My Favorite Protein Pancakes

Howdy!

Well this week started with a bang, I have so much to get done before our road trip to West Virginia it’s unreal.

The good thing is that I had a nice and relaxing weekend to get all geared up for an ultra productive week.

Friday, my coworkers and I enjoyed some adult beverages after work.

This delicious New Glarus Wisconsin Ale brewed with Cherries.  Yum.

… and the Southern Tier Brewing Pumking at home.

(no, I didn’t buy the whole case unfortunately).

You might be thinking… Lindsay… it’s just way to early for such fall type drinks.  Well you are wrong, my friend.  This girl right here lives in the Midwest for a reason.

In keeping with the shotgun fall cuisine, I woke up Saturday morning craving my favorite protein pancakes:

The Best Protein Pancakes Ever

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 6 egg whites
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp. almond milk
• Chocolate chips
• Banana slices (garnish)
• Almond butter (garnish)
• Pure maple syrup (non of that fake shit)

Directions:

1. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together.
3. Cook like regular pancakes… add some chocolate chips if your heart so desires
4. Top pancakes with some fresh banana slices, a dollop of almond butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.  bada bing bada boom.

These pancakes helped fuel our morning workouts at the gym.  I opted to do one of the Spartan WOD’s:

3 vertical jumps (max effort).  Fully recover after each set.  Repeat 3 sets of 3 jumps.

Split Squat Iso Hold.  Accumulate 60 seconds per leg.  Fully recover.  Repeat 3 sets

Accumulate 60 seconds in High Pull-Up Hold then accumulate 20 push-ups.  Fully recover.  Repeat 3 times.

Run 30 minutes – zone 1.  (aka – slower pace)

I was super sweaty after this one.  I typically sweat a lot, but the gym was humid and hot from the weather outside so it just tripled everything.  My running partner, Lindsay, probably would have been embarrassed if she was with me 🙂

Saturday evening, Brian and I attended the 40th birthday of one of our good friends.  I was so busy eating the delicious appetizers and tasting the signature cocktails that I forgot to take pictures of this wonderful event.  After 5 or 6 cocktails… it was a Liiitttllee hard to get up in the morning.

We had big plans to visit the suburbs, however, so there was no time to waste.  It was the PERFECT day to spend outside by the pool.  Bailey thoroughly enjoyed rolling around in the mud pits that have accumulated from all of the rain we have been getting.

She was pissed when we had to give her a cold hose bath.  Basically, she participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

P.s. I saw this on insta this weekend and couldn’t stop laughing…

I can’t even.

 

Turkey Bacon, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash

Hello! Hello!

It’s been a rainy couple of days here in Chicago which just makes me want to stay in bed and snuggle with Bailey.  This morning when I rolled over to see if she wanted to go outside, I got the ‘leave me alone’ look and thus I rolled back under the covers.  While I appreciate cooler days in the summer here and there because of the lack of central air conditioning in my apartment, cool weather + rain, just ain’t right.  No one likes to run or do activities in cold rain, which means we are all forced to go back indoors and face… the DREADMILL.

It’s been a ‘coon’s age’, as my friend Cassie would say, since I have been to my gym due to the awesome weather we have had and amount of activities I have scheduled outdoors.  Can’t say I really missed the gym, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the Xsport by Piper’s Alley had gotten a little face lift since I had been last.  Also, they hand you a towel when you walk in rather than you helping yourself which is good because there were many times over the winter when they were completely out upon my arrival.

Since I was not really please I was having to do my workout indoors, I stuck with a quick 35 minute tempo run on the treadmill.  I alternated between speeds of 6.8, 7.0 and 8.0 to give my tush a little push and lift.

After my run, I headed to the mats to stretch, per usual, and did an awesome AB workout from Tone It Up!

On my way home, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for dinner.  Earlier in the day I had seen Iowa Girl Eat’s recipe for a Crispy Kale, Bacon and Basil Farmer’s Market Hash, and knew I wanted to make something similar to it with the ingredients that were available in my pantry.  So alas, this is what I came up with:

Turkey Bacon, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash

*Modified from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 strips of turkey bacon, diced
• 2 organic eggs
• 3 cups of kale, torn into small pieces
• 5 large basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Hot sauce – garnish
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. butter

Directions

1. Add the diced turkey bacon to a large skillet and sauté until crisp in 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Drain the crispy turkey bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

2. Add the butter and diced sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until browned.

3. Add 3 cups of kale and saute until wilted.

4. Throw the turkey bacon back into the pan with the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes on medium – high heat

4. While the hash is finishing, fry up two eggs in a separate pan

5. Plate the hash and top with one or two fried eggs as desired

6. Garnish with a dash of hot sauce and enjoy!

 

Xmas Came Late & Running Mile 8

Good morning, friends!  I hope you all enjoyed the weekend!

I was very much looking forward to my Saturday all of last week as I finally got to use one of Brian’s Christmas gifts that he gave me – A wine tasting tour in Michigan!

He got a deal on the tour through Living Social, so I was not really sure what to expect going into the day.  I was pleasantly surprised, however, when we got downtown Saturday morning and saw a giant coach bus waiting for our arrival.  I will just say off the bat that everything about the tour, hosted by Cannonball Productions, was so well organized.  I was glad to see that having a bathroom on a bus full of winos was a top priority!

It took us two hours to get to our first winery – Lemon Creek.  We were immediately ushered into their tasting room where we got to sample five of their wines including their signature ‘ice wine’ for $3 extra.  Have you ever heard of ice wine?  I hadn’t either, but apparently it is a very popular staple in Michigan.  The grapes are picked during a chilly night – harvested at less that 17 degrees Fahrenheit.  Each of the grapes that are picked only create ONE drop of ice wine.  Since it is so concentrated, the wine is super sweet and is termed ‘The Nectar of the Gods’.  I’m not a huge fan of sweet wine, so this wasn’t really my thing, but Brian had no problem finishing off my pour 🙂

We were able to spend 45 – 50 minutes at each winery and although that sounded like a long time initially, the day seemed to go by very fast!  Lemon Creek was good, we enjoyed their Chardonnay and Dry Rose, but their pours were the smallest of the bunch…

Next on the tour was Baroda Founders Winery.  We were able to get a tour of the production room before our tasting and lunch began.  The owner himself gave us a tour and showed us how they make their most popular wine – Luce Del Sole ( which means sunshine).  I very much enjoyed the tour and that specific wine that he poured for us himself, but unfortunately I did really care for anything else that I tried there.

The final two wineries on the tour were my absolute favorite: St. Julian and Round Barn.  The woman who was assisting Brian and I with our tasting at St. Julian was phenomenal.  My favorite of our six tastings was their Syrah and I may or may not have taken home three bottles! Did I mention that their pours were over double the size of Lemon Creek?  Win!

My favorite part of Round Barn, however, was not their wine.  It was their signature bourbon and beer.  We also got six tastings there, as well as a souvenir tasting glass and the woman who took care of me could just tell that I was in need of a grand finale tasting.  She had a bourbon cocktail that literally knocked my socks off – psych! I wasn’t wearing any socks 😉  She had mixed their bourbon with one of their apple wines that had been mulled for hours and OMG it was like heaven in a glass – the perfect drink for a fall day.

While I got my bourbon on in the main tasting room, Brian ended his tour at the brewery.  Their beers were equally as delicious and Brian got a growler for us to enjoy on the bus ride back to Chicago.

 

Our Loot!

I would highly recommend this tour to everyone!  For $75 you get round trip transportation, copious amounts of wine, free lunch and a bunch of new friends.  I was also grateful that the tour got us back into the city by 6:00 p.m. as I had plenty of time to recover before my eight mile training run the next day!

I was surprisingly not too dehydrated when I woke up on Saturday, but I made sure to drink plenty of water and eat tons of protein to get my body up to par.

Lindsay and I both knew that there was a possibility we would be running during a Thunderstorm, but Mother Nature was pretty good to us!  Since we knew it was windy along the lakeshore path, we routed ourselves through the Lakeview, Roscoe Village and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.  With Lindsay’s wedding coming up in the fall, we always have so much to talk about that the run goes by quickly.  I swear she is the best running buddy, I don’t even bother bringing headphones anymore.

I felt pretty good after the run, my hamstrings and butt were super tight so I made sure to spend extra time stretching those out.

The rest of the night was spent on the couch eating DELICIOUS Thai food and watching Game of Thrones – EEEKKKKK!

Meal Planning vs. Whole Foods

Yesterday was a great Monday (which doesn’t happy a lot, right?)!  It was announced at work that I would be receiving a promotion, my coworkers brought in Glazed and Infused donuts and I scored free Cubs tickets from my super generous co workers for tonight’s game vs. the Pirates.  I wish every week could start out as well as yesterday did!

Since work started off so well, the day flew by.  On my lunch break, I had the chance to spend some time outside and stop by a local Starbucks for a mid-day treat.  Instead of bringing it right back to the office, I took some time to plan out my meals for the week.

Meal Plan:

Monday: Chicken, sweet potato fries and salad

Tuesday: Balsamic salmon, quinoa and asparagus

Wednesday: Turkey tacos

Thursday: Out to dinner – fundraising event

Friday: Shrimp fra diavolo

Saturday: Chopped salads

Sunday: Take out/wing it

Lately I have been super disappointed in the produce that has been at my local Trader Joe’s.  I have been reading lots of bloggers posts on meal planning and was surprised to see that some of them were able to score just as much produce/goods for the week at Whole Foods as they were if they would have shopped at Trader Joe’s.  Could this be?  I had to try it myself.  With the plan above, here was my list for the week:

Produce:

• Lettuce (Organic)
• Tomatoes (Organic)
• Cucumber (Organic)
• Bell Peppers (Organic)
• Asparagus
• Avocado (2)
• Sweet Potatoes (2) (Organic)
• Lemons (2)
• Limes (2)
• Jalapenos (4)
• Bananas

Meat:

• Eggs (Organic)
• Chicken (Organic)
• Ground Turkey (Organic)

Frozen

• Shrimp

Dairy

• Greek yogurt (Organic)
• Cheddar Cheese

Canned

• Tomato Paste (Organic)
• Crushed Tomatoes (Organic)
• Diced Tomatoes (Organic)

Bread

• Qunioa Pasta
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Grand Total: $81.44

Not too shabby!! I have easily spent that much if not more at Trader Joe’s.  I was really happy with my loot and glad I took the time to plan the week ahead so that I will have enough for dinners and leftovers for lunch.  So what was the secret?  Staying on the ‘parameter’ of the grocery store allowed me to steer clear of overpriced processed foods that I just did not need!

Last nights dinner – BIG WIN.

After I got home from the grocery store, I spent a lot of time on my yoga mat stretching.  Sunday after my run, I used my Zensah compression sleeves to help aid my recovery and I swear they work wonders.  According to their website, here are the benefits that come with compression:

 

(Yes, my left foot is bigger than my right foot)

Enhanced blood circulation as a result of improved venous return.
The deoxygenated blood goes back to the heart faster, which in turn helps to improve blood flow of oxygen rich blood back to the body.

Faster recovery following strenuous exercise and improved performance by aiding in the removal of blood lactate.
Reducing blood lactate concentration during maximal exercise bouts, allows for an increased lactic threshold. Studies have shown that athletes with a high lactate threshold perform better.

Enhanced warm-up via increases in skin temperature.

Reduced muscle oscillation/vibration upon ground contact, providing stability to the muscle help prevent microtrauma to the muscles, making for a faster and easier recovery.

Reduced effects of delayed onset muscle soreness in the days following strenuous exercise through alleviating swelling and inflammation.

Increased muscle support, which increases performance through improved muscle efficiency.

Improved leg power and vertical jump through enhanced proprioception.

Although I do not use my compression sleeves after every workout, I do try and make a point to use them after or during my long runs – ESPECIALLY when I am increasing mileage gradually.  It may be a mental thing as well, but I just FEEL better when I slip them on after my shower – the same kind of comfort you get after taking an ice bath.  PLUS, they come in a variety of fun colors which I am a huge fan of.

Do you use compression garments? 

Of possible interest:

Lunch al Desko: Upgrade Your Midday Meal

2014 Shamrock Shuffle 8k

Hello, hello!

This past Sunday I ran the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle for my third year in a row.  The race is one of my favorite for many reasons:

– It is the ‘official’ start to race season

– You get to run through the River North/Downtown Loop neighborhoods

– It is usually the start of warmer weather

– People always have awesome outfits

This year I was in the first wave of runners – corral D that started at 8:30 a.m.  Brian and I got down to the starting area with plenty of time for me to take pictures and visit the beloved porta potties 🙂  Brian did not run the race with me this year, but he always loves to come and watch for the post race celebration.

I was a little nervous lining up at the start because I had just ended an amazing week long vacation in which I ate and drank … A LOT.  I did manage to get a bunch of runs/workouts in, but nothing over 3.5 miles.  Needless to say, I was just going to enjoy the run and not go into it hoping for a PR.

Bank of America sponsored races are always very well organized, so the race started exactly on time and we were off!

As I mentioned earlier, the route is one of my favorites.  First we ran north from Grant Park towards the River North area and then turned West all the way down to State Street.  Then we swung a left and ran south all the way down State passing the famous Chicago Theatre!

Once we hit Jackson st. we ran west again passing my work and the Chicago Board of Trade.

It’s funny running by work when I’m not actually going IN the building 🙂

At Lasalle we turned right and went north until we got to Monroe… there were a few more twists and turns after that – you get the idea.  Eventually we were back on Michigan Ave. headed south towards Roosevelt Rd. and the infamous ‘final stretch hill’.  Right before “the hill” I saw this runner with an AWESOME sign pinned on her back.

hehehehe

The whole time I was running I was totally in the zone and enjoying the awesome sunny weather and the 30,000 runners/spectators.  I honestly was not even paying attention to my time, but I ended up running a pretty decent race!

43:34

Better than last year’s Shamrock Shuffle time, but not a new 8k PR.  I was a happy camper nonetheless, and ready for some BEER.

Brian and I spent about an hour sipping on some light beer and taking in the spectacular view.

I love you, Chicago.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day (plus, my last day before heading back to work – boo). This relaxing state included and awesome brunch we threw together full of scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, mimosas and fresh pineapple.

Hit. The. Spot.

I also took the time to plan out my training plan for the month of April.

I cannot believe how quickly the first quarter of the year went by!  My mileage is starting to rack up and I am pumped to start running my long runs with my good ol’ running buddy – the other LINDSAY!  I’m not sure how you train for a half marathon or full marathon without a running buddy.  So much motivation!

Great news friends… IT’S HUMP DAY!  Cheers!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

I don’t know if its because it’s been cold out everyday since November, or if my taste buds are just changing, but I have been craving pancakes almost every weekend.  This is weird for me because I am usually much more of a savory craver than sweet – ie: eggs, toast, bacon, etc.

This past weekend I was really craving some pancakes when I woke up sick.  I had just enough energy to make these delicious Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes:

Makes: 12 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

1. Mix together the flour and baking soda in a bow and set aside
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, milk, salt and brown sugar until combined.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and fold in the fresh blueberries
3. Place a flat grill pan (or skillet) over medium heat and spray lightly with olive oil (I use olive oil in everything, deal with it!)
4. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter on the pan per pancake.  Cook until bubbly, flip and continue
5. Serve with your favorite toppings (pure maple syrup and Greek yogurt for me!)
6. ENJOY!

This recipe is sure to put a pep in your step on the weekends, or comfort any person who obtained a mysterious illness from the office 😉

Happy Humpday/Pay day!

This is how I fuel

Defeat.

It’s something that no one likes to deal with, but it’s something everyone has to accept.  Whether you grew up an athlete, mathlete, or was in band, you probably have experienced the feeling of defeat once in your life.

Tonight was the final round of indoor soccer playoffs.  We had a game at 8:35 p.m. that was against the fourth place team – we were ranked second.  It was a good, intense game, but we did defeat them.

Immediately after our first game, at 9:35 p.m. we played in the championship game.  Is this fair?  No.  Were we tired?  We had some energy left.  Did we win?  No.  Did we leave pissed and grumpy – nope – we were the last ones out on that field and had a great time hanging out in the aftermath.

Although it would have been really awesome to have customized sweatshirts that read ‘Champions’ on the back, it was a seriously awesome season.  Also, we really did play our best games.  Surprisingly, I was not as tired as I thought I would… and you want to know why?  Okay, I’ll tell you!  I consumed some pretty rockin fuel the past two days!

You knew this was coming, right?

Wednesday night after work, I headed to the gym to complete this awesome tempo/row workout:

I feel like a lot of people I know are too afraid or just don’t know how to use the row machine, but it is such a great piece of equipment to incorporate into your weekly routine.  Here’s the thing you guys, if you don’t know how to use a machine – ASK THE TRAINERS AT YOUR GYM.  You don’t have to pay them personal training fees or anything, they will be happy to show you how to do it properly.  Trust me.

After the gym I B-lined to one of my best friend Katie’s house to devour some delicious sushi.

It seems like everytime we hang out we order sushi and I love it because Brian hates it and I never order it!  Delicious fuel #1 – check!

Yesterday on my lunch break, my good work friend Priscilla and I headed out to Siena Tavern for lunch to treat ourselves in honor of our 3 year work anniversary.  Crazy how time flies.

We order the MUST order appetizer: Coccoli

Crispy light and airy dough, stracchino cheese, prosciutto di parma – all drizzed with truffled honey and pesto.  Uhhh yum.  The flavor combination is incredible, if you go here and don’t order this you are an idiot.

For our main meals we split the Kale Chicken Cesar Salad which was light and delicious with so many great textures, plus the Pappardelle with Bolognese Sauce.

Nom nom nom.

This is a little heavier that I typically do for lunch, but I knew that there was a 99% chance I would be playing back-to-back soccer games, so I was okay with it 😉

To top off the night with wonderful fuel, Brian and I created some bomb-ass open faced sandwiches for dinner:

Toasted whole wheat sourdough, pesto, arugula, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, avocado and… a fried egg.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Needless to say, I was ready for the game.

Have you been doing a good job fueling your body?

5 Things to Start Your Day

1. Last night, my coed soccer team won our first round in the playoffs!

It was a really intense game, we ended up going in out sudden death overtime.

2. This recipe from Olives n’ Wine is rockin’.  Brian and I made it last night and had absolutely no problem finishing the entire thing.

I even topped mine with a little hot sauce for an extra kick!

3. This quote Fitfluential posted rocks my world.

4. IT’S GOING TO BE A BALMY 42 DEGREES IN CHICAGO TOMORROW!  A FREAKIN’ HAPPY CHANGE FROM THIS:

Everyday in the office the weather is pretty much the only topic of conversation that I hear. Fact.

5. Chipotle might be pulling guacamole from their menu.

Stupid climate change…

And that’s it – there isn’t anymore.

Things I’m Loving… Huevos Rancheros Edition

In honor of Fat Tuesday, I’m sharing one of my favorite delicioso recipes.

It’s no secret that I like to eat… and cook, but sometimes I find myself getting into a ‘cooking rut’.  I buy things at Trader Joe’s in which I know I can make meals out of, which sometimes causes little variety.  This is especially true for breakfast.  In my weekly grocery haul I pick up the basics: bananas, eggs, turkey bacon and bread.  Which leaves me some room to make pancakes, eggs, eggs, eggs and toast… you get the picture 😉  A couple weekends ago, I vowed to try and make something different and was really craving Tex-Mex.  I’ve had Huevos Rancheros many times at some of my favorite brunch spots, but have never tried to recreate it.

Why?

I have know damn idea.

Lots of people make this dish many different ways, and this is in no way authentic, but it hits the spot for me and I am loving it lately.

Let me start by saying… I do not use exact measurements with this dish because some days I want one and some days I want two and some days I use whatever is in the fridge, but here is my usual serving for one:

Ingredients 

• 1 6″ Corn Tortilla
• 1 Tbs. Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (maybe more – I like it cheesy)
• 1 Fresh Egg
• 2 Tbs. Black Beans (or refried beans, whatever your vice is)
• 1 Tbs. Salsa or Pico
• Salt & Pepper
• Garnishes: Sliced Jalapeno, Hot Sauce, Scallions, Avocado… whatever your heart desires!

1. Start by lightly spraying a sauté pan with olive oil and heat the corn tortilla
2. When the tortilla is golden, flip and heat on the other side
3. While the tortilla is finishing up, lightly oil a second non-stick skillet and crack your egg in it
4. Cook the egg how you prefer – I tend to like over easy or over medium – the broken yolk is the best part! Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. Sprinkle the Cheddar Cheese on top of the tortilla and let it melt slightly
6. Add the beans on top of the cheese
7. Top the beans with the cooked egg and transfer to a plate
8. Top your Rancheros with desired garnishments
9. EAT UP!

Again, this recipe is not rocket science, and I am no Tex-Mex expert, but boyyyyyyyy has this been a delicious addition to my weekend.

Enjoy, friends!

I’m Back!

Guys, I’m back – I know you missed me.

Things have been crazy around here between Open Enrollment with work and holiday festivities, I decided to take a bit of a media cleanse.  Instead of waking up – going to work – gym – dinner – blogging – bed.  My days looked more like waking up – gym – going to work – glass of wine – enjoying time off – bed.

I really needed that extra hour or two I would normally spend blogging each night to just unwind after a crazy day.  I am happy to report that I am back feeling fully rested and excited to share some of my recent happenings and future endeavors.

Food Wise

I’ve been enjoying my usual delicious meals and happened to snag a few photo bites while on my “cleanse”.

Healthy stuff like salads from Noodles & Company after a long day of shopping with friends:

Spicy Chicken bites with a pile of veggies on the side (yes, I will share this delicious recipe with you once I’ve perfected the spice combo – seriously they are so addictive):

Fresh Omelets made to order by one of my best friends:

And of course some unhealthy indulgences like these churros from Xoco where my parents and I grabbed a late night bite:

It was actually my first time dining at Xoco, I have been to Rick Bayless’s Frontera and Topolobampo, but never the smaller more affordable place (makes sense, not..)  I was extremely impressed with the level of service at Xoco even though it was not his flagship restaurant.  I ordered the short rib soup in a red chile broth that came to the table without the short rib the first time around.  The manager of the restaurant immediately came over and apologized and explained that this is not the standard they try to maintain at.  He then offered dessert and coffee on the house and how could we resist?  Along with the churros he delivered sample sizes of their famous Mexican hot chocolate and oh my it was to die for.

Workout Wise

I’ve still been working out everyday – there’s not cleanse from that.  My gym is starting to become more and more crowded as the cold creeps in so my early morning workouts are now a must.

A lot of treadmill runs have been completed and the Nike Training Club App is still a favorite.  I am running a Turkey Trot next week on Thanksgiving Day and checked the weather today to see what is in store – a high of 35 degrees.  Looks like I may need to do a couple outside practice runs so that my lungs can get used to the cold weather.

Fun Wise

I enjoyed watching the Bears beat the Ravens last week

… but not until after the severe weather delay.  As many of you know, there were several severe tornado outbreaks in the central part of Illinois that caused a lot of damage and took a heavy toll on some of the local communities.  The storm was not that bad out where I was in Chicago, in fact, after it had passed we went outside and only a few branches had fallen from the trees.

We were fortunate.  For a while the weatherman predicted that Chicago would end up being in the tornado’s path, but it shifted at the last minute.

On another note, can you guys believe that next week is Thanksgiving?  I’m super pumped mainly because I love to eat, but also because my sister will be in town as well as some of my other relatives, it’s BRIAN’S BIRTHDAY on blackout Wednesday and my best friend, Stacey’s birthday on Black Friday.  So much celebrating ahead of me!

Until tomorrow, friends!