Working out is not working out

This is me. Lately working out has been the absolute last thing I want to do. I set my alarm to go to pilates...and I hit snooze for 90 minutes. I tell myself I'll go after work...and I eat multiple bowls of cereal and watch Gilmore Girls reruns (while consciously not doing my homework). I say I'll go on the weekend...and I drink to much coffee and have "errands" to run (you know, like going to Target).

Well, no more! This is it, this is the day! A new leaf has been turned over, a fresh start is in the fridge, a clear horizon is on...the horizon.

So I plan on starting Tuesday, because I'm in Charlotte for work now and I have a midterm coming up Monday and have to study all weekend and the Cubs aren't in the playoffs and blah blah blah...I'll start someday.

Ruts and stuff

Sometimes I forget all the super excellent things there are to do in this city. I get stuck in a rut and eat only at El Tapitio, Village Tap and Waterhouse, buy my groceries at Walgreens and get my coffee at Starbucks. Because I get lazy, I disregard all the wonderful things there are to do in this city and just choose what's easiest. However, this weekend, thanks to my fabulous friends, I got out of my rut.

Saturday night, the boys went off and did a "Beer and Bacon" tasting (yeah, seriously), while Lauren, Kim, Amanda and I had a ladies night. We tested out Purple Pig (downtown, tapas, good pork shoulder and squash) and then brought bottles of wine over to Millenium Park and sat on the lawn listening to Jewel close out the Chicago Country Music Festival. We made our way through three bottles, watched the fireworks over the lake and then went back to Amanda's to have (more) wine and whiskey on her balcony and smoke cigars. Okay, the guys did the last part, but I had a puff, so it counts.

Sunday we visited a new bar, Ten Cat Tavern, which was a kitschy combination of grandma's house, the Bulldog Inn and any townie bar in Kansas. It had free wi-fi, so Kim helped me with homework while we sat in the back patio and drank. Beer + homework = A+.

So I got out of my rut for the weekend. I think I need to make sure I spend at least one night a week somewhere new, doing something I haven't done before. The beauty of this city is in the layers of opportunity. I need to be daring and take a closer look.