Paris in Print

Hello friends! I wrote a story on our December visit to Paris for Upbeat magazine and it just came out this month, so I thought I'd share. If you're on my blog, click on the images to enlarge, then once again to zoom in and read. Enjoy!

The Skye's the Limit

You know that saying we often recite about if you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait 15 minutes for it to change? I think it could easily be applied to Scotland as well. Because the weather here is all over the place.

From the BBC weather page, taken in Lanarkshire, Scotland:

Yesterday there was a torrential downpour that threatened to drown the streets and a fair share of cars around the UK and throughout last night and today it's been snowing and freezing cold. Aberdeen seems to have been spared the worst by far, but surrounding cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh have received up to six feet of snow! And so many people have lost their power, which is unfortunate in such unforgiving weather like this. Our lights kept flickering last night while I was cooking dinner but never actually went out.

The forecast was pretty grim for the weekend, but now there's supposed to be some spots of sun and more rain. So Mike and I decided to pack our bags for the road trip we initially had planned and will be piling into our little Nissan Micra bright and early tomorrow. Our goal is to get to the Isle of Skye on the western coast of Scotland, which promises beautiful scenery and a unique coastal town feel. (Hopefully we get some beautiful scenery and not a big gloopy wet mess.)

We'll be taking a roundabout way of getting there, since we're in no particular hurry and only pre-booked one hotel for Thursday in Oban. (Ever heard of Oban whisky? Well, that's where it's from.) The place looks super nice with a hot tub overlooking the sea, a charming in-house restaurant and a spa, at which I just booked my Swedish massage. Awesome.

Image from Crerar Hotels website

From there we'll venture on over to Skye and take a gander at what it has to offer, picking a hotel or B&B at our leisure. Sometimes that's the best way to travel... relaxed and with no agenda. I am hoping that getting out of the flat will somehow miraculously make me well, but we'll see how that goes. Needless to say, Mike picked up a couple extra boxes of Kleenex and some more Benadryl. If he had it his way, I'd probably be riding along in the passenger seat in a soundproof box so he can't hear me blowing my nose! I'm sure this trip will bring us so much closer, haha.

Isle of Skye lighthouse.

Photo from travel-destination-pictures.com

Portree, the capital of Skye.

Photo from http://theisleofskye.com/out_and_about.asp

We'll get lots of pictures and report back on our trip when we return. Say a prayer we get some sunshine!!

Gloomsday

This is what I feel like:

This is what it looks like outside:

And this is what I'll be doing the rest of the day:

Hoping tomorrow is much improved, and that we get some cheery sunshine for our roadtrip weekend.

Moovin' Monday: Week Five, the Final One!

I can't believe we're about to leap into April and are already half way through the spring. I did notice that the sun was still working it's way past the horizon today at well past 7pm. Even though it was a milky gray kind of light, since it's been cloudy again, I still cheer for longer days! Hip hip...

Last week I did fairly well, up until the very end. I'd gotten in 3 really great workouts and 1 short pilates session and had eaten healthy all week. Then it divebombed with a BK burger on Friday night and Pizza Hut on Sunday to cure the hangover headache. Yowser.

But not all good things need come to an end, so I'm happy to report that "Get Moovin' March" has really motivated me toward trying harder. And I certainly won't be slacking off as spring fades into summer, since I plan on adding an additional two 45-minute elliptical workouts to my usual spin class and kickboxing routine. Which leaves me at four workouts a week plus weights and abs. Even though I won't be making my Moovin' Monday posts anymore, I like to feel good about reaching my goals and staying self-accountable. And hopefully it'll help me eat less burgers. Moooo.

I did finally weigh myself at the gym yesterday and I haven't budged an ounce. I've weighed the same for the past couple months now, and it doesn't tend to vary too much. So maybe that's a good thing. Yeah, I'll go with a good thing.

The plans for this week are a bit scattered, since we are officially out of groceries, leaving on Thursday for a road trip and I'm dreadfully sick and can't see myself hacking, coughing and sneezing my way through much of any workout at the moment. I took a yoga class on Saturday (loved feeling so stretched out and relaxed when I left) but I'm pretty sure I ruined everyone's "zen" by blowing my nose at least 15 times during the 60 minutes I was in there. And let me know tell you, for such a little person I sound like a train.

I did get quite a bit of walking today (retail therapy... does it count when you're still sick at the end?), but we'll be on the road outta of town Thursday morning and returning Sunday. So basically as soon as I'm well again, it'll be back on the horse and hitting the gym as hard as I can about 4 times a week. And I'll continue to plan our meals, making creative use of baking, grilling and sauteeing healthy eats.

Though I'd like to end this on a better and more productive, note, this is my final Moovin' Monday post and I hope somewhere out there I've motivated others to try harder and stick to the gun! It's always a struggle. Hell, if it were easy we'd all be supermodels. But reality strikes, whether we like it or not, and I think my husband says it best when he tells me: "I didn't want to marry a girl who only eats salad."

Amen.

The Joys of Saturday

It's a gorgeous, sunny, beautiful Saturday in Aberdeen. At last. The past couple days have been filled with more rain, gloom and gray -- and a fog so thick you could barely see out the window -- then I care to have in an entire month. Or year for that matter. (By now, most of you should know how I feel about laying in the sand, hearing the waves crash while sipping out of a coconut drink and slathering myself in tanning oil.... ahhhh, perfection).

We had such a great time with my cousin, Leah, who is now safely back on US soil and immediately went for a cold Shiner beer, much to our envy! I think she really enjoyed her time here, and I know we loved having her. Whenever we have people visit, it's like discovering Scotland all over again, since we are always so excited to show everyone around and share our experiences with close friends and family. Our next visitors are Mike's parents and his brother, set to arrive at the end of April. We can't wait!

I've been struggling with allergies again, for like the 354873458 4th time since we got here, so it helps to have such a pretty day outside to perk me up. You feel like you just can't be sick when the weather is so nice! I don't know what's in the air over here or why my allergies are so bad -- I mean, I can't remember the last time I had this many problems -- but I really truly don't have the patience for being sick. There's just too many more important things to do.

This morning I was a wonderful wife and got my butt out of bed early to make the husband a big ole breakfast before I dropped him off at a nearby golf course. The rates are still pretty darn cheap until mid-April or so, and he's been wanting to practice on his swing since we're planning to take a weekend out at Carnoustie or St. Andrews or somewhere so he can play golf... and I can go to the spa. It's a rough trip, I know.

Pretty sure I could handle a day at St. Andrews:

To prove what a great day it is outside here in Aberdeen, I snapped some more pictures on the way home. From the car. While driving. Hey, somebody's got to document the good weather 'round here!

Later today, we're headed out to see The Blind Side. After all the movie's hype and Sandra Bullock winning her award and the fact that it's an American football movie, I'm excited to watch it at last. Plus, we're going to Vue cinema on Union Street... and they serve alchohol. Don't judge, it's Saturday, and you must have priorities. Movie and wine sounds just sublime!

What are your plans for the weekend? Have you seen any good movies lately?

Happy Saturday!