but there is no cookie shop nearby. I ended up adding James Taylor's "Greatest Hits," Mumford and Sons "Live From Bullhorn" and Joni Mitchell's "For The Roses" to my collection. John decided on a Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Rascals Greatest Hits and another Huey Lewis album.
Then, we went to see Man of Steel. I was pretty bored throughout the movie, although it did make me proud of Kansas--about as American as you can get. The movie was followed by dinner and homemade strawberry pie with our fresh strawberries. It was amazing.