Early Morning Swim and Chuck Taylor

I am planning on going to happy hour with some friends after school today, so in my attempt to still be good I got up and went to the gym to workout before work this morning. Hugh and I are working out a new gym, so this was the first time I’d used the pool. Now, this pool is really nice and the temperature is a warm 86* but at that time of the morning there’s no such thing as 86* water being considered warm. For the first two laps I seriously questioned my sanity. The moment that turned it all around for me was when I glanced up and noticed a very large swim timing counter on the wall. I was able to watch my time with every stroke. I realize that I may have the brain of a hamster but there was just something about those red numbers counting up that mesmerized me. I was able to zone out and just work hard. It was a great workout and I’m glad I sacrificed some sleep in my warm bed for it.

One thing I’d forgotten about swimming in the morning was my goggle line. When you pull your goggles off you get a LOVELY suction cup looking effect around your eyes. While some people may find this to be extremely attractive, I’m personally not in to it. Luckily, enough time has passed that they aren’t that noticeable.

Today is going to be a great day because I’m wearing my custom designed Chuck Taylor Converse high tops. They’re royal blue with red laces. I bought these (along with another coach) my first year in coaching to wear during basketball season. I have many great memories that tie to these shoes and I love wearing them.

Have a great weekend!!

Newlyweds!!

“Oh…I forget, you’re newlyweds. That’ll stop soon.”

“Just wait until you’ve been in a relationship as long as we have and then things will be different.”

“Real life will set in one day, and then you won’t do that kind of stuff together.”

AAAGGHHH!!!! I can’t stand this type of negativity. It’s almost like people can’t stand to see happiness and feel the need to try and squish it like a bug. Why is that? Sometimes it feels like there’s some big contest and the people that have been in relationships the longest “win” by telling other people how crappy life gets to be. What’s the deal? Is there some sort of prize for doing your best at trying to bring other people down?

I realize that there are many things to learn from experience. I know that relationships change and things that once were new and exciting can become old and routine. BUT, I don’t think that relationships have to get boring. They take work and care, but they CAN be awesome!

Alright, I’ll get off my soapbox. On to something that I’d like to share!

Yesterday afternoon I was on my way home from the gym when I had a sudden random thought. I called Hugh to ask him about it. Here was our conversation:

Hugh: “Hey, what’s up?”

Jenn: “So….at what point in my life do you think I’ll stop wanting to eat french fries? I mean, I realize they’re bad for me but they’re just so dang good.”

Hugh: “Oh. I don’t think that’s something you’ll ever stop wanting. You know, since they’re so delicious.”

Jenn: *sigh* “That’s what I thought. Love you, bye!”

Notice that he didn't even ask why I was calling simply to ask about french fries! This is one of the reasons why I love him so much. He gets me. I got home and proceeded to make our favorite tomato almond pesto for dinner. I’m working and suddenly, Hugh walks in with a bag of fries from McDonald’s and a smile. They were amazing. I can’t even recall the last time that I’ve actually had fries, but these were the best ever. I love that he does stuff like this for me. It makes my heart happy!

I guess my point about all of this is that it shouldn’t matter if you’ve been married 5 days or 50 years. It’s all about being thoughtful and caring about your spouse. I love my husband, he’s my best friend. AND…if you want to try and rain on my parade please understand that I’m not above violence, retribution, or just petty revenge. (insert evil laugh)

Europe!!

Hugh and I have both always wanted to go to Europe. We planned and saved this past year and last night we booked our flight! We’ll be flying to England in June and spending a full 16 days exploring the places we’ve only read about or seen on t.v. I’m excited and a bit overwhelmed at the same time.

Where we want to go:

Well, I think we’d have to live in Europe for a few years to be able to visit all the places we’d like to see. Hugh and I came up with a list of the places in Europe we’d like to visit and so far all we’ve decided is that we will see London and Scotland. Other than that, we’re pretty open. We’re debating on possible going to Munich, Germany or possible to France. We’ve ruled out Italy, Rome, and Greece. They will have to be visited on later trips, and YES…there will be later trips. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to share. We like to be adventurous, don’t mind a lot of walking, and of course; love to eat!
Typically when we travel, I’m the planner. I’ve always enjoyed researching places and locating the best deals. It just seems different this time. I’ve been researching train travel for months and I’m feeling just as confused as when I started looking at it. I think it might be a little different if you’re used to public transportation, but other than the occasional subway ride we don’t have much to refer to. Of course, it might also help if all the names of the towns didn’t look like Greek to me. Oh wait!! It IS a different language. 

Hugh and I talked last night and have just decided that we’ll take suggestions and look over Tripadvisor to see what interesting ideas might pop up. We’re not going to over-plan this trip. We want to enjoy it.

HELP!!! Please share some ideas to get us started. Any advice is good advice!

Till later-

Our First Married Valentine's!!

Wow!!! Since Valentine's fell on a Monday this year, we decided to celebrate on Saturday. We got up on Saturday morning and went on a training ride in Hempstead. It was 35* at the start of the ride, but after about 10 miles of not feeling my fingers and toes it started to warm up a bit. We had a great ride and that evening Hugh surprised me by taking me to La Griglia! It's a really great Italian restaurant across the street from the River Oaks Theater. We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine and then proceeded to have some of the BEST Italian food that I've ever had. It was simply delicious! I gave Hugh his gift: a DSLR camera class so he can learn how to better use our camera that has a higher IQ than both of us, and he was SO EXCITED! It was the perfect gift and I'm so happy that I was able to come up with something that he's really going to enjoy. Overall, it was the best Valentine's celebration a girl could ask for!

We clean up pretty well!! 

Cycling!

I started cycling in December of last year, and I absolutely love it. When I met Hugh for the first time he’d actually just completed his first MS150 with his Dad a couple weeks before. He made it sound so fun that two years later I joined the group.

We ride road bikes and yes, we are the people that wear spandex shorts and cycling jerseys. We can be found most Saturday mornings on the shoulder of the road…somewhere. J Of all the athletic things that I do, I enjoy cycling as much as I do swimming. It’s one of the few times where I can actually clear my head and not overanalyze everything. I like having an activity that Hugh and I can do together where I don’t feel like I’m ridiculously behind the curve. Honestly: you do have to wear padded shorts and some lovely lubricant called Butt Butter. I'll let you imagine the circumstances on your own.

The MS150 is a bike ride that goes from Houston to Austin in two days to benefit multiple sclerosis research. It’s actually 180 miles in two days, but apparently the MS180 doesn’t sound as cool as the MS150. It’s exhausting and very challenging, but it’s a lot of fun. Plus, it’s for a great cause. J Hugh, Mac, and I are riding this year and we each have to raise $400 for the race. If you’re interested in donating to one of us, just click on our name and it will take you to our individual donation sites where you can contribute. Don’t worry, it’s secure and tax deductible.

Donate to Jenn!!!

Donate to Hugh!

Here we are at the end of the ride last year.

Hugh and I at the last rest stop of the ride.

This would be me, being myself.

I call this one "sexy Hugh".

This is the start of the ride day 2 in La Grange.

We're supposed to be riding this Saturday, but I'm thinking that if the low is actually going to be 23 then I will be staying snug as a bug in bed instead!

Love,