Runner's World and Waste Not, Want Not

Hello, Dear Friends!

It's shaping up to be a lovely September and I couldn't be more grateful. Good friends, a fitness goal, and lots of cool parties and friend visits! First things first - running. Or, well, the apt title for it would be "bebopping at a 12 minute mile pace." I happily stumbled upon a track surrounded by a park near my apartment. At the suggestion of many friends, I also started listening to NPR's "This American Life" while I run, which is amazing and makes the time go by so fast. I've visited this track a few times and especially love it in the evenings. I can putter along and watch people with their dogs and play tennis on one end of the track and, when I'm completing a round, I get the treat of seeing the skyline all lit up. It's really a fabulous find. As I'm in the training phase for a pretty beginner runner, having the track to help me gauge my distance is fantastic. Last night, with the smooth sounds of Ira Glass in the background, I completed 4 miles without stopping. Now, to some this is a usual morning jog, a leisurely jaunt requiring little effort. And though I'd done 5Ks and 10Ks for the past few years, I always stopped in between to walk briskly. For the upcoming 8K, I'm determined to run it all, no stopping!

It's amazingly restorative to have a manageable goal like this in place. And the time spent running is reflective and challenging, and I almost always end up walking home feeling fantastic, grateful, and on top of my game. I've also been reducing my television time (not that I watched that much to begin with...aside from Labor Day, which was almost entirely devoted to 'Whale Wars.' Damn.) in favor of reading uplifting books by Victoria Moran. Lord, what a find! She's inspirational, just spiritual enough to get me feeling good, but not creeped out, and she believes in rescuing animals and being vegetarian. Best of all, she advocates for living your best life in a variety of ways and her newest book, "Living a Charmed Life," is a lovely gem full of tiny, life-altering tidbits. Reading one before bed has become ritual. If only her stuff was available on audio book - I'd be a running fool!

I'm also trying to save my pennies. After a raucous and very fun trip to IKEA and the Aurora Outlets with the girls, I have some new winter work clothes and, as Destiny's Child says, "bills, bills, bills." Nothing insane, mind you, but I always feel better when I detox from consuming stuff and make do with the bounty I already have. In the spirit of this, I'm back on track for packing ye old lunch everyday and am getting inspired to be creative and keep things, even cupboard staples, interesting. I really like packing my lunch, actually. As a kid, I usually hated packed lunch and favored the grilled cheese/corn dog/tater tots varietal. As an adult, I come to appreciate the work, love, and ingenuity I put into an artful salad or a freshly made soup. And, since becoming a veggie, I am finding that while many restaurants offer decent vegetarian dishes, they're usually smothered in cheese or are sub par quality to what I could make myself (hello, veggie burger). In the spirit of wasting not, I unearthed a bag of apples in my fridge that were looking sad and on the verge of becoming garbage. Instead, I diced and sizzled them in a pot with cinnamon, all spice, vanilla extract, agave nectar, and vegetable butter. They turned out freaking delicious and filled my apartment with the most amazing smell. Plus, the mixture turned nice and sticky when cool...the perfect topping for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, yogurt, or oatmeal! This afternoon, I enjoyed it hot on top of a scoop of vanilla gelato (purchased from the gelateria next door for $2). What a treat! While it's not the most health-conscious recipe, a little goes a long way and knowing that I avoided tossing perfectly good food makes me blissfully happy. I also found some online recipes for making homemade yogurt, which is not only delicious, but incredibly cost-effective. Yum.

Other ways I'm riding out the recession:

Holding and attending clothing swaps with recessionista pals - Clothing swaps are perhaps one of my favorite things on the planet. They're fun, thrilling, and you get rid of your unwanted stuff while getting your mitts on some one's unwanteds. The rest goes to charity. Brilliant.
Consigning higher-ed clothing and accessories
Mailing old electronics (cameras, phones, MP3 players) to www.buymytronics.com - they cut you a check after!
Exercising outside or taking advantage of free yoga classes to fore go a hefty gym membership (at least until the bitter of winter!)
Using drugstore.com in lieu of buying necessities at CVS/Walgreens. I avoid the insane Chicago city sales tax and get free shipping! No more hoofing bottles of detergent home from the store!
Doing my own manicures - I swear, my nails are in better condition now that no one is scraping at them constantly.
Downloading free audio books at Audible.com - tons of the classics are free! I hope to get through some Tolstoy soon. :)
Using Pandora to rock out at home, at work, and on a run - while the application for Blackberry is fraught with problems, Pandora is freaking brilliant. And, my current obsession is my Hall and Oates station, which has been belting out the 70's AM likes of Ambrosia, Michael McDonald, Lionel Ritchie, and other good time tunes.
Coloring and cutting my own hair - for awhile, I was going to the salon, but now I'm just gonna stick to doing it at home. It's cheaper and will give me an opportunity to grow my hair out a bit.
Not eating meat - I got an email from a friend in the UK the other day decrying the cost of pork. Apparently, the UK government has upped the living standards for pigs (yay!) and in order for farmers to accommodate the new regulations, the price of pork has skyrocketed. That's right - meat is freaking expensive, especially in this economy. Whereas, a can of beans, bag of lentils, or block of tofu is super inexpensive, while being similarly nutritious. Going veg has cut my grocery bill down noticeably.
Socializing at home - My pals and I still enjoy nights out at dance clubs and great restaurants, but if we're catching up, a home cooked meal and bottle of wine is always a great alternative. My friend Megan and I meet every Thursday evening to run and dine. Not only do we get a chance to catch up on the latest happenings while we run, but we eat together, watch some TV, and spend very little doing so. Moreover, it's much more memorable, fun (fits of laughter are often better kindled when you're not in a nice restaurant), and healthy.
Taking advantage of the City - Chicago is perhaps the best city in the US for free street festivals, parks, beaches, concerts, etc. Any given week you'll hear the symphony playing in Millennium Park, attend a free night and reception at the Art Institute, get invited to a charity event with free booze and appetizers for a $5 cover, or mill around one of the many beautiful parks with your pup. On the weekends, festivals abound featuring music (just saw the Gin Blossoms for free this weekend!) and other entertainments for free. Taking advantage of the lakefront for a fantastic beach experience is also a must-do.
Walking everywhere - I have a bus and train pass, but when the weather is nice, I really get a kick out of walking. Since I'm still "new" here and Chicago is a massive city, I love taking new routes and exploring new things. I never feel deprived when I have new things to see and experience and new people to meet.

Abbey's coming to visit this weekend and I'm very excited. Some of the major stops: Architectural Boat Cruise on Friday, Farmer's Market and Beach on Saturday, Art Institute on Sunday, along with the usual suspects: shopping, partying, catching up. Should be a lovely visit, especially since Abs will be bringing my bridesmaid dress! I swear, even when I was little, I never thought much about weddings, but to be included in some one's is always an honor. It's wonderful to have such amazing friends!

Have a wonderful week!