Ali Lately

Sometimes I like to blog about important things, wordy things, and emotional things. Other times, I just like to be more mindless about it all, vomiting my words all over the internet. Today is one of those latter times. Here’s a look at life lately.

Running: Yeah, I’m doing what I can. No real changes here. I never did any solid tempo workouts or anything leading up to the Brooklyn Half-Marathon (next weekend!), but I did do some short interval work and managed some long runs most weekends. I have no goals for this race. The plan is to run watchless (still!) and see what happens. It worked for my last few races, so we’ll see. No pressure racing is my jam.

Watching: My weekly must-see show is Scandal. Can we talk about Scandal? Even though I loathe most of the characters (though Susan Ross FTW, and also Abby’s Hair FTW, and Hot Marcus FTW even though I’m not sold on what I assume is going to be his upcoming plot line), I still watch the show every week. Why is Papa Pope still around? They have had so many chances to off the guy and lock him up for life, and they keep screwing it up. I have never liked Olivia Pope, but she’s become especially insufferable this season. I like Mellie, but think she would be a terrible president. I like David, but he needs to finally man up and own his actions and stop being so whiny. I like Liz North and I absolutely get what Ellen DeGeneres sees in her IRL. Smokin’. I always hated Quinn, but she’s kinda sweet this season, if mostly just in the background.

I’m just tired of the repeated plot lines (enough with Eli Pope) and of Fitz and Jake being OMG obsessed with Olivia. Guys, she is not that remarkable. She is annoying and noncommittal, and she’s also a murderer. Also, I get that Shonda Rimes is all LOL we are mocking real life with all this election stuff, but I don’t want to see that. We have enough nonsense on real TV with the pending election, I don’t need to see it on my fave show, too. Find original material, PLZ. (For all these complaints, I still tune in religiously, so I guess Shonda knows exactly what she’s doing.)

I also still half-watch Grey’s Anatomy. Last week’s episode was sad, but also unnecessary. Callie is an idiot. Everyone is an idiot.

I miss Parenthood.

Reading: Not as much as I should! But…

• This funny article, if you’re not yet completely overdosed on all things Hamilton.
• This piece about how you have to be willing to do difficult things if you want to be successful. (Why are people so afraid of picking up the phone and making a dang call? Make the phone call!)
• This probably accurate piece about where all the members of The BSC would be today. (I’ve always been a Stacey girl. I used to dot my i’s with hearts and desperately wanted diabetes because she made insulin seem so chic.)
• This nice list of people who are doing well at marriage. I especially relate to #4 and #10, and #8 earned a LOL from both Brian and me.

Listening [and dancing] to: Justin Timberlake. Obviously.

Writing: All day, every day. A few recent favorites…

• How to Actually Make Early Morning Workouts Happen for Well+Good (when my worlds collide!)
• 12 Awesome Ways to Measure Your Non-Scale Victories for Daily Burn
• 15 TV Weddings You Have to Watch Before Walking Down the Aisle for Brides (any of this sound familiar?)
• Meet MealPass, the ClassPass of Lunching for Well+Good (this sounds awesome!)
• 7 Yoga Poses to Help You Poop for Women’s Health (of course I wrote this)
• Weight Fluctuation: Here’s What’s Normal and What’s Not for Daily Burn
• Why One of the Most Crash-Filled Bike Races Sells Out in Minutes for Men’s Journal (it’s about time I put my bike spectating skills to professional use, no?)

Missing: Tyler and Abby. I get to see them this weekend, though! Tyler just turned four, and Abby will be two in August. Time sure does fly.

Needing: To get caught up on all my adulthood tasks. Dishes, cleaning the bathrooms, stuff like that. I actually generally enjoy household chores, just not when I have 38925 other things to do.

Feeing: Lethargic and bloated after a very gluttonous weekend.

Loving: Ellie. Sleep. New Jersey.

I’m also loving all the baby geese in the world right now! There are lots of goose families with babies around New Jersey, but we also saw some baby geese and baby ducks while we were in DC! They were swimming around in the Reflecting Pool! So special!

Loathing: That I need to go to the DMV to get a new license. Can I send a proxy?

Eating: Too much sugar. As usual. Can someone help me stop? I feel legitimately addicted to sugar and I can’t stop putting chocolate chips in things that shouldn’t have chocolate chips in them. Help.

Wearing: These pants, which are ridiculously soft. These shorts, which are my new favorites. And a fresh pair of HOKA Clifton 2s. (I just signed on as ambassador again, so hit me up if you have questions about HOKAs! I’m a big fan, clearly.)

Celebrating: My birthday! Not anymore, but we celebrated a bit this weekend. It was a super rainy day, so Brian, Ellie, and I pretty much spent the entire day in a big hotel bed, eating bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, taking naps, and eventually going to the W Hotel near The White House for cocktails. (None for Ellie, though.) I got a 90-minute massage the next day, which was pretty heavenly, except I think I fell asleep for most of it. Too relaxed!

Traveling: To see family!

Last weekend, Brian and I were in Washington, DC, for my cousin’s wedding. We went down Thursday night so that I could do November Project down there on Friday morning (my birthday!). It was super rainy, and I was soaked by the time I jogged to the workout from our hotel in Arlington, but it was awesome and was my first time going to NP in another city!

The whole weekend was wonderful. I love DC so much, and always enjoy bopping around the monuments, even though I’ve been to the city a bunch of times. We ate lots of good food, did a good amount of exploring, and got to bring Ellie along! The wedding was small and perfect, and it was so special getting to celebrate with my cousin and a few close family members.

And this upcoming weekend, we’re road-tripping again — this time to New Hampshire! We’ll get to see Tyler, Abby, and my parents, and I cannot wait. I haven’t seen my family since Christmas, so this is long overdue.

Back to work.

That’s what’s new with me. What’s new with you?