Last Saturday (you know, the day before Easter), my mom asked me if I wanted an Easter basket this year. I said “no thanks”, then “hmm, well maybe”, then “no, I better not” once more. I admit I have a sweet tooth, and I knew if she gave me candy, I’d eat it. All of it. And probably in 2 hours. So I got no Easter candy this year.

However, my oldest sister is getting an Easter basket mailed to her (she lives in Turkey), and tonight I stole 3 pieces from her basket. Sorry, Flossie.

I ran around Lake Calhoun (3.1 miles) this morning with my sister’s husband, Jon. It was a really good run – at least for me. He definitely pushed the pace more than I probably would have on my own. He really inspires me when it comes to staying fit. He literally rides his bike to work every morning – like 5 miles each way – through snowstorms, rainstorms, and probably even hailstorms, and that’s after waking up early most mornings to run for an hour. Anyways, he’s a bit more intense than I am, so I was proud of myself for sticking with him throughout our run.

Hallie walked part of the lake while carrying Max, and we met them at the car. As we were nearing the end of our run, Max (he’s 18 months) ran towards Jon with this huge smile on his face. That was the first time I’d ever seen Max “run” and it was really cute. I hope my kids are as perfect as he is!

Earlier today, I stopped in Woodbury, MN on my drive home to Wisconsin (where my parents live). I am looking to buy some birch tree branches and white lights for my apartment, and so I stopped in Michael’s. It was my first time shopping in Michael’s; I’ve never really had a need for a store like that, but now that I have a place of my own, I realize how great it is for decorating and accessories. Anyways, I have some ideas that will be fun exploring. Makes me realize I’m growing up! haha

I’m heading back to the cities tomorrow afternoon, and since I got all my work done tonight, I’m going to make a quick detour to Winona so I can squeeze in a good workout at my old stomping grounds before venturing back to the cities. I’m hosting a family dinner at my apartment tomorrow night, so I’m excited to get back up there so I can prepare for the evening. I need to pick up a few bottles of wine, so I’ll probably stop at Trader Joe’s in Rochester on my drive up. It should be a fun night with my family. Well, family minus my brother who’s interviewing for a job in California, and my sister who has a job in Turkey.

I have a make-up soccer game tomorrow night, but I doubt I’ll make it (even though it’s definitely our last game). I also have my first flag football game this Sunday, so assuming the weather holds up, I’m excited to get out there and meet the guys on my team.

I drove to Minneapolis today – if only for a day, really – because tomorrow afternoon, I’m driving back to my parents house to receive a large shipment of new products. Then Friday morning, I’ll be driving back to Minneapolis for a nice long weekend in the cities. It’s a lot of driving, but that seems to be the story of my life lately! It’s ok, I don’t really mind.

Today was another good day. I spent most of the evening with Jessica – the girl I’ve been seeing the past few weeks. We had a few drinks and appetizers at a fun sports bar in Maple Grove, played a few games at Dave and Busters, and went to a movie. We saw the first half of The Conspirator, but decided we weren’t really feeling it and left. It’s about Abraham Lincoln and the people who were behind his assassination. Not your typical “date night” movie, but it was still a good time.

When I got home, I went for a nice run in my fitness center and did the AbRipperX stuff.

My sister flew into Minneapolis tonight, and tomorrow morning, we’re meeting to run around Lake Calhoun, as well as her husband Jon and little Max (he won’t be running). Then we’ll grab breakfast in the uptown area (which is where I live) – and check out some properties. It should be a good day, and I look forward to seeing my sister and her family – espcially Max!

It’s cold and snowing in Minnesota. It’s almost May and it’s still snowing – not sticking to the ground, but snowing nonetheless. Can’t even believe it. Might need to head back to California if this continues.

As expected, rain ruined the idea of golf. So Brad and I went shopping in La Crosse instead. And I spent money. A lot of money, actually. But believe it or not, that doesn’t happen very often, at least not anymore. I got a new Guess watch, and you know, every guy needs a good watch. I just happen to have like 4 of them. Got some cool workout shirts, and a few other things, too, so it was a good time. Plus, the last time I played golf with Brad, I lost $50, so at least I had something to show for my money today. haha

He did beat me at Stratego, though. But that was lucky.

After the fun, I worked out at St. Mary’s University from 9-10PM. I ran a hard mile on the indoor track, and then did 30 minutes on the stair master. The run really got my heart beating, too, so after only 3 minutes on the stair master, the sweat was flying off me. I probably lost an unhealthy amount of water weight on that thing tonight. It was a good workout, though, and I needed it.

Anyways, on my drive home, I listened to some 90s music on satellite radio. I think the 90s will always be my favorite decade for music, the same way the 70s is for my parents. And man, they had the classics rolling tonight. Stuff like Ace of Base (The Sign), Kriss Kross (Jump), and Alanis Morissette (Ironic). I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but the first cd I ever bought with my own money was Alanis Morissette back in 6th grade. I remember I used to listen to her on my dad’s headphones and pretend I was singing Ironic to my classmates over the school PA System … like I was some sort of prodigy home from touring America. Why I chose Alanis Morissette, I’ll never know, but I did the same thing for MMM Bop the following year. Good times. By the way, my first cd ever was The Lion King soundtrack, which is still an awesome cd. I got that for Christmas in 3rd or 4th grade, and it changed my life!

I also heard one of my favorite songs of all time tonight, and even though it’s not really a workout song, I uploaded it to my “Favorite Workout Song” thing at the top of this page anyhow. I went to his concert a few years ago, and it was some of the best 3 hours of my life. For lots of reasons, really.

I’m back on track with my workouts and eating healthy. I can tell because my attitude has shifted tremendously in the past several days. It all started with the 6 mile run in Duluth. I wish I could have the best of both worlds – you know, eating junk while maintaining the desire to workout regularly, but they just don’t go together, at least not for me. In reality, if I start slipping and skipping workouts, it’s very important for me to get back on track ASAP, or else it becomes that much harder for me to regain control and maintain motivation. Fortunately, the longer I live a healthy lifestyle, the easier it becomes to maintain it.

Truth is, I really like working out, but I really like cookies, too, so it might be a constant battle! Cookies make my stomach happy, and working out makes my brain happy. Fortunately, my brain usually wins the battle – especially over the past several months. The important thing to remember is that it’s okay to enjoy junk every now and again, so long as it doesn’t prevent me from working out on a regular basis. I firmly believe the key to a healthier life is exercise, specifically cardio.

Today I did about 30 minutes on the stair master, the AbRipperX exercises, and then I ran a mile. It was a pretty solid workout and I look forward to getting back at it tomorrow. My legs were very sore from my long run, so it made today a little less fun. Like my poetry?

I’m golfing tomorrow afternoon with my friend Brad, but it’s supposed to rain, which makes me sad. That was my last 1st grade rhyme – I promise. I’ll be heading back to my apartment soon, either tomorrow night or Wednesday morning. My sister and her husband, as well as their adorable son Max, are all flying into Minneapolis on Tuesday for about 5 days to go house hunting (and to visit family). They’re moving back to the cities this summer, so I’m hoping to check out some houses with them while they’re in town. I really like real estate and exploring new homes. The idea of owning property has always been appealing to me, especially property that generates income. As I get older, I think my “investment portfolio” will contain a sizable chunk of real estate.

For now, I have other priorities, but maybe someday.

I’m leaving Duluth in the morning to go home. All in all, I had a fun Easter weekend. I was able to go golfing twice, watched some good movies, played games, and spent time in the Gooseberry Falls area. Still a little weird being there, but it is what it is. We had a massive brunch here today after church and it was really good. Probably not too healthy, though.

On my way to Duluth, I got pulled over by a Minnesota State Trooper for having tinted windows that were too dark – and ended up getting a $50 ticket for that BS. I couldn’t believe it. I could care less about the $50, but this guy literally flipped a U and chased me down because he thought my windows were too dark. It’d be one thing to pull me over for speeding – then to say something about my windows, but I wasn’t speeding, and I don’t even think my windows are that dark. I also got a ticket for failure to provide proof of insurance (I have insurance, so that ticket goes away once I prove it). Anyways, the whole thing is just a waste of time, and I actually like cops, but that one sucked.

I went for a 6 mile run this afternoon, which I’m pretty sure is the longest run in the history of my life. I know – I’m sure you guys all run 6 miles on a weekly basis, but that was a record for me. The last 3 miles were into the wind, so that made things a bit more difficult. I went the whole way without stopping, too, so I was happy with that. And I wasn’t even really tired when I finished, but my legs and feet were aching so it would have been rough going too much further.

I also completed AbRipperX tonight, so it was good to do that again. It had been awhile since I had done the P90X ab exercises. I’m looking forward to my first full week back in Minnesota. I realize I’m looong overdue on updated photos, so I’ll make sure I get some updated photos uploaded this week.

My dog Ebonee is in pretty bad shape. She’s a 15 year old flat coated retriever, and that particular breed only lives 9-11 years on average, so she’s had a good, long life. I’m afraid her days are numbered, and it’s awful to see her suffering. She’s been in my family since I was in 6th grade, which seems like most of my life. I can’t really imagine her not being around anymore, but I don’t think there’s a lot that can be done for her at this point except make her as comfortable as possible. Tonight, after my family went to sleep, I went to check on her and she was laying there sleeping peacefully, so I laid down next to her and gently petted her for a few minutes, showing her as much love and affection as I could. Laying there with her, thinking of all the times we’ve had together brought so many tears to my eyes … I know she’s just a dog – but for the last 15 years, she’s been a big part of my family, and I’ll never forget the joy she brought to my life.