Day 873

I'm alive, I promise, just sitting in Miami at my uncle's, about to eat a family dinner before I leave for DC tomorrow morning. The weather is great, just a bit windy, but still nice to get in some heat. I am now SO ready for Summertime! Give me the sun any day of the year.

Not to complain though, but I do need another vacation just to recover from this one. Not from partying, but from my humongous, loud, exhausting family. Love them to death, but I cannot physically listen to one more "conversation" which is basically everyone yelling louder than the other trying to argue their point. It's what you get with a big family, but now you guys know why I can enjoy the silence so much. But I do love my big fat Italian/Irish family, and wouldn't be me without them. That said, I'm ready to get back out on the beach just one last time with my iPod turned up and just let the sun melt it all away. Maybe I need to take another beach trip again here soon. Back to the cold too soon tomorrow. At least I have the Cherry Blossoms to look forward too!

Day 864

So maybe the shin splits revamp were a fluke...yesterday I went 3.5 miles and today 3 after yoga. Yippee! Fingers crossed I'm over this hump and can keep on training. We'll see what happens next week when I'm in Florida and have to run on the road instead of the treadmill.

On another note, yesterday I finally attended my first District Sample Sale...the shopping extravaganza of the year in DC. And what did I come out with, you ask? Zip, zero, zilch, nada. Tears for me...I was not happy leaving that place last night. The only thing that almost worked was this gorgeous Catherine Malandrino silk wrap dress for only $100!! But alas, it didn't quite fit right, so it had to go back on the rack. No deals for me...so depressing. Now I'm going to have to pay full price like all those other suckers out there that don't know about the DSS.

I'm tired now and have to go to bed. Night!

Day 861

Damn shin splints. I seriously get them ALL the time, and never fails, they come right when I'm starting to get in a groove running. Yesterday I was going to run the St. Patrick's Day 8K, but these dumb shin splints had me sidelined for the past few weeks. I was stretching them, icing them, changed my stride and even changed the way I laced my running shoes. But they still hurt seriously bad.

So I sat out a few weeks and focused instead on my yoga and strength training. Last week, I felt good again, and started back up running again. But today--ugh--I had to get off the treadmill 20 minutes in because I could feel them coming back. It seriously is so frustrating, because I really would like to build up my running endurance. Washington is one of the most beautiful (and popular) running cities in the country, and once this city starts to bloom, I'd really like to be able to get out there and enjoy it on some longer runs.

Endurance has never been my thing, on the road or in the pool. I was a sprinter, and I think all that speed training I grew up doing is still instilled in my workout brain. I am certain this is one of the reasons I keep getting these shin splints, but I don't know any other way to do it. I literally can't just jog at a slow and steady pace. My body doesn't work that day. I run, and I guess that I'm just going to have to keep on pushing until my running is tolerated by my poor legs.

Sadly my gym does not have a pool. I found out that there is a public pool a few blocks away from me that is free to use, but it's not open yet. I may just have to check it out when I get back from Florida. There's nothing like diving into a pool...it gives me this feeling of peace that I can't really describe. Memories of my childhood, of dad, of the strength I used to have and the hope that's still within all stir once I hit the water. I suppose for me, it's a lot like coming home.

For now, though, I'm going to have to find another source of cardio. I'm not really big on classes because honestly, I really don't like working out with others. Once again, it must stem from my days in the pool, but I go to the gym to center myself and focus on what I need to do to improve myself, not to socialize. Sometimes I use that time to get out some frustration, anger or sadness. "Working it out" seems to be good medicine for me. Sometimes I go to get energized, sometimes to wind down. But I do not like to work out with others, and I do not like to chit chat while there. I know, strange, but it's just a quirk about me you'll have to learn to love.

Yoga is different. This class I can do because everyone is in there for the same reason...to find their center and focus. Your mind is set so that it is you, your thoughts and your breathe. Everyone else seems to disappear.

Maybe spin class will be my new obsession...but I'm secretly scared to walk in there and get my ass handed to me. It seems to be another class in which it is you and your station...not having to be distracted by others around you. Hmm...maybe I'll try this one next time. I suppose a little variety won't hurt. Now if I could only get myself all healed up...

Day 860

Next weekend at this time, I'll be sitting in sunny South Florida, and it can't get here soon enough. This week has been cold, wet and dreary in DC, and I'm so ready for Spring to come. When I fly back home, the Cherry Blossoms will be in bloom and beautiful! Only one more week of cold to put up with!

So this week, as I was working hard, coming home late at night, and dealing with this yuck weather, I decided that instead of pouting about it, I'd focus on the things I love about Springtime in Washington.

First thing that comes are the aforementioned Cherry Blossoms. When they bloom, the city awakes and comes to life. It really is such a beautiful sight to see.



Soon after, the Nationals come home to play. Last week I bought tickets to Opening Weekend for my cousin and I. He made his high school Freshman baseball team, a big feat in this town, so it was my way of telling him how proud I am of him. And that night, I found out great news that we'll have a new face to cheer for this season! There's nothing better than spending a long, lazy, sunny afternoon in Nationals park with a beer in hand.



Once the cold fades, the patios start to open up and rooftop bars come to life. Washingtonians really do hibernate in the winter, so as soon as the sun comes out, so do the people. By Summertime, it gets so hot in the city that everyone seems to escape to the beach over the weekend. But Springtime people are out to be seen in the city. I'm pumped for Spring to come! Until then, staying positive, trying not to work too hard and looking forward to my week on the beach!

Day 850

**UPDATED**

Two great stories to share, but I have a yoga class that I don't want to miss, so I have to put this down on screen now so I remember to come back to it later. One involves my co-worker calling me a cougar and my 7-year-old cousin Jack commenting on that in his gchat status. Classic. The second involves the Sexiest Man Alive and the perks of my job. Here's a sneak peak:



Be back later to report.

Okay, I'm back. So first is the cougar story...a few days ago, my boss, coworker and I were talking about my upcoming trip to the beach, and somehow it got turned into me going on Spring Break and partying like it's 2009. And that's when it happened...my coworker called me a cougar. I thought my boss was going to spew his coffee across to the other end of the Capitol. I'll admit, it was pretty funny, especially watching J. eat his words for about 30 minutes afterward, but now it's the running joke of the office. We even had to have a full blown, all out debate with many of my reporters about what actually constitutes having cougar status. Classic.

So of course, I change my gchat status to, "My coworker just called me a cougar...am I really that old?" Well today, I noticed that my 7-year-old cousin Jack that-is-entirely-too-smart-for-his-own-good changed his gchat status (yes, he's in 1st grade and has an email account...at least I have someone that emails me everyday to say he loves me 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times...big on the heart icons too). "What to," you ask? He changed it to, "Shawna, you are not old enough to be a cougar."

My question is this: How in the world does my 7-year-old cousin Jack that-is-entirely-too-smart-for-his-own-good know what a cougar is? Because he totally does know. And a follow-up: How would he know that I am not part of that cougar definition? Too funny.

Okay, now for the Sexiest Man Alive. I don't care if Hugh Jackman got the title this year...after seeing Mr. Pitt up close and personal (well, not as personal as in my head), he will always be my number one.

Encounter #1: I just happened to get off the back staff elevator at the first floor of the Capitol (okay, I was totally going to stake him out), and I see a mass of people rushing toward me. In the center of it all, hot sex Brad Pitt. Behind him, a sea of female staffers running after him. That was pretty amusing, more so because I didn't have to be one of them running in my 4-inch pumps. Exhibit 1 & 2 below:




Photo by Shawn Thew

Encounter #2: After that great moment, I pretty much went up to my office to tell my boss I wasn't going to work for the rest of the day and instead run around the Capitol and stalk Brad Pitt. He was totally cool with that, so off I ran to abandon all responsibilities and realize my dreams of making the Sexiest Man Alive leave Angie for me. What? He could suddenly decide he's more into curvy, crooked nosed, thinner lipped women than he's currently used to.

First, I went to talk to the photographers to get a status update. Word on the street was he was meeting with the Majority Leader first, so I run downstairs to be the first in line. Yeah, but as I round the corner...there are like 500 Senate pages, high-heeled women, and strangely, many men readying their cameras to get pictures for their "wives". Yeah right, they want the Pitt like the rest of us.

Luckily, I bestow my press authority and head straight on up to the Leader's door, just in time to see the back of his entourage run down the back staircase. Damn. Pitt 1, Blair 0.

After that there was nothing left to do but just march straight over to the Speaker's Office and find my man. Me and 50 other photographers, cameramen and the gaggle of female staffers that won't get out of my way. But ha, ha...once again bestowing my press authority, I was able to secure a prime spot in the front corner, while all those non-press authority ladies got to stand in the back with the cameras blocking them. My karma is totally going to come back and haunt me at this point but whatever...suck it ladies...I'm up front!

So about an hour later, he and Speaker Pelosi came strolling out, and I started drooling. Probably not the best idea for getting him to fall in love with me, but geez, he is the Sexiest Man Alive. I couldn't help myself. See for yourself.







Anyway, that was my day. Can't complain, can I? I'm going to go ahead and go to bed now so I can dream about Brad Pitt dumping Angie for me. It totally could happen...I saw him eyeing me and my killer Senate ID picture/Blackberry holder clipped to my hip. He dug it. For real.

Day 847

I spoke too soon...last night the sky opened up onto this town and dropped a thick blanket of snow. What's a girl to do than take a snow day? Really though, this morning was a blizzard out there and there was no way to get up the stairs outside from my apartment. Here's a view from my window this morning:





I finally walked outside around 4 PM, because I knew I had to get everything off my car before it really froze to it tonight. At least I had lived through enough DC snowstorms to know to put my windshield wipers up last night. The snow had melted from the roads and the sidewalks had been cleared, but the snow in the grass and around my car was literally up to my calves.



About 20 minutes later, I finished cleaning off my car and decided I needed to drive around some more to try to melt the rest of the ice away, so I went to my favorite park in the neighborhood, Lincoln Park. There were some kids building a huge fort around the park and so I decided I needed to get out and walk around a bit.











I really wanted to go sledding today, but it didn't happen...no hills on my side of the Hill except at the Capitol, and that's not happening. Now it's getting dark and even colder outside, so I think I'll just cook dinner and maybe cuddle up in bed to read tonight. Back to a busy day at work tomorrow, snow or no snow.

Day 846

Brr!! It's cold--still, again, whatever--and I'm about done with this winter!! At this moment, Mother Nature has taken a break from the snow she's been blowing down all day, but she's supposedly just resting up for a good 6-9 inches tonight! I need sunshine and a warm breeze and Cherry Blossoms blooming all around this city! Guess I'm just going to have to wait a few more weeks for Miami, and then cross my fingers that I return to warmer days.

Last weekend was full of festivities, and the next few will be busy too, so this weekend I took full advantage of this nasty weather and took a nice needed timeout. Friday night I went for groceries, cooked and went to bed early. Saturday was yoga and then walking on the treadmill for an hour (no more running until my shin splints go away!). Then lunch, shower, nap, church and then a family birthday dinner for my aunt. Today was laundry and more laundry, then I'll clean a bit and get to bed early to ready for another big week. I know, I know...so boring these days, but these next few weeks are going to be crazy busy, so this weekend was well needed.

Alright, I'm boring myself with all this blab. Below was from last weekend...at 9:30 Club for the Drive By Truckers concert/going away party for a friend.