Nuge livin' Huge

Rockin' and Rollin'!

2010-04-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Things were shaken up this weekend, in more ways than one. On Friday I finally went back to Road Runner Sports in Laguna Hills to see about new/different shoes/orthotics for my injury. I've been having pain that runs from the inside of my ankle (right above that funny bone that sticks out) to about the middle of my leg, halfway between my shin and calf. Trying to massage it doesn't help that much, because I can tell the pain is deep in there, I can't even get to it. Stretching it is comical because I look stupid trying to figure out the best way to do it...I've had little success in that as well.

So, I went in and told the guy my problem, and he suggested new orthotics. He suspected that it was a foot positioning problem rather than a shoe problem, so there you go. I could definitely feel that arch supported more, and although they felt fine, it was pretty hard to tell the difference just trotting around in the store. However, Saturday morning during our run I DEFINITELY felt the problem. Not only did the issue with the ankle/inside calf/shin/I don't know what to call it magnify, but my left ankle started hurting. Frick! I was so incredibly proud of myself the week before, because I went 8 miles, mainly running, and I felt great after. Here is a picture of us coming back to base camp...I look like crap (plus I look like I'm doing the "bend and snap" from Legally Blonde). But I just ran 8 miles, so I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. I love how both Joe and I have our eyes closed...and the fact that everyone there calls us Mr. and Mrs. Nuge! :)So to go one week and barely be able to jog, it was so disheartening. :( I tried my best to run, figuring I could power through it, but the pain just shot right up into my knee with every step. So, I told Joe we had to walk it. One of the trainers had to work, so she had headed back earlier than most of the pack, and when she came across us, she refused to let me go any further. Boo. I'm sure at the time it was for the best...I'm not a runner, I've never dealt with these kinds of injuries before, I had no idea how to fix it, and it was only getting worse. So that was the end of my Saturday training...I made it 2.5 miles. I plan on calling Coach Paul tomorrow and asking what's up.

So, Saturday night we went down to the beach house, since everyone was going to be attending 9:00 Easter Mass at St. Edwards, and I wanted to see Vince for the short time he was here. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and it was so fun having everyone there. We even got a glimpse of the Easter Bunny!

There is a mama and baby bunny currently living underneath our deck, and they couldn't have been more cute. Holly and Anthony apparently named the mama bunny Cinderella, and somehow from there the baby became Bella. Too cute...holidays are so fun when you have kids around who think of stuff like that. Everyone started taking off a little before 3:00, so my Dad, Mom, Vince, and I all went into the living room to relax and enjoy the view. Joe went in the back part of the house to call his family and wish them all a happy Easter.

Our house sits about 30 yards from some very busy railroad tracks, and living there for 20 years, you just sorta get used to it. I can't tell you how many times I've thought it's been an earthquake, and nope...just a train. This time, I wasn't hearing an engine. It was about .2 seconds before we all started to look each other and come to the realization that this was an earthquake. The whole front of the bottom part of the house is windows...very, very large windows. Standing 2 feet from them, I finally took a hint and said, "I'm going outside!" Sure, you're not supposed to run outside during an earthquake, but really? I'm standing next to a 20'x10' piece of glass. Sand with nothing around me sounded like a more reasonable alternative. So of course, the family followed suit, and pretty soon Joe came running out, too, still clutching the phone, aka his brother in Idaho who is wondering what the heck is going on. Wow. Did that thing feel like it lasted forever...one of the cool things about going outside during an earthquake is seeing the earth actually move. Telephone poles swayed a good 1.5-2 feet, hanging plants were transformed into pendulums. What a sight!

There's a couple concerns being at the beach during an earthquake: one, the sand isn't exactly granite...those shockwaves blow right through and really shake you up. Two, call me paranoid, but tsunamis start to run through your brain. We could tell it was a good sized quake, and when we went to go check out the news on it - no power. How are we supposed to know whether or not this happened a few miles out in the ocean? No bueno. Sometimes you don't realize how much you take electricity and other modern conveniences for granted when a situation like this happens. Luckily, cars still work, so the five of us looked like a bunch of dopes sitting around the car listening to AM radio.

Well, luckily it wasn't a harmful quake but it definitely got my heart pumping! Maybe God was just trying to give us a little reminder about how Jesus shook up the world on Easter? I'd like to think so...

Little car is back!

2010-03-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I've missed my car! I really do love my car, especially after what it's been through. Refresher: a couple days before Christmas, we were getting the house painted before move-in, and I asked Vince to help me bring some ladders over from my parents' house since he was home on Christmas vacation...er, excuse me, Winter Break. (Those Santa Cruz hippies don't like any religious holiday affiliations :/) ha Anyway, we're coming down Alicia Parkway, I look in my rearview mirror, boom. I saw it coming so it wasn't that bad, but I was hysterical because I didn't know if Vince was okay or not. I didn't care that he had hit me, I wanted to know he was okay. He felt terrible, but honestly...I was more glad he hit me than someone else.

Moving forward, as I said my brother was driving a truck. A GMC Canyon to be exact. They're not the biggest trucks out there, but they're decent sized:

His truck had to be TOWED. A truck plowed into my little Volvo at about 35 miles an hour, and this is the damage my car sustained:

Pretty incredible, huh? It definitely made me a believer in the safety of Volvos. Those Swedes know what they're doing. One cool thing about having my car in the shop? Since it wasn't my fault, USAA covered the cost of a rental car during that time. I was given a Ford Edge:

I learned to drive an Explorer with my permit, and I drove a Thunderbird when I was in high school and became acquainted with the "Fix Or Repair Daily" brand back then, so I wasn't thrilled to get this car. Then again, after I bought my S40 I found out Ford owns Volvo, so that conviction sort of went out the window. Well...I was very pleasantly surprised. This was a super fun car to drive, and even Joe liked it enough to consider it when Big Red goes. FYI, Big Red is his Nissan Altima that is a BOAT and acts like it's going to die every other day. Hans (our mechanic) practically gets a visit from Big Red every month. Ooof. So anyway, it was really fun. So spacious, Millie LOVED it because she had her own space in the back and got to look out the window. Don't tell Enterprise, I wasn't supposed to have pets in the car...whoopsies. I'm sure if they saw her though, they would understand. :) So I admit that I was a little sad to give it back, but I'm glad I got it. It restored my faith in American cars again, and gave me something to look forward to when Big Red dies..........godspeed with that!

So believe it or not, we're going to Vegas in the morning! haha I know I know, everyone asks us how we do it. It seems like we just got back from Vegas. However, this is a very special occasion - we're celebrating Vincent's 21st! I'm pumped to be with him in Vegas for his first time there. Mom & Pops are coming, and although going with his parents and older sister probably isn't ideal for him, I'm just excited to see my little brother and hang out. I miss him way too much when he's up at school, so when he is home I like to see him every chance I get.

We were bad little runners today and skipped out on practice. I feel so selfish now for doing it...thinking about the people who have leukemia or lymphoma...when they wake up and don't feel like doing something, there is no choice for them. They have to deal with it whether they like it or not. I'm so lucky to have my health, and hope that I continue to remember why I'm doing this and what it means for those who don't.

Thank you again to all of our friends and family who have donated. You ARE making a difference and giving people fighting chances to beat out deadly cancers. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does so much to support research and the development of new drugs and treatments...because of organization like LLS, patients' odds with leukemia have nearly flipped in the last two decades. Please remember to check out our website and track our progress at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ocie/rnr10/NugentsontheRun. Go Team!

100 days and counting!

2010-03-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

It's official - only 100 days left until the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon! That seems SO long, but like everything else these days, it is sure to go by quickly. *sigh* The course was revealed; however, never having been to Washington before, I have no idea where these places are. But the official website was helpful and even went over the terrain. Should be a great way to see Seattle!

I've been sick as a dog for the last week, and just started feeling better today. I didn't do our Saturday workout, which was 6 miles. There was no way I felt good enough to get up at 6:45 and run. It started last Tuesday, I had that sore throat feeling, except it was behind my nose. Yuck! I hate it, because these days when I get sick, my sinuses get a beating. Apparently that's become my target organ now. So I was down for the count a couple days...it made me very appreciative that I had worked out in Vegas when we were there, since it would have been over a week of not being active had I not done it. Even now, just missing those few days makes such a difference. I feel so out of shape!

Speaking of Vegas, it was INCREDIBLE. How cool is it that I had 10 of my closest friends celebrating my birthday in Vegas with me??? And to boot, a group that is made up of some of the most fun-loving people on the planet who go with the flow and get along. It was amazing. The rain couldn't dampen our spirits, we absolutely made the most of that trip...it's a wonder I'm even surprised I got sick. Often birthdays turn into overplanned, underorganized events that turn out to be a disappointment, but everything was perfect...and I definitely have to give some of that credit to my handsome hubby. He pulled out all the stops, and I consider this to be my best birthday yet, and probably will for a long time. It will be hard to beat.

We all met up at the condo Pedram, Rah and we were renting to have some drinks and mingle. From there, a limo took us to dinner at The Palazzo...

We went to SushiSamba, which has made it on my list of all-time favorites. Delicious!!! My favorite thing there is the Maya Roll (see below), which is shrimp tempura, avocado, and tomato...doesn't seem very exciting except that it is served with tomatillo salsa. AMAZING! It gives it this whole other layer of taste, and for some reason makes it so incredibly refreshing. I love me some sushi, but all that salt in most of the Japanese sauces is ridiculous. If you're ever at The Palazzo, check it out. Great atmosphere and reasonable prices for The Strip. Also try the Peruvian corn - out of this world in size and taste!

Of course, no meal with me is complete without a dessert. A special thank-you shout out to my OC crew who hooked me up with (debatably) the best birthday cake in the history of all birthday cakes. I can't wait to go back to Las Vegas just so I can go to Retro Bakery. I aspire to make something this delectable someday. It was a decadent chocolate cake with mint green buttercream frosting filling and covering it. I just can't think of any words to do it justice...Heaven? Divine? Orgasmic? Excellent choice on the cake, Ali!

When I first started planning this Vegas trip, it didn't seem right that it happen without going to LOVE at The Mirage. Okay, so I've seen it twice before but this is without question my favorite thing in Vegas, and I could see it 200 more times and never get sick of it. If you're a true Beatles fan, you're smiling the entire time and wondering when you're going to go back to see it. When they start layering three tracks on top of each other it trips me out. The Beatles are more than just a band, great musicians or revolutionaries of rock to me. They got me through high school. Those formative years that were so awkward and lonely, those were tough times. I didn't have a lot of friends, boys couldn't have been less interested in me...every night I sat on my room floor by my stereo (usually crying about gosh knows what) and listened to The Beatles. And somehow, when I hear songs that I went through phases of loving, I'm transported to those days with a rosy retrospect. Those were the good ol' days. Amazing how music does that, huh? Their music always made me happy...it was a rough time, but I was strong-headed back then, and knew that I would look back on it all someday and realize it was silly to ever be concerned about such insignificant things. Well, I was right, but who knew I would look back on those days and think about how good I had it? Ha! It seemed like I didn't have a care in the world...there was no responsibility, no bills to pay, no marriage to invest work in. Youth is wasted on the young, I guess...

Everyone seemed to love the Beatles show, which made me happy since it was something I really wanted to share with all of them. I told them to consider it my birthday gift to them for the year, as they were so caring to come celebrate my birthday with me. Saying it was unforgettable is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm so lucky I have such a wonderful memory to cherish.

The next day we were all kind of on our own, and later that night my cousin Sarah and her husband Zach showed up. MAJOR PROPS to them, because Zach didn't get off work until 6:00 and then they drove from Orange County out to Vegas. There was NO way I was going to let their trip all be for naught, so I knew we had to step up and kick it into high gear. I am proud to say we succeeded and had a blast while doing it! They are SO much fun, and were great sports after making the trip out because I'm sure they had to have been tired as well. We headed to Caesars where we had some fun, took some pictures (goofy face example above...however, I'm convinced I'm the only one who really stepped up for that one) and Sarah got her first taste of slots.

We sat down at some slots near some women who were out to have as much fun as us, so we got to talking to them and such, and they told us they had seen a celebrity. Hmm, okay, kind of cool but really I'm not a starstruck person. One of them said, "He was just in that movie, the She's Not So Into You, or She Doesn't Really Like You," so I said, "Oh, He's Just Not That Into You," and they said, "Yes, that's the one!" So of course, I'm thinking...Ben Affleck? Or better, Bradley Cooper??? No, and no. So I said, "Kevin Connolly? The guy who's in Entourage?" No, not him. They described him, and I said, "You mean the guy in the Mac commercials?" Finally I guessed it. Raheleh and Sarah didn't think it was a big deal, but I started freaking out and said, "Do you KNOW who his girlfriend is???" So...if you don't know this about me already, I LOVE...like LOOOOVE Drew Barrymore. I had a chance to meet her once and totally froze up like an idiot. She sat on my parents' bench in front of their house and I just freaked out...I think she caught a glimpse of me in the corner of her eye and thought I was getting upset that she was sitting there, because she got up, had an embarrassed look and waved her hand in a "Oops, sorry" motion. Ahh, so sad! From then, I told myself I would never miss an opportunity to meet her. So it wasn't that I really wanted to meet Justin Long, but I really wanted to meet Drew Barrymore. So of course, Miss Social Butterfly Sarah goes right up to him, but he was on the phone so he walked away, and she approached his bodyguard and asked if we could meet him, that her cousin loved him and it was her birthday. Hmmm...scandalous. :) haha Long story short, he met us, and was SUUUUPER nice, he even gave me a birthday hug! Alas, no Drew, though. Oh well...the night was still a huge success, but when we were cashing out at our final destination, Gold Coast (the best casino EVER), Zach lifted his arm and pointed to his watch at which time we all saw it was 5:15! By the time we got in the cab, back to the condo, brushed teeth and pulled the covers up, it was getting light outside. Now THAT is a great birthday...I definitely showed 30 I'm not old yet.

Dealing with a Breakup

2010-03-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

Vancouver has left me. I knew it was coming to an end, but I wanted it to last forever. :( I love the Olympics! I sat down to watch TV tonight and felt lost...what am I to watch?!? Well, now that the Olympics are over, I won't be watching much. We decided to go back to our "hour per day" until Lent is over. Oof.

One reason I was really into the Olympics this time around was the motivation I got for our marathon training. To think of how disciplined and dedicated these athletes are is rather incredible. I know they made a big fuss over Lindsey Vonn, but having to push through pain like that is inspiring to me. Every time I run, I feel like I can't make it one more second...and that's only on a 3 minute interval! This is something I've really been struggling with lately, and I think it's mainly because I get bored and all I can focus on is how much longer I have left in the interval, how much more distance I have to go, etcetera before a walk break. I need to start pushing through. The other day on the treadmill I warmed up walking for a couple minutes then went into a nice jog with shorter, lower strides and I went 3/4 of a mile before I'd realized it. I don't think I've ever just jogged a mile without stopping...I'm getting closer!

The other loss I'm preparing for is Wednesday...my 20s go bye-bye. I will definitely miss them, they treated me right. I think the 30s will be interesting; it seems like they will hold a lot of answers for me and adventures that will transform my life. Right now, I'm most excited for traveling. We will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary in October and haven't taken a nice long vacation together since then. I can't complain too much, we do take lots of little vacations which I love, but I'm ready. I'm ready to get out of the country, I'm ready to explore more of the world. Bora Bora blew me away because I never thought a place could look like that. Sure, I saw the postcards and posters, but I needed to experience it for it to be real. If/when I make it to Italy, that will be one of the happiest days of my life...and hopefully that day will be sooner rather than later.

Of course, many women start having children in their 30s, and this issue is something I will probably be facing more and more as time goes on. The pressure's been off for a while, with Mark & Heather having Sophia, and now Joe's sister Susie about to pop any day. But eventually the baby questions will start flooding in again, and I'll admit it's something I've been thinking about more and more. Just to be clear, read that as THINKING about it, not GOING TO. There are so many things to consider, and usually I draw the conclusion that I'm still not ready, and I'm definitely okay with this because Joe is on the same page. We enjoy each other right now, and enjoy the fun and spontaneous things we get to do together. Just as I am unsure about having a family right now, I want to be that same bit sure that is what I want when the time comes. If we reach that point where we discover that having a family is that missing puzzle piece, then we'll find that piece and complete the picture. But now, we're having fun searching for other pieces, putting big chunks together to build up other areas of our lives, and it's hard to say whether or not we'll need that piece.

Wednesday night we'll be heading out to Las Vegas! I'm so excited for this trip I can't even concentrate on anything else! It'll be so nice to have a day or so to ourselves, and then fire up for when everyone gets there! The fact that 10 of my closest friends would come to Vegas to celebrate with me is more than any birthday present I can think of. I'm sure there will be fun stories to tell...next time you hear from me, I'll be 30!!!

Canadian Imports

2010-02-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

One thing I am learning during these Olympics? Some of the coolest people hail from Canada! I've always joked that you probably get deported from Canada if you're not attractive and nice...apparently you need to be talented, too. But really, am I that far off? When I did a little research, I was literally shocked at how many people from this frozen tundra keep us entertained. haha Here is a list of some cool Canadians and why I am thankful for them:

Michael J. Fox - Back to the Future. On my list of Top 5 favorites of all-time, AND my favorite trilogy. I saw the Godfathers, but I like the happy stuff. They're so clever! I've seen them a million times, and every now and then I'll catch something new. Marty McFly will always be cool, and so will that black truck! And who didn't love Alex P. Keaton? I had a major crush on him...maybe that's what started my love for dorks?

Jim Carrey - He's totally goofy and probably borderline mental patient, but he walks that fine line between comic genius and asylum patient like a pro. I remember watching Ace Ventura for the first time...I had never seen anything like it, and I didn't know if I should laugh or be really offended. But when my mom started laughing hysterically, I was even more confused but the second time around, I was right there with her. Fifteen years later, I'm still quoting this movie.

Will Arnett - Maybe not as well known as some of the other guys on this list, but downright hilarious. His turn as GOB Bluth on Arrested Development was genius. He does characters that might be too unbelievable if played by someone else, but with perfect deadpan and just enough subtlety, he leaves you in stitches. If you haven't seen Arrested Development, I own all 3 seasons...I'll let you borrow them. He's equally funny on 30 Rock, but my only complaint is that he doesn't get enough screen time!

Michael Cera - Another Arrested Development alum, this lovable dork has an innocent charm that makes you root for him. Although he was only a young teenager during Arrested Development, it was easy to tell how talented of an actor he is. I'm praying that an Arrested Development movie is actually in the works!!!

Leslie Nielsen - Airplane is one of the funniest movies EVER. "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." If you can't appreciate this movie...I don't know what to say, something is wrong with you.

Ryan Reynolds - Do I need to explain why I love Ryan Reynolds? Oh well, I will anyway! Aside from being the most gorgeous man alive, he's a great actor. He totally surprises you in Smokin' Aces, and leaves you laughing, like the drooling-because-you're-laughing-so-hard-and-you've-had-your-mouth-open-too-long kind of drooling laughing during Waiting and Just Friends. Rent 'em.

Mike Myers - Canada sure likes to provide us with Saturday Night Live actors. Then again, the fact that Lorne Michaels is Canadian might have something to do with it. Now, you don't necessarily have to agree, but I'm just gonna throw this out there: Dr. Evil has to be in the Top 5, maybe even Top 3 funniest characters of all time. How does someone even come up with this stuff? Poor Mike Myers...had to stand there like a deer in the headlights when Kanye decided to mouth off during the Katrina telethon.

Phil Hartman - Ah, man. To think if this guy was still around today. What a tragedy that we lost him. He was easily the most talented person on SNL during the 90s. Think of all the brilliant characters he did: Sinatra, Clinton, the Caveman Lawyer. He could do it all and did it perfectly.

Dan Aykroyd - Who can forget the classic "Bag O' Glass" skit on Saturday Night Live? He's a hall-of-famer when it comes to comedy legends.

Here are some other Canadians that receive Honorable Mention:

Catherine O’Hara
Eugene Levy Rick Moranis
John Candy
Martin Short

Lorne Michaels

Caroline Rhea
Seth Rogen

Malin Akerman

Pamela Anderson

Paul Anka

Hayden Christensen

Neve Campbell

Sarah Chalke

Hume Cronyn

David James Elliott

Brendan Fraser

Robert Goulet

Tom Green

Joshua Jackson

Evangeline Lilly

Howie Mandel

Rachel McAdams

Sandra Oh

Ellen Page

Barry Pepper

Anna Paquin

Matthew Perry

Christopher Plummer

Jason Priestley

Keanu Reeves
William Shatner

Donald Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Alan Thicke

To learn about some other famous neighbors to the north, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadians

Well, it seems like the Canadians were very gracious hosts, and I don't know if it was those Visit BC commercials or what, but I'm totally ready to book my flight to Vancouver. What a gorgeous city, right? I love the Olympics and these Winter Games have been really fun to watch. Plus, it helps motivate me for our marathon in June. To think of how hard most of these athletes train (now, I loved watching me some Night Train, but I'm not sure if Steve Holcomb does much working out) was really inspiring. I sit on my caboose on the couch and can barely get myself up to work out, and these people probably don't know what a couch is!

So, I'm definitely having to suck it up sometimes and just deal with it. Getting myself to actually do it is the hardest part...I've noticed the workouts get easier and even though it's tough, it doesn't seem so bad when I'm finally done. We are officially up to 6 miles!!! Getting through six miles was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My lungs and cardio feel really good right now, but it's my ankles that force me to take walk breaks. They start hurting and I have to slow down. If it keeps up much longer, I might have to go back to Road Runner and see if I need to change my orthotics or shoes. Thankfully they have a 100% guarantee on all your shoes...I can wear them for 60 days, take them back and get a brand new pair if I feel like it. So, hopefully I can get that resolved soon because I feel like I'm incorporating a lot of the new techniques I'm learning but I've hit this obstacle now.

Last thing...I know I poked fun at Steve Holcomb's "huskiness," but I think he's frickin' awesome. If you don't know much about him, just watch this video and this is all you'll need to know. Enjoy...just try not to jump out of your seat and do the Holcy.

Pickin' up the Pace...

2010-02-26T23:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a great workout week! Running on our treadmill at home was getting a liiiiittle monotonous, so I got a 14-day pass at the 24 Hour Fitness down the street, which is an Agassi Super Sport. I'm not a huge fan of 24 Hour Fitness, but this gym is incredible! It has a 5-lane pool, basketball court, a pro shop and juice bar, towel service, and tons of machines that I have not had to wait 1 second to get on...always a plus! I've been working on my intervals, and I think it's helping tremendously. When we started working out with Team in Training a few weeks ago, I wondered how I would survive 13.1 miles. It's going to be tough no matter what, but I don't feel hopeless anymore; I feel like I'm really gathering the tools I'll need to survive this.

The first thing I'm learning is the importance of logging those miles and getting my body used to moving and working out. After the first week, my lungs felt TIRED. Remember as a kid when you would swim all day during the summer, and then you just felt exhausted and your chest hurt a little? It was like that, but I soon started to feel changes. The next time I had a hard run, my lungs felt stretched, like when you work out but your muscles feel good because of it. I've learned how to hold my chest when I'm taking walk breaks during a run, and it's amazing what a difference there is in the capacity I feel now. I can take a deep breath and feel the air fill up my whole body. I'm learning better breathing patterns, and if I concentrate on that for a bit, it helps time go by during runs. I'd say the biggest thing I've learned so far is how to maximize my strides, and by that I mean get the most out of them exerting the least amount of energy possible. We've been learning it is better to have shorter strides that are lower to the ground than long, high strides that bring you pounding back to the ground. It's weird teaching my body to run a different way than I've always known, but hopefully it will feel natural and more comfortable soon.

Aside from running on the treadmill, I've enjoyed using different types of ellipticals, simply because of the low impact on my knees and ankles. On an elliptical, I feel like I can go three times faster and longer than on a treadmill...it makes you realize how all that stress on your body makes you tire out much faster. It would be so nice to train this way the whole time, but of course that could never happen or I'd be completely unprepared for race day. But I was proud of myself today, I did 5 miles on the elliptical in an hour, so a 5 mph pace exceeds my expectations, but like I said, being out on the pavement is a whole other story.

This is a picture from our workout last weekend at Heritage Park. You can see Joe in a black & gray sweatshirt towards the upper right...I am standing next to him, but I'm a wee bit short, so it's hard to tell where I am. :) It doesn't look like there are many of us on the team, but this picture only shows about 1/4 of us, it's quite a big group.

So, aside from Team in Training, we are doing well and gearing up for my birthday next week! I still can't believe I've been around for 30 years. However, I'm SOOOOO excited about our trip to Vegas on Friday...to have some of my best friends there to help me celebrate is all I could really ask for. I'm sure there will be tons of pictures and stories to share when we return! But for now...I'll have to enjoy my last 5 days of my twenties.

4 miles in an hour! Must be my new super shoes...

2010-02-19T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, today I had a major breakthrough in my marathon training: I ran 4 miles in an hour, almost to the second! Granted, I did not run 4 mph the whole time, but I went fast when I felt I could and slow when I needed a break. I'm trying to stay positive and tell myself this is good and that I'm making progress...although I will admit I wonder how I'm ever going to survive 13.1 miles! Good gosh.

Last week at training, the slowest group above walking was a 13.5-14.5 minute mile, which made me a little nervous since I was more comfortable with a 16-17 minute mile. Yes, I'm slow, alright! But honestly, I'm NOT a runner. I've always hated running and said I don't run unless I'm being chased. I kept up okay in the beginning, but then I had to bring up that we were going way faster than the pace we were supposed to be, and luckily others agreed. We were running 5/1 intervals...we would run for 5 minutes and walk for 1. It seemed to be working pretty well, but it seemed like the longest 5 minutes and shortest 1 minute ever! I tried to push through the tiredness, and that is something I need to continue working on. It was my first run having hills, so I was proud that I did respectably with that new obstacle. Even though we were running at 8 in the morning, it was almost 80 degrees out by the time we were done, so a VERY sweaty run. We finished in about 45 minutes, so I was keeping a 4 mph pace, even though that was the hardest I'd pushed myself at that point.

When we got back, the sides of my calves and parts of my shins were killing me, so I really doubted I would ever be able to go as far as I need to in June. Luckily, our shoe clinic was held at Road Runner Sports in Laguna Hills right after our run, and I learned a LOT. I told them of the pain I was having, and they first recommended I get personalized orthotics. I was skeptical but kept an open mind. First, they made me walk across a pressure-sensitive mat that showed where I distributed weight when I walked. Contrary to what I believed, I distribute a lot of weight on the inside of my foot...the reason I thought different is because if you look at my other shoes, the outsides of the soles are more worn than the inside. Then, they told me to run at a comfortable pace on the treadmill while they filmed how my feet moved. Also an eye-opener! There were three foot positions they had informed us about: supination, neutral and pronation (as well as overpronation). Most people are either neutral or tend to pronate. During pronation and overpronation, your ankles buckle inward and can cause serious alignment problems. To correct this, you need a "stability" shoe, which usually has gray-colored foam on the sole of the shoe around the arch, which can reach all the way back to the heel depending on the degree of pronation. Supination is just the opposite, when your ankles tend to bow outward, causing added stress on your calves. This tendency requires a "motion control" shoe to serve as a brace for your foot and add more padding on the outside of the soles. Neutral runners don't need any special shoes, but may require insoles if their arch is too low or too high.

So where did I range? In the pronation bordering on overpronation division. Yikes! I thought for sure they would categorize me having supination. You learn something new everyday. It was so interesting watching the film of my feet, and seeing how my ankles collapse when I run. So, after having insoles formed to help my arch stay up, I was directed to the stability shoes. Now, I have been a New Balance girl for quite some time. When I find a brand of shoe I like, I tend to be very loyal. When there was no New Balance option for me, I was a little hesitant, but the guy helping me pretty much told me to get over it and I did. Ha! :) So after trying on a few, I really started to feel how different they were from my shoes, and even though the insoles felt weird, it was like I knew that's how it was supposed to feel. I ended up picking some spiffy white Asics with aqua blue accents on them, so they're pretty cool. I chose them because they really felt like they were part of my foot, almost like an extension of it, and that was what they told us to aim for. And after being lectured on how terrible cotton socks are (apparently it's not the fabric of our lives), I threw some special poly-blend socks that pull moisture away from my foot into the shopping cart. Your feet can sweat about a shotglass of fluid in an hour - that's without any activity! Grossness! So, hopefully the stink and dampness will be down to a minimum.

So, I got to try out my new shoes in Catalina...and they seem to make a difference! My honeybun took me to the Island of Romance for Valentine's Day, and I have to say it was the best one yet. We left from Newport around 9:30 on Sunday morning and arrived a little after 10:30, and were checked into our hotel by 11:15. I'll admit...I'm kind of obsessed with the Olympics, so I've been staying up veeery late watching them, so I haven't gotten much sleep in the last week. So, we decided to go wild when we got there so we......took a nap. Ha! We got up around 3, watched a little of the Olympics, and had to start getting ready for dinner. Well, apparently so was everyone else so the water in the shower was fuh-reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing! You could hear people yelling from their rooms that there was no hot water, the poor guy running the place was so nice and kept apologizing. I really didn't think there was much they could do, so I had to grin and bear it. Of course, two minutes after I got out they said they fixed the problem and there was hot water again. Doh! Oh well. We headed over to dinner at Villa Portofino, where we had a yummy caprese salad and some wine while we waited for our table, and then had a yummy Valentine's dinner - I ordered the gnocchi alla gorgonzola, Joe had the chicken piccata and they were both good. Then we made the trek over to the Casino, where Joe had bought us tickets for the Sweethearts' Dance. The band? Paperback Writer, a Beatles cover band!!! How perfect is that? I was very skeptical when we got there because it had already been going on about an hour and NO ONE was dancing. Not a one. Thankfully, we got some drinks at the bar, found a table to sit at, and by that point more and more people started dancing until there was a respectable group bustin' some moves. The night could not have been more perfect, there was just a sliver of a moon, so you could see the stars just splashed across the sky. It was cool but completely comfortable, and we went out on the casino deck and listened to the water lap up against the rocks. It was simply beautiful. We were sitting at our table at one point and I looked onto the dance floor and couldn't believe my eyes. I noticed my friends Catherine & Mary's older brother John and his wife Lori, so we went up to say hi. They are so nice, it was such a treat seeing them there and made the night that much more fun. They told us to give them a ring in the morning when we got up, so when we did they invited us to come have mimosas on their boat and hang out. The weather was perfect, the sun was warm and comforting...I felt like I never wanted to leave. I was more excited because I got that glimpse of spring.

I'm really weird and am very affected by the weather. Everyone rolls their eyes when I complain about winter, but I truly feel gloomier and worse during winter. When it's that time before spring, I just start getting more and more excited, and I feel like I just want to burst at the seams when it's springtime. Summer is my heaven, and once it hits late fall, that depression hits in, and I feel like it's going to be the never-ending winter. Ugh...I'm so weird. But Catalina gave me that fix I really needed before the start of spring. My calves and shins were still sore from a couple days before, but I was not about to have my first hiccup in my training session, so off we went through Avalon. If you've ever been there, it's not big at all, but the hills are INSANE. Most of them we had to walk most of the way, it was too unbearable. But we got to take in some incredible views, and it makes you realize how much better exercising outdoors can be...ahh, if only it could be like that everyday. So Valentine's Day was a tremendous success (although, I will say that I do not recommend The Catalina Beach House...if you're strictly going for budget I guess it's an okay option, but I think the extra pennies are worth better lodging than that) and I really enjoyed Joe's company during our stay.

This past week has been pretty uneventful. More Olympic viewing and marathon training all in preparation for our 4 mile run tomorrow, but with my run today I'm feeling better about it. Since I am not a (real) runner, I set my goal to be a 4.5 mph pace for the marathon. That would put me juuust shy of 3 hours, which I think is great. So the fact that I'm keeping a 4 mph pace 3 months out feels good. Who knows what hours 2 and 3 are going to feel like, but I'm not eager to find out just yet. I need to be better about reminding myself why I'm doing this, and the fact that I am lucky to be doing this, instead of struggling through chemotherapy. I never got to meet my father-in-law because of lymphoma, and I would be happy to help one more man live longer so he can see his son get married and meet his daughter-in-law. Something tells me I would have really liked Joe's dad, and I hope that he is proud of what we are doing.

New Year for the Nuges

2010-01-07T23:57:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 sure was fine, but 2010 will be a big year for the Nuges! A lot of milestones and fun events are already filling up our calendar, and I just hope that we are really able to live in the moment and enjoy these times, because those minutes, hours, days...they're turning into weeks, months, and seasons all too quickly. 2010 already holds things I am gearing up for:

My LITTLE brother is turning 21!!! I can't believe this is true...I can so vividly remember saying goodbye to my mom, running up to her room, and watching from the window as my dad drove her to the hospital. I was in 3rd grade, and our school nurse came in just before lunch and announced that I was a big sister. Truly one of the happiest days of my life...although few people believe me, I hated being the baby and wanted a younger sibling SO badly.
I...am going...to...be.......30. For right now I like to say I'm going to be twentyten, because after all, 30's the new 20, 40's the new 30, so on and so forth. Hmm. We'll see. I know I've run the risk of sounding like the cliche woman who can't handle getting older, but...I get it now. I really started to have a hard time with this when I hit the 6-month countdown. I guess I feel like I peaked in my early 20s, so what do I have to look forward to? Thankfully that thought becomes more and more fleeting when I realize I have a great husband, a beautiful house, an adorable dog, a family I love and rely on, friends that make me feel like a more complete person, and I feel at peace with how I live my life. If there's one thing I have learned, it's "the older, the wiser"...here's to being twentyten in 2010.
Joe and I will be celebrating our FIVE YEAR anniversary! Thinking of all that we've done since we've been married...it feels like it could fill a lifetime, yet I wonder where the time went. I never thought we would be in a house in south Orange County, with me running my own little baking business out of our home and Joe being more successful than ever at the company he started working at right out of college! I can't help but think of that Dr. Seuss book, "Oh! The Places You'll Go!" because of how true it is and how we never get that 20/20 vision unless it's with hindsight.
I will be a godmother for the first time! Here's my dirty little confession: it has really bothered me that I have never been asked to be a godparent! I consider myself a devout Catholic, go to church on Sundays, went to Catholic school all the way up through my junior year of college, taught Confirmation to high school kids...I thought I was a pretty good candidate. :( I'll admit it made me jealous that EVERYONE...my parents, ALL my siblings (including the little brother), ALL my in-laws...in my family, were godparents. So, I was very happy to be asked and am excited for this honor!
My dad is going to be 70! It's not much of a secret that I adore my dad. I also love my mom dearly, but even she will admit my dad and I are buddies. Joe said to me once, "I love your dad. If someone told me they didn't like your dad, I would tell them something is wrong with them." To know my dad is to love him. He can walk into a dull room and have everyone gathered around him and laughing within 2 minutes. I've seen it. His life is really fascinating to me and I really appreciate him. I wish I could have him another 70 years.
Trips, trips, trips!!! Nothing is planned for sure, but since we were such good little Southwest flyers, we earned ourselves a few free roundtrips, so the hardest part will be figuring out where to go! We've talked about Seattle, New York, and Florida, with the chance of doing a cruise out of Tampa or Miami. Maybe for the anniversary? Hmm. Texas is already in the works, which will be fun and I'm sure interesting.
I...Felicia Nugent...will be doing a HALF MARATHON! I'm fully aware this is not as daunting as the full 26.2, but you know what, I'm pretty darn proud that I made this decision, and I am so glad it's for a great cause. I will be training and fundraising with Team in Training (TNT), who raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I'm excited that I will be feeling great and getting my body into better shape, but I already feel good for deciding to make a difference. Who hasn't been affected by cancer in one form or another? When I think of how much I love and cherish my dad, it pains me to think that my husband no longer has his dad in his life. I will never meet my father-in-law because of lymphoma. I will definitely need all the love, support and donations from the people I am blessed to have in my life.

2010 looks like it has the makings of a banner year, and I hope it is for you as well! With all of the economic unrest and trying times, I think we can get down to the basics and decide for ourselves what kind of year we want it to be...

Thinking on this Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

I am a very flawed person. I get wrapped up in my emotions, I tend to selfishly focus on how things affect me and not others, I p r o c r a s t i n a t e like crazy, I'm always late, the list goes on. And on. I like myself, but I'm glad the world isn't filled only with people like me. But I know I must be doing something right. The man upstairs has been treating me very well, and I have so much to be thankful for.

I am blessed to be married to a man who is, above all else, a great human being. He's kind, he's considerate, you'll rarely hear him ever say something mean about someone else because it's not in his nature. God knows how he puts up with me, but I know He has a special place in Heaven reserved for him. I have never once doubted his love because it is so crystal-clearly evident that his heart is mine. Furthermore, he makes me LAUGH. He's so funny, and so few people get to see that side of him...but when he says something funny, it's really really funny. He truly is the piece that completes my puzzle, and we become better partners for each other every day. Sure, marriage will always take work, but I know this is it. I'm stuck with him, he's stuck with me, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not letting him go anywhere. Whatever happens, we'll make it work.

I might have become one of those crazy people that others make fun of, but now that I understand the real joy that can come from owning a pet, the whole world will know of my love for Millie. I love her. Like, looooooooooooooove her. She makes me smile constantly throughout my day, there is NOTHING that can happen that makes me feel so down that I don't feel better the instant I see her. Seriously! And if I'm crying, that dog knows it. She's not what you would call a "snuggler," but she knows when I'm sad and nuzzles into me. Since she has no tail, she shakes her whole butt when she's happy...this is how she greets me every morning. How can I have a bad day from then on??? I miss her when I'm gone, even if it's out running errands, and I constantly wonder what she's doing, even though that's pointless because 99.99% of the time it can be guaranteed she's sleeping. She snores worse than my dad and farts worse than my brother, but she's my little girl. My life is truly happier with her in it!

Days from now we will officially become homeowners. Who ever thought in this economy, when people, including ones we know are losing their houses left and right, that this would be possible? We are so lucky to be able to purchase our first home, and not just that, one we are thrilled about and is nearly perfect for what we wanted in a first home! All those hours spent packing, moving, unpacking, changing our address, forwarding our mail...I will never miss them, but I would do it all over again to get to this point. It's been a long, heartbreaking journey, but I think Joe's and my knack of having the WORST timing has come full circle and all the pain was worth the gain. I have been in "nesting" mode for so long now, I am ready for this! I feel like I yearned so long for soil to root myself in, I got by on the necessities to survive in the pot , but my branches and leaves could never thrive. I've felt so happy these past few weeks since our offer was accepted...I feel as if I'm coming into a whole new self, one that's ready to flourish and bloom. What the blooms will be are to be determined still...

Friends have become a large part of our lives this year. Relationships have always been a priority of mine, but this year they really seemed to take front and center. Knowing Ali for 10 years and watching her get married makes me feel so proud I have friends like that I'm sharing major milestones and memories with. And through her engagement, we became better friends with the Putnams and Lawrences. When I think of my parents' friends they've had for years, it's funny to realize they were just like us at one point. But these are couples that I hope will be those kinds of friends, great ones that will be around for years.

Lastly, family is what has shaped both of us, and I know we are both thankful for the people God chose to relate us to. When I was younger, I thought everyone should be jealous of our family. We were close, we had strong values, we enjoyed being around each other, and we seemed immune to any problems. Well, it has definitely been tough learning that NO family is immune to its problems, and every family has "those" people in them...sometimes "that" person is you, sometimes you just think "that" person is you when it's not. Several years ago I was smart enough to realize how valuable my family was and I have NEVER taken them for granted since. I believe God gave me these people for a reason and even though I wonder why sometimes, He eventually seems to make his reasons known. My family members are people just like me...everyone is fighting their own battles. You never know what someone else is going through, and that value I've tried to hold to when it comes to my family has never been more true these past several months. In my younger days I held my family to a higher standard, one that was probably unreasonable, and it was very hard to understand the faults they uncovered. Now, I realize that I need to be the most understanding with them, and that God gave me the gifts of compassion and forgiveness to not only better myself but others.

My life feels very full right now, and I am happy with where it seems to be heading in the future as well. I do not express my gratitude enough for the blessings in my life, so I'm glad to share them now. May you live as long as you want, and never want for as long as you live...

Thirtysomething? I'm not ready for that...

2009-04-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

It seems like the things we should do usually don't get done until something bad happens. For instance, why do we take stock of our lives when we've recently lost someone? Every day we should be looking around and thanking our lucky stars we're alive...but we don't. And I hate that I'm too busy to recognize that and am willing to slow down now and reflect a little just because I've had a friend pass away.

Truth be told, I've been freaking out a little ever since March 3rd. On that day, I turned 29. On that day, the countdown began to 30. On that day, I realized................a lot. I'm not getting any younger. Time's not slowing down, it's speeding up. Thirty years is a long time. And life is...not long. There's a quote from my all-time favorite movie The Shawshank Redemption that will always ring true: "Get busy living, or get busy dying."

I don't think thirty is "old," but I do feel that I am old for not having done so many things that I would like to do. Granted, I've learned a lot of things as I've gotten older. It doesn't matter if I wear Rock & Republic or Old Navy jeans. No one should care if I drive a Mercedes or a Subaru. If I carry a Louis Vuitton or label-less bag from TJ Maxx, does that determine my worth? I know none of these things matter. I like to look cute and own nice things, but that stuff is stuff. I love knowing that I have a long list of family and friends I can call when I need someone to talk to. I love having neighbors that aren't just neighbors, but really close friends. I like knowing that people enjoy hanging out with me. These are things that make life so valuable and the time in it so precious.

Even though I've had a friend pass away, my reflection on my own life has lasted longer than it usually has. Better yet, I've been focusing on all of the great things I have going on in my life. That's a hard thing to do...it's very easy to focus on all the shitty things. Maybe because we're selfish, maybe we feel we deserve better. But either way, I'm so happy it's been easy to realize all the blessings I have in my life. I concluded this was due to maturity, even though it felt immature to think that. I hope it is maturity. I've found that getting older has made me wiser. Maybe this 30 thing won't be so bad after all...

Missing Chris

2009-04-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

I remember the first day of 8th grade, when the tall, cute "new guy" walked in. He had grown up with my best friend, but I hadn't met him and didn't know anything about him. That year, we became really good friends. Like typical young teenagers, Samantha and I dubbed ourselves the "Awesome Sixsome" because it always felt like the six of us hanging out this year: me, Mike, Samantha, Bryan, Erica and Chris. Over the next couple years, high school brought new friends and different friendship circles, but we always kept in touch and saw each other pretty often.

He never dated anyone, and I always wondered why, because I thought girls would flock to him when we hit high school. He was so adorable, I always had this little crush on him. He was goofy, funny, and wasn't serious into school. So when he was set up for Junior Prom with Liliana, a girl in my class who was class president, super smart and pretty button-up, I just prayed that she would appreciate Chris and he wouldn't embarrass himself too much. I'm sure not just to my surprise, they absolutely hit it off. I remember going to a party with Mike a week after we got out of school, it was to celebrate us finally being seniors, and it was the first time I'd talked to Chris since Prom. Even though he was a little buzzed, he absolutely gushed over Liliana. He said he loved her and that he hoped he wouldn't screw it up. I was so happy for him...

As young lovers do, they got wrapped up in each other and hung out with others less and less. When we graduated high school, they were still dating, and I knew I wouldn't see him much from then on. However, my junior year at LMU I was walking back to my dorm one night, and I happened to see Chris. I remember being so happy to see him, and immediately asked what he was doing there. He was there to see Claudio and some other St. Francis guys, who coincidentally lived right next to me. He said he'd love for me to come over to there room, so I told him I would eat dinner, study a little and come over. When I got there, it was deja vu all over again. I asked him if he was still dating Liliana, and once again, he just melted over the thought of her. He went on and on about her. I thought it was so cute to see someone still so in love after a few years. Time went on, and they stood the test of time. Last April at my 10-year high school reunion, he was by Liliana's side, looking as nervous as he did on that Prom night years before. We hugged and talked, and I was so thankful that he had found a great girl, especially one that seemed to balance him so well, and one thathe complemented, too. It's always cute to see high school sweethearts, and they were the poster children for them.

Thursday I picked up my phone when I heard it beep. I scrolled to the text message, and was eager to open it since it was from Mike, hoping it was an update on his dad who had recently suffered a stroke. Instead, I was met with shock and disbelief.

Apr 17, 2009 12:09:07 PM
Chris Gonzalez died in his sleep last night. I'll keep you posted with information as I get it. I will miss him very much...

My jaw dropped and my heart sank. I couldn't cry because I couldn't believe it, and thoughts of Liliana raced through my head. The thought that someone could be a widow at 29 broke my heart. The thought that someone could lose their high school sweetheart is awful. The thought that someone has to live without the love of their life is devastating. I hope that Liliana is able to find some peace during this time. I hope all her memories of Chris give her comfort, that her love for him never fades but makes her appreciate every moment of life, and finally, that she knows she has her own personal angel watching down on her in Heaven.

Chris, you touched so many lives with your hilarious personality and your softspoken sensitivity. We're lucky to have you watching out for us. You will be forever missed but never forgotten...

Easy as Pie

2009-04-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

I love this saying, because whoever says this has never made a pie!!! With the exception of my black-bottom peanut butter chocolate pie, a pie is not easy to make, let alone a GOOD pie. This all came up today because I was watching Food TV (what else?) and Paula Deen was making a pie that made this cake-loving pie-hater want to eat her words! Cake is always great, but when there's a really great pie, that's hard to beat. For a second I thought about getting up and making one, but then I realized it's a pain in the ass, so that was that.

So speaking of not eating pie, I'm officially "dieting." Eating better, exercising, all that healthy junk. This is hard to admit, but I hate my body right now and I've never been this big, despite people saying they don't really notice. Well, good, then I'm doing my job partly right in trying to hide my flaws. That or people or too nice. The Lenten sacrifices definitely were helping, but I decided I really needed to get on track. Well, my weight did change...it went up!!! I decided to see my endocrinologist, and he altered my medicine. I've been seeing him for a year now because I had some thyroid numbers come back abnormal, so we've been trying to figure out the right dosage and all that to correct this problem. A few months ago, he said I should lose some weight to curb my risk of diabetes (since it runs rampant in the family) and put me on some pre-diabetic medication. Well, when I returned and my weight had gone up, he wasn't happy. So, now we're trying to figure out why I'm not losing weight.

To be clear, he doesn't think I HAVE this condition, but he wants to "rule out" the possibility that I have Cushing's Disease. This is a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes weight gain and some other symptoms I have been experiencing. Needless to say, I'm freaked out a little, and let me tell you, they way they test for this is NOT so fun. The first part, not so bad. I pretty much suck on a cotton ball for a couple minutes and stick it in a tube...I have to do that twice 24 hours apart. The second part...a 24 hour urine collection. Yep. Every time I pee in the course of these 24 hours, it's going into this jug that looks like a quart-size milk carton.

I guess it's a small price to pay for figuring out what's wrong. If I do have Cushing's, apparently it's not a big deal. They remove the tumor with a long instrument through your nose. Weird, but I've had that pretty much done already, so no biggie I guess? I'll keep you updated, but prayers are appreciated...

Can't a sister get a break?

2009-03-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

What a bad little blogger I've been! Too much has been going on lately! Yes, I know what you're thinking (the two of you that actually read this pitiful blog), "Felicia, you don't have a job, how can you possibly be busy?" Believe me, I ask myself this question too, and I know Joe must wonder this, considering I'm convinced he thinks I sit on the couch popping bon-bons all day while watching soaps. Ugh, I wish. What a nasty couple of weeks!

So, after getting back from Arizona, our cable, phone and internet started acting up. Boo on Time Warner. After a couple months of dealing with their BS, we were getting pretty frustrated. Paying for something you're either not getting or not satisfied with sucks. So then our phone line went out completely and now we have no access to phone or internet, except when Joe brings his laptop home at nights. Double boo on Time Warner. THEN we had a guy out and come to find out our DVR and cable wasn't set up right, so we've been paying for a package we're not even getting, AND not getting HD on our nice new TV we bought ourselves for Christmas! Triple boo on Time Warner! They're officially on the shit list. And are the problems even rectified yet? No!

My birthday was pretty fun, one of the best I've had in a while. We took advantage of Disney's offer to get free admission to their park, and for the icing on the cake, I got a 2-fer ticket, so we were able to go back to California Adventures on St. Patty's Day! I gotta hand it to Disney for the royal treatment...I think EVERY SINGLE cast member I saw said happy birthday to me. I think a few years ago, I finally realized I was getting old when birthdays didn't feel like birthdays anymore...at least not like they used to when I was a kid. I remember not being able to sleep the night before my birthday, getting up early and curling my hair, wearing a new or special outfit for that day, my mom making my dinner of choice. Those little things seemed to make it feel so special, and those days seem to live only in the past now. Point is, it actually did feel like on of those birthdays again with everyone saying "Happy birthday!" to me. It was neat. The best part about it was it wasn't crowded at all, so we went on every ride at least 2 times, and then we had enough time to leave earlier than we thought and rounded up some friends to go to Tightwad Tuesday at Tsunami. So delicious! Of course, a birthday is just not a birthday for me without cake, and did I get a winner. A white cake with chocolate chip mousse covered in chocolate ganache. Slices of heaven just eaten to my heart's content.

I can't believe I'm in my last year of my twenties. I'm surprised that I'm a little frightenened, I wondered why I would be, but the truth is...I am. I think every woman at one point or another wonders when their "prime" is, and I feel like my twenties were it. I started going uphill at 21 and peaked at about 23, the next couple years were great and then the hill started to slope down again. I've been told I'm crazy for thinking this, so I've tried to keep a positive attitude and think of all these women like Jennifer Aniston and Demi Moore who seem to get more beautiful with age, and I think personally look better now than they did in their 20s. Maybe that could be me? :) Haha. I'm not gonna hold my breath...

All's well that ends well...

2009-03-02T23:58:00.000-08:00

This old proverb says that problems do not matter so long as the outcome is good. Now, I don't know whether I'm lucky or unlucky to have been living proof of that little pearl of wisdom the past few days. Sure, you get the happy ending, but not before you have to slay the fire-breathing dragon. What an incredible weekend we had! However, I thought Little Orphan Annie herself couldn't have been optimistic enough to see herself out of this one at points.

Somehow, between running an errand at the store and going to the airport, Joe lost his wallet. NOT great for travel post-9/11. We ended up missing our flight, but hope was restored when we opened the glove box in Joe's car and we saw his passport. So, we hopped on the next flight. However, sitting in the airport cancelling the credit cards and going through all the motions after losing one's wallet...thumbs down. The #1 question I received: "Wow, were you pissed?" Hmm. Joseph is one in a million. Needing to relax and enjoy this trip, it didn't really bother me. But yeah, kind of annoying. That's my little space cadet. :) Fortunately for him, he makes up for it in a myriad of ways. So, all in all, Arizona was great. Since it's sleepy time and the eve of my thirties dawns tomorrow, you will have to stay tuned and get the pictures later. But I must say this: spring is waiting for me to enjoy it. I hope I won't let it down.

You probably think I look like an ash-hole...

2009-02-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

Ahh, Ash Wednesday. I don't do it on purpose, but every year, I go to Mass, get my ashes, and then at some point I end up having to go to the grocery store. It NEVER fails that someone looks at me and says, "Hey, it looks like you got some dirt on your forehead," which by this point I've usually forgotten that I even have a black smudge on my face, so I reach up wondering what it is and then end up getting it on my hands. It's funny to think about it, because it's always only one person that mentions it, and everyone else just looks at me like, "Uh, that girl's got some schleppy on her face." So, thank you to that one person who is concerned while all the other people would rather point and laugh.

Ash Wednesday is always comical for another reason, and that is the craziness that Mass is on this day. Every other Sunday you can go to Mass 10 minutes late and still find a seat. Ash Wednesday you're lucky if you can see the priest. What's even better is watching 90% of the congregation leave after the distribution of ashes and not stay for Communion. Those are two of the best parts of Ash Wednesday Mass, coming back from getting ashes and then Communion, 'cause you get to scope out what everyone else's cross looks like. There's always that poor girl that got it way too heavy and so it trickled down her cheek and nose, or the people who got a super enthusiastic minister and it takes up their whole forehead. The woman who was giving out ashes to my section this year must have previously worked for the Rorschach test, it was like you could make out figures on people's heads.

Either way, people feel like it's a new beginning, and that always seems to be inspirational and makes people want become the best version of themselves. Day 1 of my new beginning has been good; Joe and I were practically counting down the seconds until we could turn on "the magic box" and watch the Top Chef Finale. Hmm...kinda surprised Hosea won, but whatever. I liked Stefan; yeah, he came off flippant and cocky, but he had the goods to back it up. He never bothered me. So after that was done, we turned off the TV, did some chores, then Joe read his book and I did my puzzle. We enjoyed Millie being all sleepy and snuggly (she is definitely cutest at night time) and then headed to bed at a decent time. It was a nice night...

My sleep got a little disturbed when I had a dream about a plane crash (one of my many recurring dreams), and no doubt that was from reading the story about the Turkish plane that went down in Amsterdam today. Good grief. As if I need another reason to be anxious about flying to Phoenix. If you know me, then you know I hate flying, so please keep me in your thoughts on Saturday and Monday. Hope your week is going well...

I need God to Lent me a hand!

2009-02-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

I stuffed myself silly tonight! No way was I going to let Mardi Gras go quietly into the night...no sir, I took no prisoners and really made it my last hurrah before heading into this Easter season. My combo plate was chock-full of stuff I won't be having for the next 40 days, and tomorrow I will start my Lenten journey, something I have actually been preparing for in the last few days.

Health-wise, this hasn't been a great year for me. I feel like I'm on more medications that I can keep track of, so I had to buy one of those pill dispenser/holder thing-a-majigs and that still doesn't seem to help all that much. How can I complain when I don't have a life-threatening illness, though? The Diabetic medication I'm on is at least preventive for now, given I take care of myself. I've been making an effort, but something's still off. This Lenten season I decided to really focus on my health, because as much as I might be trying, I can't kid myself and pretend there's not something more I can do. No fast food and no soda are things I have given up every Lent, and it's not that hard to do anymore because after the first Lent I did that, I didn't really go back to them. Which was great, except for making me hypersensitive to caffeine now. Again, that's probably a good thing, but I'm talking half a can of Coke makes me shaky for three hours. Not fun. So to make it more challenging, I'm adding some more things onto that list: no cookies, cupcakes or other treats from bakeries, no ice cream, no Cherry on top - my faaaaavorite frozen yogurt place, and no eating out at restaurants - unless it has to be to for a special event.

Also, I'm focusing on the mental health, and Joe has agreed to be a big supporter with this one. I'm not saying he needs to be talking me down from ledges or anything, but we're definitely in a rut right now. I love him to death, but it's the same routine...every...single...day. We get up, go our own ways, he comes home, he sits on the computer while I make dinner, we eat dinner while watching Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and then we have to dessert and watch TV the rest of the night until he falls asleep on the couch, I wake him up and we go to bed. Repeat. I know Joe gets so tired at work, especially being under such stress in this crappy economy, but we've become lazy; I don't just blame him, I know I need to take responsibility here, too. So, we decided to allow just one hour of TV a night. ONE HOUR!!! When I think about it, one hour seems excessive to me, which in turn makes me realize how much time we waste watching TV! I think this will be good for us...hopefully we can start taking Millie on walks when he gets home from work, then eat dinner and watch our hour of TV, and have fun figuring out what to do. Play board games, work out, read more, I even bought some puzzles today. I read somewhere that the sexy lingerie and what happens between the sheets isn't what keeps a marriage spicy, it's about trying and doing new things together, even if it is something like a workshop at Home Depot or a yoga class. Hopefully forcing ourselves to figure out what to do besides watch TV will brush some dust off and refresh our relationship a little. Who knows?

I know this is going to be hard, but it's silly for me to even say that when I think about the sacrifices that had to take place for there to even be such a thing as Lent and Easter. I want to be good and stick to this, and maybe blogging will help me with that and keep me motivated so I can report good things! :) That's where I'm hoping God will come in and bestow some of His grace and lend me a hand. I wish healthy and happy Lenten journeys to everyone making them...

Found: Italian Dream Man

2009-02-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

It's no secret: I love farmer's markets! Since I usually go to a few held here in Orange County, I see some of the same people and even have some tried and true vendors I like, one of which is the (I think) best kept secret in Southern California, Dolce Monachellis. They can really back up their slogan "The Best Cake You've Ever Tasted." I am the pickiest person when it comes to cake; I'm the crazy lady who went to nine different bakeries before deciding who would make my wedding cake. Not only that, I looove me some frosting, and most of Dolce Monachelli's goodies don't even have frosting, they're so delicious on their own. The Italian Butter Rum cake could move you to tears, while the Chocolate Kahlua cake will make you wonder why you ever eat anything else. So amazing.

So the owner, Chris Monachelli, is one of the nicest people around and I've chatted with him a few times. Let's just say Joe's lucky I didn't find this guy first because, seriously, 1) he's Italian, 2) he's super nice and 3) he makes CAKE for a living. I would have been alllll about that. But really, it's probably lucky for me, because I might be pushing 3 or 4 bills by now from cake consumption...not so great considering I'm on preventive Diabetic medication as it is. Grr. :(

When we chatted at the Dana Point farmer's market a couple weekends ago, I told him my love for baking and cake decorating again, and said I would love to work for him but I understand there's not really decoration involved with their cakes, and he (pleasantly) surprisingly told me that they are getting more orders for birthday and wedding cakes, and they are venturing into decorating their cakes, but the girl that he outsources is apparently hard to get a hold of. So, enter Felicia Nugent and her unemployed butt to save the day! haha But seriously, it was awesome and he asked me to send along some photos of cakes I've done, so I did, and I've posted them here for you to see...

Not great works of art and I know my techniques need some polishing, but I have so much fun doing them, and there's some still stuck on my camera because I can't find the cord to download them. Keep your fingers crossed for me, this is something I get excited about doing and it would practically be an honor to get paid to do it.

By the way, it was my dream to always marry an Italian man that could cook, but I think I nabbed a pretty fantastic man...I adore my Giuseppe Nugenti, even if he's only an honorary Italian. :)

Sean, maybe you're the one to be ashamed...

2009-02-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Sean Penn. I guess I'm not a "Commie, homo-loving son of a gun." That's fine that you won the Oscar and all, I was kind of hoping you wouldn't because, as you fully admitted, you make it hard for us to appreciate you (understood as LIKE you), but did you have to make that speech? Do I think gay marriage is horrific? No, I don't. Do I hate gay people? Hell no. Do I believe it's wrong to chastise someone for their beliefs or the way they vote? You bet your ass! Regardless of how I voted on Prop 8, I would never tell someone who had opposing views on it that they should be ashamed! I thought what made America so great was our freedom to choose for ourselves. There is NO right or wrong answer on a ballot, Mr. Penn.

Sean Penn was once quoted as saying, "I was brought up in a country that relished fear-based religion, corrupt government and an entire white population living on stolen property that they murdered for and that is passed on from generation to generation." There is some harsh truth to that statement, but it is also an ignorant generalization. First of all, you don't mess with religion. (Oh, by the way Bill Maher, you came off looking like a whiny prick tonight.) How often do we hear stories of people who have been broken down, beaten up and left for dead in seriously troubled times? Nearly every day. And for most of those cases, someone who lived that nightmare emerges with immense grace and credits it to...yep, you guessed it, their faith! Prop 8 is a sticky subject, and many votes were cast with a person's religious background in mind. Also, that proposition in November wasn't the first time California had gone to the polls to vote on gay marriage. No siree, it was the second time, and BOTH times now the state has voted to ban it. So if he wants to call that corrupt government, then maybe we should just have the politicos who are paid off by these Hollywood types make the laws? That's sounding like a much better idea! GIVE ME A BREAK, that is Communism! If we have to continue voting on this matter just to have it overturned, what justice is being done? I was taught that a democracy was a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I'll be honest, whether Prop 8 is overturned or not won't be consequential to me...I don't feel strongly about it either way, and frankly I'm sick of hearing about it. What bothers me is realizing that votes mean nothing anymore. The people have voted...TWICE. Why do they need to be badgered and put to shame? My guess is that's not going to help anything.

Well, while I'm getting comfortable up here on my soap box, I'll add one more thing. Sean Penn is a human chimney. This guy reportedly smokes four packs a day, and has even given a big metaphorical middle finger to cities he's visited with smoking bans in place. I wonder what Sean Penn would say to this: Looking back on legal matters, do you think our grandchildren will have more shame over a gay marriage ban or continuing to let cigarettes be legal? I'll have to double-check the stats, but I'm pretty sure smoking wins in an astronomical LANDSLIDE when you compare the two's effects on health. God forbid we care about innocent bystanders dying of lung cancer and emphysema, as long as two men can get married to each other. Smoking is so dangerous it kills people who don't even do it!!! Why is this okay??? I feel like priorities are what need to be reflected on here. Keep things in perspective, people.

Well, there's my freak-out for the day. I realize I'm going a little stir-crazy after sitting on the couch for hours upon end watching stupid red carpet events, the damn awards show and then that buffoon Barbara Walters interview those poor people. Although I am jealous, Hugh Jackman gave her a lap dance...bitch. Aye yay yay, I need to get some rest, I'm getting that crazy headache that you only get when you've looked at a TV screen or computer monitor for way too long. Gonna vom. Nugent out.

The Chocolate Festival and Melting Celebrities

2009-02-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

There was an earth-shattering event going on in Long Beach today: the Belmont Shore Chocolate Festival. Well, at least that's what I was hoping for. Having attended the Gilroy Garlic Festival this past summer, I headed into this expecting stands upon stands of people offering up unique and creative concoctions made with the nectar of the gods...chocolate! Yummers. Instead, I waited in line for 10 minutes to buy a "ticket book," then got to wait in other lines for the actual confections, most of which were at a stand-still every five minutes due to vendors running out of their goodies. Some were hits, some were misses, but I was hanging out with my girls, so the festival was just the icing on the cupcake.

As you can see, the ticket says February 7th, but to our good fortune, it was pouring rain that day, so they moved it to this weekend. Deb and I got there first, so we went and bought some tickets books and walked around until Lydia and Lily got there. I figured to help Lydia out and not waste more time than we had to, I'd buy her a ticket book and we'd get the chocolate hoarding underway. Each booklet was 12 tickets for $10, and each item was about 3 tickets. Cool. I did the math, I figured we'd get about 4-5 things each and have our bellies nice and happy. Deb had to leave for her hair appointment after an hour, Lydia had just come from lunch, so here I am, scrambling to find things to "buy" so I can get rid of these gosh darn tickets. My tummy was far from happy, the sugar sickness was setting in, the crowd of crazy chocoholics was out of control, so I cut my losses and let seven tickets die an unfulfilled life, never reaching their destiny of being exchanged for chocolatey goodness. How cute is Miss Lily enjoying her mini cupcake? She's definitely like Auntie Felicia...she has a sweettooth!

"Hmm...which one do I eat first?"

Overall a sweet day, I think I came to the same conclusion I did after the Garlic Festival: I'm glad I went, but I think I'm skipping it next year. EXCEPT, that is, if I don't enter the homemade dessert contest. Hey-o! How did I not know about this before? Probably because I've been crazy with job hunting lately that I haven't done my research on local goings-on, but at least I know now. I will admit the fear of defeat is pretty intimidating, but I love that I have supporters like Deb & Lydia who don't even flinch when saying I could, excuse the pun, take the cake on this one. One last highlight: as we were walking down 2nd Street, there was this sign, and I noticed the real estate guy's name...Jeffrey HOW THE HECK DO YOU SAY THAT? I really had no idea a name could be eight letters long and only have one vowel. Crazy Euro names.

So, tomorrow is the Academy Awards. As I was standing in line for some chocolate crepes, a group of women were talking about the weather and wondering if it was going to rain for the red carpet and what they would do if that happened. So then I come home, slip into my chocolate coma and turn on the TV to relax and digest, and apparently everyone's top story is what's going to happen if it rains tomorrow. Whaaaaaat? I hope it does! I want to see some frizzy hair! God forbid these huge movie stars get a little water on their dresses and diamonds they didn't even pay for. Blech. What's the worst that could happen? I'm pretty sure they're not going to melt. Although that would be cool and for sure boost those slumping ratings. However, I talk a big game and there is no way I'm missing these awards. Benjamin Button was the only nominated film I saw and I can't even tell you who's up for Best Actor, but I'll tell you why I am watching. HUGH JACKMAN. 3+ plus hours of watching that man dance, sing, talk...oh my gosh...that accent! He can sit in a chair for all I care and I'll still be swooning and giggling like a lovesick teenager. Enjoy your Oscar Sunday!

Say What You Need to Say

2009-02-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

And, I'm off and blogging. I hope anyone who stumbles upon this page can enjoy what I write...it is something I love to do but have not always been open to sharing. No doubt this is directly related to me falling under the Pisces sign, which tells me I am creative, sensitive, romantic, secretive, moody, imaginative: the symbol of two fish swimming in a circle around each other demonstrates a Piscean's inner struggle of their soul. Hard to fit in a nutshell, huh? Unfortunately, that's a pretty accurate description of me. Luckily, that's not all there is to me. Pisces people are notorious introverts, and introvert I am not! No doubt I was back in the day, and to be honest, I'm still trying to figure out how I made the transition, especially when a lot of the extroverts I knew are now much more introverted with age.

Either way, life has been interesting. It's rarely taken me where I've wanted it to or thought it would, but I've taken the lemons and I've made lemonade. In fact, I've even made lemon meringue pie, lemon squares, some pollo limone for some substance and topped it off with a lemon drop! Getting older and taking responsibility head on teaches you more about yourself than you realized or wanted to know. Sure, I've kicked and screamed along the way at times, but it hasn't gotten me anywhere. When I've made the most of life and did it with grace, I realized that people liked that and wanted to be around me. And as my mom always told me, "You can never have too many friends." Food for thought...I hope life gets sweeter!