It's Music Time

Since I've upped my mileage to 5 miles a day almost every day I had to charge my IPOD which made me think-What am I listening to these days.

New rules when I run -skip 3, half way through you can skip 5.  The last mile Find a stupid song you can still stand to finish with.

I;ve been working hard on this playlist lets see what I have

Happy by Pharrell.  I will say sometimes if you see me running and I'm clapping it's because I'm listening to this song.  I love Pharell.  I watched an Oprah interview with him and he almost made me cry.  He's a great guy

Girls Girls Girls by Jay Z-it's got a smooth beat

Geranamo by Shepherd-Catchiest tune of the moment and showing up on every runner's playlist.  Have you heard it?  You need to

Survival by Em!  Honestly I don't know how to spell his name.  But every time I run it's survival of the fittest and all of these words are motivated-every single one of them

Come with Me Now-Congos-for so many reasons.

If you have any suggestions please let me know

The Vivo Fit Obsession

Oh how I miss my Nike Fuel Band

It had the time, it had the lights, it had the fuel points that no one knew what they even meant about  (bad sentence on purpose) and mostly it only had your active calories.  How many calories you actually burned based on working out.  But then mine died and I got a VIVOFIT for Christmas.

I love this thing.  It tells time, sets goals for me, syncs with my garmin express which I already have because my running watch is that, never needs to be recharged and.......counts my calories.  All of them.  Not just the active ones.  And guess what?

I don't burn very many calories.  I'm 5 pounds too heavy remember?  For me to lose them I could only eat 1000 calories a day..  I'm obsessed now with this realization.  So in addition to my runs I make sure that I log somehow 5 miles a day so I can eat. 

Because as Rolling Stones say

What a drag it is getting old.

This sucks.  When did my metabolism come to a halt?  I think around March of last year.  I blamed it on stress but even marathon training didn't help.  But I have to get rid of them because just a little snack at the Cheesecake factory will add 5 pounds instantly.  I LOVE TO EAT

So if you see me walking around town endlessly in circles it's not because I'm tired from running It's because I'm old and I'm fat.

The Commoner Goes To Dinner

A few of my friends are finished working and are retired.  They do things like travel to Europe-in September, go to dog parks, take yoga, and basically live stress free.

About every six months one of these friends  takes time out of her busy schedule and we will meet for lunch or dinner.  I'm between semesters so this was a good time.  So she suggested -more like said let's meet at ELLA's 6PM.

I've been here before.  I've had some bad experiences.  Like this one.

http://commonersguidetolife.blogspot.com/2011/10/commoner-celebrates-birthday.html

But we met and I sat down with her and we ordered diet coke and wine.  No I didn't have the wine.  Then we talked about everyone that we knew.  Yes we did.  Except because you have to sit so close to other diners we had to use code names for people.

I'm so busy trying to figure out the code names that I don't realize we haven't even gotten our drinks or food and every one else is eating.  But Janet gets impatient and I'm just happy I don't have to be the trouble maker at our tables.  So she goes to find out........and then this happened.

I look up from my phone to see our waitress standing there looking at me and this was the conversation I'm not even lying.  (w=waitress, c=commoner)  Let me preface by saying it takes very little for the New Yorker in me to come out of hiding and into play....very little.

W-What did you order Chicken Picatta
C-surprised -tell me what I ordered you are the waitress
W-Chicken Picatta
J-what happened to our order
W-I forgot to put it in
C-maybe you should have written it down (no one writes down orders anymore)
W-I guess I should

Then I noticed that she was staring at me-mind you I never even had a problem

C-Why are you staring me
W-You look like you have more to say
C-stop being rude I want to see your manager
W-we're closing Sunday so there is no manager
C-I'm not surprised you're closing your service is terrible
W-still staring
C-stop staring at me you are making me mad
W-I'm not staring I'm looking
C-That's what staring is-stop it

at this point j decided to see how long dinner would take.  I wasn't so willing since A-the food is probably bad and B-she'll probably spit in it

W-you will have it in ten minutes

We laughed and then....we were scolded by the guy next to us who told us this waitress was probably worried about not having a job and we should give her a break...

WAIT  WHAT????? Maybe if this waitress did her job she would still have it.  But this guy definitely was bigger and stronger than me so that was all I said.

15 minutes later we walked out.  Because you know-the ten minute promise didn't pan out


I don't know quite what to say about this event.

We went to Kristinas or Georges, no parking
We went to some other cafe they were closing

We ended up at Cheap Seats.   

The Commoner Hits The Trail

Today was the first long run of the year.  9 miles.  9 miles is an awesome amount to run.  I've decided not to marathon run this year-except for the possible exception of NY if it will have me.

My weekday runs are never that fun.  I'm usually tired from working, it's either hot, windy, or dark.  But I do love them and running is always good.  Plus they are necessary.  Oh yeah and there are cars.

But on Sundays we drive to Morgan Hill and run the Coyote Creek Bike Trail-which is open to bikes, hikers, runners, and horses.  We all get along great.  I've done all my marathon training there and you can go forever because it links to all sorts of other trails in Santa Clara County.  Because unlike where I live-Santa Clara has figured it out.

So even though it was  this today

Siri said it was cold.  But I didn't over dress for once and I was on my way.  It's been cold all week, but I'll take cold any day over rain.  

Here are some things I saw

Lots of cyclist

A path to a pond that I never noticed

A big hill you can climb which is made of dirt

A woman training her Golden Retriever.  It was amazing.

A couple doing crossfit during their run

Women wearing great clothes and definitely hiking because they were carrying a water back pack-(smart idea-the problem with the trail is no water fountains)

Families riding bikes together

and this

This was at mile 6 (or 3)  it was so beautiful and green.  The trail had been dead for so long because of the drought.  The rain has really bought the trail to life.  When I want to complain about the rain I think about the trail because I love it that much.

I have a reputation for hating nature.  I don't hate nature I visit it every week-I just don't care for unrestrained nature.  I am aware that I am a visitor on this trail and it belongs to the animals and plant life that make it their own.  I'm lucky to visit there.

Plus I had one of those great runs where it feels like you are flying  (I never fly but it felt that way)  Maybe it was the shoes

The Commoner's Football Awards 2015 Edition

I have about 5 football teams I like.  Okay I really have 3.  None of them have advanced to the playoffs.  It's still football playoff time and I can now watch objectively because I don't really care who does what.

That gives me the time to watch what's really important.  The football players.  I'm too old for the players-the coaches are my age but I am an admirer of personal style.  So of course I have some things to say.

Best Looking Player-Tom Brady

Let's face it -quarter backs are generally good looking because they have led such a charmed life from the time they are like 9.  Tom Brady takes that to a whole other level with looks like a male model.  Given his wife is the world's most successful model he must borrow some of her beauty products. He even has the cleft chin.

Most All American-Russel Wilson

This guys is young, smart, composed, volunteers at a hospital once a week, dedicates his games to his deceased dad, and oh yeah, wins super bowls.  This is the picture of the all american football star.  We need more of him

Best Dreadlocks-RG3

RG3 is my favorite player.  Even when he's having a hard time. I'm pretty sure he bought dreadlocks to the NFL-(go with it) and I like his because they aren't super long.  

Best Long Hair-Clay Matthews

Today I noticed there is a trend to have long hair in the NFL.  Long gross disgusting hair.  To those players like that guy today on Carolina-don't do it.  It just makes me itchy and it doesn't make you look tough.  Besides-Clay Matthews did it first.  
    Aside from looking like Jax on Sons of Anarchy-he really carries the look well.  Off the field he wears it in a stylish pony tail.  So if you aren't Clay Matthews cut your hair.

Best Tattoos -Colin Kaepernick

Tattoos are another trend in the NFL.  I can't say that I like them.  But if you are going to get tattoos then you could at least look like Colin.  He's fallen from grace in the San Francisco area these days. Many of us wish we had kept the coach and gotten rid of him with his negative attitude.  But I'll admit.  The guy makes a tattoo or 12 look good.

So there are my awards for the NFL season.  

GO!

Someone on another website picks a word for the year.  So here is my word for the year

This word pretty much sums up my motto for the year.  

This is going to be hard considering my resolution is to become more reclusive.  

But I'm thinking of this word as an action word.  

Go get it

Go after it

Go for that run

Go for that goal

just

A Lot Can Happen in A Year

LISTENING TO-The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  Because I have no shame 

She's from Orange County but close enough...

LOVING -Hanging out with my family for two weeks.

THINKING-is it really time to go back to work already?

WANTING-For the next semester to end.

NEEDING-to go downstairs and get some water

But then Bella would want a snack


Happy 2015