Things I'm Loving Friday VII

Happy Friday! As I mentioned yesterday, this week just seemed to fly by, and I'm not entirely sure where the week has gone. I feel as though I stay pretty busy during the week, so that's probably a contributing factor.

Anyway, before I jump into this week's rendition of Things I'm Loving Friday, let's back up to last night's workout and dinner.

Workout

It's been a little while since I've taken a spin class, so when I got a look at the somewhat dreary weather (which got considerably worse that evening), I decided to forgo my afternoon swim in favor of a 5:45pm spin class at the gym. Thomas teaches this particular spin class, and I always leave his class feeling pretty worn out, and sufficiently sweaty. This class was no different, and I just about quit when we pedaled using just our legs - that means no bounce in the upper body - for four minutes straight. Though I felt pretty weak by the end of it, I am feeling strong today, so I think the class did its job!

Dinner

I was hungry going into my spin class yesterday, so I knew dinner was going to have to happen fairly quickly once I got home. I remembered, however, that though I had quite a few vegetables ready to be heated up, all of my meat and/or fish was in the freezer. I knew I wasn't going to be able to wait until said meat thawed out, so I ran by Central Market to pick up a pre-cooked lemon rosemary chicken breast to heat up to eat alongside my vegetables.

While I was there, I also picked up a container of Latin Chipotle Red Quinoa Salad, thinking I would save it for another day. But nope, I went ahead and ate it after my chicken and vegetable bowl. I guess I was hungrier than I thought!

I spent the rest of the night just relaxing, packing, cleaning, and reading, and I was going to go to bed at a somewhat decent hour until the storm picked up and we lost power, resulting in a freak out from me. I probably should have included thunderstorms on my list of fears, because no matter how old I am, they will always scare me, at least a little bit. That probably comes from the fact that my house in Houston has flooded twice, and I always seem to assume the worst. Thankfully our power came back on around 7:30 this morning, so we are good to go over at The Clubhouse!

Things I'm Loving

And here we go with yet another week of a quick peek at some of the things I'm currently loving. Enjoy!

Austin Boardwalk

The Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake (aka Town Lake) experienced its opening weekend this past weekend. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Austin, or who have not heard of this project, the trail will allow runners to complete the 10.1 mile loop without having to run alongside Riverside Drive over I-35. This 1.2 mile trail goes over both land and water, and it offers spectacular views of the city. It will be lit at night (huge plus), and I even saw a few rollerbladers. Some of my roommates and I went and checked it out this past Sunday evening, and we were all very impressed.

Real World Survival Tips

I am such a sucker for any sort of article that attempts to give advice, especially those that are in the form of a list. One of my Facebook friends posted this article - 20 Incredibly Practical Tips to Survive the 'Real World' - and I have to say, this one made some great points. A lot of it I have heard before, but it's important advice nonetheless. While my transition is going to be made easier by the simple fact that I will be moving home, I am very aware of the fact that next year is going to be hard. And though it will certainly be tough, that certainly doesn't mean that it won't be great.

Handmade Crafts

One of my sweet friends, Hanna, who will be starting her own blog as she leaves the great state of Texas to attend law school in Indiana, gave me such a special graduation present that will certainly have its place in my classroom. This quote - "Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world" - is something in which I truly believe. Education is something to which every child can have access, and it is so much more than memorizing formulas and writing down the themes present in The Great Gatsby.

Quote by Nelson Mandela

Volleyball

I've mentioned a couple of times on my blog that recently Dylan and I have been playing a little volleyball. Once we found out that I would be coaching freshman volleyball at Bellaire, Dylan told me to pretend that he is a freshman girl at Bellaire who has had very little volleyball experience. We went over the basic footwork and movement for passing, setting, and hitting, and this probably speaks more to his athletic ability than my ability to coach, but he's a pretty stellar volleyball player. And I've absolutely loved this opportunity to brush up on my skills - it's just like riding a bike, it never really leaves you - and getting to play the game that I love so much.

Essie Nail Polish

I am not one to have my nails painted on a regular basis, mainly because once one nail starts to chip, I have to take the polish off of every nail. Painting my nails is also something I can never seem to do for myself, mainly because I feel as though I can't touch anything for hours after they've been painted. Dramatic, I know. But, I have recently discovered the greatness that is Essie Nail Polish - it dries quickly, lasts a respectable amount of time, and comes in colors that are both classy and fun.

I hope your Friday the 13th is as lucky as it can be! Have a great one!