Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels

Tripadvisor just came out with the list of reader suggested Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels. Might want to check this list before you travel anywhere. #1? Hotel Carter in New York City. If you want to be disguisted, click on the hotel name link and read some reviews. IIICCCCKKK.

New Home
Jeff and I just closed on a new home today, and will spend the weekend moving stuff and adjusting to the new place. So, of course that means I wont have time to run at all ... until the 5K on Sunday :) At least its a valid excuse this time, right???

I Love Studies Like This

New research suggests that you can loose weight by following a pattern of "fasting" and then "pigging out". For example, you eat 30% of your recommended calories today, and tomorrow you can eat 130%. Ultimately this can lead to weight loss.

I think this is a bit of my problem, I have been following the 130% pattern and forgetting to reduce the calories every other day. Now that I know the trick I think I can finally get this under control...if only I could get myself to exercise on top of that.


Just a few more days to my 5K. Maybe I should start to carbo-load :)

Get Your Coffee Somewhere Else!

Starbucks has announced that its going to close all 7,100 stores tonight at 5:30. They are doing a fancy training for all employess deigned to foster enthusiam (I believe due to some recent profit lags). Thank goodness I am not an evening coffee drinker or I might be really upset about this.

I wonder how much $$$ it actually costs them to do something like this? Its got to be a huge amount, right? But on another note, if they are doing some training tonight - do you think that getting your AM coffee from Starbucks tomorrow will be a different experience? Better lattes? Baristas with a smile? I might just have to go in tomorrow morning and find out :)

More Strange Pet Stuff

So I got a comment yesterday from "anonymous" about those dog ID tags I mentioned. I am pretty sure "anonymous" is selling something, but the link to YappyHappy.Com is actually worth visiting. Why? Because if you think the id tag that looks like a license is silly ... how about a full-blown pet mat that looks like a license? Nothing like eating your doggie chow while staring at a huge picture of yourself (and in the case of this picture, wearing little doggie outfits).

I Did What I Promised
And just an FYI, I did go to the gym yesterday and after an hour of Pilates walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Baby steps...

Days Away Until Hardest 5K Ever

Ok, so I am still lethargic. I am still not moving. Now I have only a few days away until the Wacky 5K. A 5K shouldnt be difficult, unless you are an individual who opts out of movement whenever possible. In that situation, you might want to alert the parametics prior to race start that they should keep an eye on you. <

I am going to the gym today for my Pilates class ... and afterwards I am going to walk on the treadmill for a bit. I dont want to shock my system :)

And Since I Don't Have Much To Blog About Running...
Back to my other favorite topic ... dogs. My favorite company with odd dog stuff, In The Company of Dogs, has offered another interesting item for your viewing pleasure. You can get your dog an ID tag that looks like a drivers license ... and the best part? With the dog ID tag purchase you get a Wallet ID to carry yourself.
Now that sounds handy! Who doesn't want to carry their dog's personal ID with them in his/her wallet?

Note to Self: Stay Away From Zoos

So, it looks like a tiger has escaped from it's zoo home for the second time in recent months. Its not like this has never happened before...in 2006 a tiger had to be shot and killed in a Tampa zoo. And thats not all! Big Cat Rescue says there have been 531 "incidents" evolving exotic cats in the US since 1990. Of these incidents, 143 were escapes. Not all from zoos, it seems that many people like to keep exotic cats as pets, and then things tend to get a bit out of hand from there! By watching this video and passing it along Big Cat Rescue can win win 5 thousand dollars for the cats. The contest ends Feb 28th so please go and watch the video :)

To Earth...Or Bust?

Last night, the navy shot down a rogue spy satelite. In addition to performing something we usually only see in movies ... they shared official video, and its pretty sweet.

Running Skirts

I know a few people who love em, and a few who hate em ... so I would prefer not to give my feelings on the topic so as to not offend either side ;) Runners World is doing a poll on the new and trendy (?) running skirt if you have an opinion you want to share. If you just want to find out what the majority is thinking ... take the poll. Afterwards they share the results. I just took it and with 187 votes its pretty much split!

The Answer to My Problems?

Runner's World mentioned an interesting invention, the TreadDesk. Perhaps if I could keep myself moving while I sit in my office, all of my problems would be solved?

Still Slacking...

Ok, I am not going to spend my usual time ranting about the weather. Its safe to say that it still stinks...and I am still holed up on my home outside of those dreadful situations (each day!) where I have to head to campus and endure winters rath.

Currently my home is filled with cooties. Over the weekend Jeff was on a golf-trip and Wrigley developed a cough. She only coughs when she gets worked up, so I try to keep her calm. (This is nearly an impossible feat. If you know Wrigley, you know she has the heart and mind of a puppy and the body of a 4-year-old lab.) While Wrigley and I wallowed in our misery over the weekend, Jeff was busy picking up a cold, which he brought home with him on Monday. I have been sick three times this winter and refuse to get sick again. Jeff has been warned to keep his distance from me or he will be suffering my wrath

On a different note: I did go to Pilates yeserday, and my legs are sore today. Not in the I-think-I-hurt-myself-kind-of-way but in the so-lazy-my-muscles-are-deterioriating-kind-of-way. Its a good kind of hurt, and due to my recent inactivity, it's one I havent had in a while ;) I have this 5K coming up in just a few weeks (less than 2 to be exact). You would think that a 5K would be nothing for someone who trained for a marathon last year, but at this point this 5K is looming over my head like it is a marathon. If I dont get my patootie in gear, you are going to be hearing quite a sob story from me the day after that event!

Feeling A Bit of Valentine's Day Rage?

Fuel up your rage by reading some relationship obituaries. Perhaps when you see some proof of the misery of others you will feel a bit better yourself? If not, at least there is some company for your misery.

Maybe you are happy & lucky in love ... then read what these poor souls have to say and give them some pity (or perhaps laugh at them behind their backs). Either way, its an interesting website to check out this V-Day ;)
(Image courtesy of Kiomi)

Testing...

I dont know who hates exam time more - me or the students. Between making the test, grading it, and entering all the scores I get a serious taste of scantron rage. Then in a few weeks it all happens again :( Poor me.

Like I Need ANOTHER Reason To Go To Starbucks

From the moment I had my first Toffee Nut Latte, Starbucks and I have shared a unique bond. I remain intensely loyal to that latte, and they in turn continue to absorb a good portion of my consumer dollar. As a student, I often am in the middle of an assignment that takes up more hours than I can spare. At home I find myself watching tv, cleaning and cooking instead of working ... and on campus I seem to find too many excuses to surf the internet. Insert the local coffee shop - where the chores of home no longer exist as valid distratction, and I still have enough people-watching to do when I take a well-deserved break. In addition to a love of celebrity gossip ... I actually need the internet while working on a paper for multiple forms of research. This makes wi-fi a must, and up until now has eliminated Starbucks from my study places. Yes, its true - Starbucks will now be offering free wi-fi. I can honestly say all of my prayers have been answered and I have the perfect life.

Sub-Zero Again :(

Another brutally cold day ... Thank goodness there is the Auto Show. Check out Saab's concept car.

Inaguaral Pierogi Day: 2008

Tonight I will be having my first pierogi's of 2008. I am so excited I can barely control myself. I mentioned a while ago that a friend of mine and I try to eat up every few months and eat at a new Polish restaurant. Tonight is Smak-Tak which actually translates to "Taste-Yes" in English. According to reviews, the servings are huge and the cooking is quite authentic. Whoohoo!

In case you actually dont know what a pierogi is - its a half-circle dumpling filled with a variety of different things. If you like Chinese food ... its pretty similar to a potsticker :) They are delicious. Thats all you really need to know.

TimeOut Chicago, rated the best pierogis in Chicago and actually said Smak-Tak was the best. Now I am so excited I can barely type. I will post a review later (whether you want one or not).

Vick's Dogs - On Anderson Cooper

I recently posted about the wherabouts of Michael Vick's pit-bulls, and mentioned that their identities were actually protected during ongoing court proceedings and for various other reasons. Looks like they are ready for their media spotlight ... some of the dogs will be featured tonight on AndersonCooper360! There is a lot more detail coming out about the treatment some of these particular dogs received, and much of it is just to horrible to hear.

Cooper's team actually goes onsite in Utah, to the Best Friends Animal Society to check up on some of the 22 dogs that this organization received from Vick's compound. I have a feeling its going to be quite a hear-wrenching show. If you can't watch the special tonight, Best Friends has regular updates on the Vick dogs if you want to learn more.

Here is a really cute video of what its like for the dogs at night, in their new Utah home. (Warning: Contains some unbelievable cuteness & cuddling)

Hello Blizzard!

Enough! Seriously. The snow. The sleet. The ice. The hail. The rain. The artic temps. We get it ... Its Winter's rath. But when you cant see 5 feet in front of you and have no ability (or desire) to go to the gym - its time for Spring please :)

Hail :(

Dont know if you can tell ... This is a picture of the dashboard of my car, complete with a mixture of hail and rain. Tons of snow is on the horizon and schools everywhere (except mine!) are closed once again. I surrender.

First Mother Nature ... Now A Groundhog?

Seems that everyone wants the weather in Chicago to keep up with the beat-down. Just this past Saturday, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That means SIX MORE WEEKS of Winter! While Punxsutawney Phil may be the more popular rodent, Gen. Beauregard Lee(the Lilburn, Ga. gopher) did not see his shadow Saturday morning. I am going with the gopher who actually gives the good news.

Giving The "Doggie Bag" A Run For The Money

Recently I posted what I thought was the strangest dog accessory ever - the "Doggie Bag" is a full-on space suit for your dog to prevent hair from getting all over. Yes, its bizzare, but I found something else that is equally bizzarre. In The Company of Dogs calls this "Mesh Eye Protection" and describes it as follows:

This innovative eyewear is all-weather pet gear. UV mesh provides 270 degrees of vision and filters out more than half of UV rays. Comfortable, breathable and soft for all-day use. Adjustable straps hold gear in place. Great for breeds that suffer from dry eye syndrome. Colors: Orange or Blue (please specify). Sizes: XS (for dogs up to 10 lbs.), S (9-25 lbs.), M (20-60 lbs.), L (50-95 lbs.).

Now, the real question - which one is weirder?

Heaven...

Not everyone finds days like these troublesome and irritating. First, anyone who didnt have to go to school (or work) today is pretty extatic. Second, almost all kids love a good snow-storm. And third, there are some dogs that seem to think that snow is a special gift sent from above ... just for them. Wrigley (of course) is one of those dogs, who dreams about snow and is quite sure that its here just for her. While I broke my back shoveling, she jumped, rolled and dug in the wonderful stuff. At least one of us was happy :) And Since Today Has Already Gone To The Dogs...
A cowboy monkey ... who rides a dog instead of a horse

And, when you have a dog-riding-monkey, don't think he isnt going to be the star of his own commercial ;)

Brave Souls

These kids are walking in a single line just to follow each others tracks as they make their way to class. Kind of reminds me of little kids in preschool ... Only these students are 15 years older :(

900+ School Closings ...

And guess whose school is still open??? (One guess). Pic attached gives you an idea of how deep it is ... in areas with drift its 2X that! Heading to class for the few student who are able to make the treck!