I’m a born Mainer who moved back last spring after eight years of wandering around North America. I love this city and the ocean – especially the waterfront, since I grew up downtown on the edge of the Old Port. I’ve lived in cities, small towns, mountain regions and flatlands… and Portland feels like the perfect blend for me!
In my eight years of adventure, I’ve lived in Canada and traveled across the country. Last winter I took my rescue dog, Parker, and an old-school Airstream Argosy on a three-month road trip through the south and southwestern United States. We particularly loved the dog beaches in Florida.
Now that we’ve planted ourselves in downtown Portland (Parkside, holla!), we’re making our own fun. Parker and I like to hit Willard Beach on a weekend morning, walk down Congress Street to see the sights, or go snowshoeing out by the Quarry Dog Park. When I get out of the house on my own, I love checking out new restaurants in the Old Port, meeting friends at the Crow Bar, and seeing live music!
My favorite movies are dark comedies and of course I love a good romance. I’m also a big reader – I’m really into nonfiction and classic literature. My favorite book of all time is Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Okay, so I may have an obsessive personality... I've been really into running lately. I had a great 5K race a few weeks ago and it got me excited, and I think that's why. And I like to run with Parker. I imagine that he feels like Alice's dog:
So in case you missed it, Reese Witherspoon was hit by a car while she was out jogging last week. Scary, right? One more reason to be extra careful if you're out running the roads, at any time of day! And while we haven't heard too much about her injuries, she stepped out yesterday with a HUGE bruise (photo here). Ouch!
It's enough to make me rethink my running safety, especially now that it's staying dark longer in the morning and getting dark earlier in the evening (my favorite running times of day!). Here are some safety tips from FitSugar if you're an early morning/night runner like me!
I love the Black Eyed Peas. LOVE. As in, I am obsessed with the Black Eyed Peas - but only in summer! I remember the first summer after university, hanging out with my girlfriends on the deck of our apartment and listening to Monkey Business on repeat. Then when fall arrived, I put it away along with my shorts and tank tops. There's something great about the BEP vibe when the weather is nice and you're in the mood for fun in the sun...
This summer, I'm totally digging The Beginning. We've been playing Just Can't Get Enough on Coast, which I love, but there are so many other great tracks on the album. My iPod playlist is pretty much half Black Eyed Peas right now!
Which is why my heart skipped a beat today when I saw this article on EOnline. The Black Eyed Peas, possibly breaking up?! What will I do for workout music? Thank goodness they're not closing the door on a future collaboration entirely.
OMG - can this be true? Word on the street is that the cast of Jersey Shore is getting REPLACED! Click here for the sad details... and yes, I'm a Jersey Shore fan. It's one of my guilty TV pleasures, along with Khloe & Lamar (seriously - that show is so funny, if only for the choppy editing to keep the on-camera interviews coherent!) And hey, when the sun comes out again in Maine, I'll be outside. So I might as well get my TV fix now, right?
I'm a huge fan of my dog, Parker, who is not only hilarious but also believes my apartment is just a big dog house for his enjoyment. He likes to sleep on my furniture, including my bed, rather than take a nap on his own bed. I don't mind having him curled up at the foot of the bed while I sleep - but what do you think? Fitsugar is taking a survey about it here. In the meantime, I'll be napping with the pup at my place!
So it's Memorial Day weekend, and in addition to honoring those who served, I'll be getting ready for summer! That's right, I'm optimistic the sun is going to start shining, temperatures are going up, and the days are getting longer. Speaking of warmer temperatures - summer wouldn't be the same without frozen deliciousness. This slideshow on Fitsugar.com has some options if you're trying to eat healthy but still want to enjoy a chilly treat. Yum!
So we're shaping up here at Coast 93.1 for the Twilight 5K June 9th, as part of the Tri for a Cure weekend. (Pssst - they need volunteers for the 5K!) I've been running, which isn't easy for me, but totally worth the feeling of accomplishment afterward! It took me years to recover from the embarrassment of not being able to run a full mile in gym class in high school, so I started slow, with the elliptical trainer, and then worked my way over to the treadmill. The whole process reminded me that the gym can be kind of an intimidating place. That's why I loved this article from FitSugar about why you shouldn't be embarrassed while sweatin' it out. Whew! Bring on the race!
Beyonce has come a long way since Destiny's Child! The new single from her upcoming album is out. What do you think of her new look and sound, as opposed to her Crazy in Love days? I think I'm an old school B fan, but I still want to hear the rest of her upcoming fourth solo album! No word on when it will being released...
Okay, so first of all...if you're reading this Mom, don't freak out! I'm NOT getting married! BUT I love wedding season, and the idea that warm summer days are coming soon. So when I saw this article through the Sugar network, it made me want to grab my ukulele and learn to hula. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Okay, so I love love love popsugar.com, and they have a bunch of delightful sister sites, too. Including Fitsugar, which focuses on health and fitness. This week, they've got an article borrowed from Self magazine about how to put Britney Spears' new album to work at the gym. I admit, I've been rocking the elliptical to a few Brit tracks lately. But do you think the whole album could keep you motivated for an entire workout session? Here it is:
I love stories like this from the New York Times - and it's so true! Having an animal does make me think more about getting outside to play. I'm glad science can finally back it up! :)
