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**Don't forget to enter my 13.1 Chicago Half Marathon giveaway! You have until tomorrow (Wednesday, March 13) to enter!**

I'm feeling a little grumpy today with the lame weather tease we got over the weekend. Therefore, I'm going to put together a round of First World Problems to help me get out of my grumpy mood. Lol.

This morning I sat down to have my typical bowl of cereal for breakfast. I had bought some more milk over the weekend so I was ready for a heaping bowl. However, much to my dismay, I accidentally bought soy milk instead of almond milk. Thankfully I had just enough almond milk for my breakfast but what am I going to do with this soy milk? I don't want to drink it and should I return the milk to the grocery store I just bought it from? I don't even have a receipt.
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On Friday I had the best donut in the world from Fleckenstein's bakery in Mokena. It was a chocolate old fashioned and it was AMAZING. Since then, I have been craving another one but I know that I don't want to get into the habit of eating donuts frequently. Lol. So yesterday, I caved to the craving but I got something that looked similar from Dunkin Donuts (chocolate glazed). It was not nearly as good and probably had about the same amount of calories. Totally not worth it (but I ate it anyways). Now I know that once you've had something good, you can't expect a second-rate version to taste as good.
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I'm so sick of this Chicago weather. The temps warmed up over the weekend and the snow melted. Then it rained a ton. You got to feel the nice weather, but you couldn't do anything with it. Then, after the snow all melted, it got cold again and the temps are calling for more snow today and again on Thursday (and we also got some snow yesterday too). I know we've had a fairly normal winter and I don't mind the snow in November - February... but it is March. Shouldn't the snow be gone by now?
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We are going to New Orleans again in a few weeks! We leave on March 23 and come home on March 30. We are driving down with 2 other couples so it should be a blast. I plan on doing another food post and taking lots of photos, so get ready for it! However, before anyone goes on vacation, they know the chaos that ensues beforehand. We still have to take dog to vet, go to salon, attend an out-of-state client meeting for 2 days, get the dog groomed, pack, buy/make road trip snacks... Next week is going to be crazy so, I'm going to take my time enjoying this week!
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Daylight savings took place this weekend. Therefore, everyone's schedule is thrown off. I'm more tired than usual and I've only changed about half the clocks in the house. Does anyone know the point of daylight savings, like really? I just don't get it.
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I went shopping over the weekend at a new local grocery store and I was checking out their selection of goodies. I came across something that left me truly perplexed. Frozen grilled cheese sandwiches. A grilled cheese sandwich has to be one of the easiest thing in the world to make. All you need is 3 ingredients: butter, bread, cheese. I am no chef and even I can make it. It also takes only a few minutes. Why would someone want to buy a frozen grilled cheese when you can easily make one yourself in the same amount of time, with no chemicals or preservatives. (And you just know the frozen version doesn't taste nearly as good as one that's homemade.) Only in America...
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Ahh, that feels better! Do you have any First World Problem gripes you'd like to share?

Tuesday I got the chance to actually work out on the treadmill. I haven't run on a treadmill in awhile and I was reminded why I am not a fan of that device. I felt like I couldn't find a steady stride, and I kept getting static shocked from the "safety bar" whenever I would accidentally touch it. (I'm not sure if this is because my iPod earphones were rubbing against the bar or what.) Either way, it made for a very uncomfortable run. And, in true FWP form, the free wifi at the gym kept going in and out so I couldn't watch the old episode of The Office I was planning on. It was really annoying, but luckily I had some jams on my iPod I was still able to crank up. When you're out running by yourself, do you sometimes sing the words to the songs out-loud? Or am I the only one that does this? At the gym, I was mouthing the words, without saying anything out-loud and other folks around me probably thought I was a weirdo. It's alright, I was trying to have some fun while running on the treadmill. That can sometimes be hard to do. Lol.

Xaarlin (who blogs at Pain is Nothing) and I had made plans via Twitter to meet for lunch at the Chriskindlemarket in Chicago. Our first date was thwarted by rain so we rescheduled for yesterday. It was great to finally meet her in person (as it always seems to be when meeting fellow running bloggers). We chatted over some delicious potato pancakes, and oogled over all of the chocolate covered fruit and strudels while trying to restrain ourselves. We both bought some cool Christmas ornaments while talking a lot about or fur babies. I don't know what is up with me lately, but I didn't take a photo of the delicious food (I was too focused on eating it before it got cold). And then Xaarlin and I forgot to take a photo together too. I know, I don't know what I was thinking.

Tonight is our group run and I'm very much looking forward to it. Our group has grown quite exponentially lately and I think it has a lot to do with our consistency. Rain or shine, light or dark, snow or sunshine... we will be out there, at 6:30pm, regardless.

Here is our group from last Thursday (12/7/2012)... Love this group of folks!

This weekend, a bunch of Chicago Running Bloggers will be heading to Erin's house for a Christmas brunch after a fun run. The internets shall be aflutter with posts, Instagrams, and tweets of the event, you can probably count on it!  I'm having dreams of our Zooma weekend and I'm very much looking forward to it. We are doing a grab bag gift exchange too! It might even turn into a game of Yankee Swap so we shall see! There is also going to be a costume contest. I like dressing up so I'm going for the prize. I think I'm going to have some stiff competition though. We'll see who comes out with the win! If you're looking to follow the shenanigans checkout the hashtag #CRBholidaze to follow along on Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have anything planned this holiday season that you're really looking forward to??

Today is Wednesday and it hasn't been a great week so far. An amazing weekend is ahead so I just have to get through the next few days...

In our office building, the "office services" person abruptly quit a few months back. He had worked at our firm for almost 10 years and he left a huge void. Now, we have to go upstairs 2 floors to pick up any packages that are delivered, instead of having them delivered to our cube for us. Now that I've had a taste of the good life (aka cube-side service), I don't like having to go upstairs to pick up my latest Zappos order!

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Also office related, since our "office services" person left, the kitchen supplies are not replenished often. We only have 1 kitchen on our floor so it is used by everyone. We are currently out of paper towels, paper plates, silverware, and 2 coffee flavors of our Kuerig k-cups! We are living like savages down here. The supplies need to be replenished maybe once a month and this is not getting done. We are all pretty frustrated but it isn't really a valid complaint outside of our office building (as I know many other companies don't provide their employees with free coffee).

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I have the iPhone 4 and I haven't updated the software in a long time. This is for 2 main reasons. 1) I'm lazy and 2) I'm worried I'll loose all my photos and videos when it is updated! Now, since iOS 6 came out (and before then too), many of the apps I have just aren't working right anymore. I post to Facebook and things aren't going through. Also, I can't download any new apps because the old software is not compatible. I am up for a new phone in December, so do I just wait until then and get a new phone or update my current phone and risk losing what I haven't yet backed up (which is most things, to be honest).

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This year, the marathon has a wave start and a more extensive corral system. I have multiple friends that I want to run with on Sunday, but because of the new wave system, this is not really possible. I understand the waves aim to make the course less crowded (and that helped during the Shamrock Shuffle). So, I'm just focusing on running with one person, and if I'm able to run with other folks, that would be great too. Simply for selfish reasons, I wish they would go back to the old system, but I really don't see that happening.

Maggie and I with our running twinsies, Kara and Shalane

Running with Amanda during the Illinois Marathon

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I am taking the CFA exam in December. I know I've talked about this before but studying for it is really hard. It isn't just memorizing formulas, but understanding the formulas, what happens if the various components increase/decrease and the resulting impact. I'm really stressed out about it, and I'm really lucky that my husband has been so understanding. I'm doing a lot of studying and I feel like I'm not doing so well on the self-tests at the end. Thankfully the overall schedule allows for a full month of review at the end... I just wish I had more time to study on a daily basis! With working, eating, and sleeping, that only leaves a few hours left in the day to study! I know everyone has faith that I can do it... I just need to GET IT DONE.
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I think that is enough complaining for now. I already feel better! Get ready for some ZOMG I LOVE RUNNINGGGG!!! posts later this week as the marathon gets closer and I'm excited I'm NOT running it! :)

What are some of your first world problems this week??

As some of you may know, Chicago will be hosting the NATO summit this weekend. For those of us that commute to the city from the suburbs, we are all being hugely inconvenienced in so many ways.

1) Many of my friends' offices are closed or they are encouraged to work from home. Since my office is located on the complete opposite end of the loop of the summit, my office will be open with business as usual. It is our busy season so I have plenty to do in the office, but I don't think I'd turn down the chance of a free day off. Just sayin...

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2) I ride the Metra train into the city every morning. I usually come with a bag for my lunch, a gym bag, and my giant purse that fits my iPad and sunglasses case, amongst other garbage. Also, some days, I have a cup of coffee on the train to help wake me up. For the 3 days of the summit, there are very strict restrictions on what is and is not allowed on the train. A small excerpt is below:

1. Riders may be subject to search and/or screening before boarding or while en route.
2. Riders may carry only one bag not exceeding 15 inches square and 4 inches deep. Boxes, parcels, luggage, backpacks and bicycles will not be allowed on trains. Banned items cannot be stored at Metra stations. They must be removed or they will be disposed of.
3. Riders may not carry any food or liquids on the trains. This includes coffee and other beverages.
4. Riders may not carry any type of tools, pipes, stakes, wood or weapons, including pocket knives and pepper spray, on the trains.
5. Law enforcement personnel must identify themselves and present their credentials and any weapons. Security guards will not be allowed to carry any weapons onboard. 

Do we think this is a little extreme? No morning coffee? No bag lunches? No Lean Cuisines? What about those with a laptop bag? One would have to carry the laptop, cord, and mouse in their hands because they're not allowed to carry a bag of that size? What about those that work construction and need tools for their job? What about students that use their backpacks for all of their books? Also, apparently no one can workout on those days either. Only little purses and clutches allowed. I think all of us everyday commuters are lucky that these restrictions are only in effect for 1 business day. Still, that doesn't mean that one business day isn't going to be a huge inconvenience.

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3) NATO Summit protesters are upset with the security restrictions as they will not be able to protest in view of the summit. I'm really hoping that these protestors don't harass us everyday commuters that are just trying to get to work. If that happens, I'm turning around and going back home. I don't expect this to happen, but I'm preparing for the worst. It is probably an extreme scenario, but something to consider anyways.

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Do you live in Chicago? Is your life inconvenienced by this event? Let's vent our frustrations together.

Yesterday I set my alarm to get up at 5am to go for a morning run. When my 5am alarm went off, I ignored it and went back to sleep, without even noticing. I woke up at my normal time and thought "Damnit!!!". I haven't gone for a pre-work run in over a year. I used to love getting up before work and get my sweat on. I seem to have lost the motivation for it. I know I'll get it back soon... I hope!!

The reason why I wanted to get my run done early is that I had a spray tan appointment after work. My cousin's bridal shower is this weekend so I wanted to give it an old test run. The thing is, once you get it done, you can't sweat for the next 24 hours. (#firstworldrunnerproblem) Thankfully I had enough time before my appointment to head to the gym and the treadmill. I decided to give my clearance Nike capris another try. Well, I forgot how sweaty I get while running on the treadmill, and I instantly knew these capris were a bad idea. I could feel the sweat marks forming and kept pulling down my shirt. I'm not sure if that made it better or worse. This time, I got a post-run photo. Yay for sweaty underwear marks!

After my 2.8 mile run, I rushed home, showered and headed to the spray tan place. Have you ever gotten a spray tan before? Please let me know what you think of them! Personally, I think they're fun, and I get to be tan for a short period of time--something that would otherwise never happen. My skin has two color options, porcelain or lobster. There is no in between. I love being pale, don't get me wrong. I just also like to be tan about 3x per year. :)

P.S. Have you entered the Oiselle raffle? Their running clothes are amazeballs! You should check it out, if you haven't already!!

This week I have felt extra whiny. You know what that calls for: more cheese! AND a First World Problems post! :)

1. I forgot to bring a ponytail holder to work on Wednesday so I had to wear a headband as a ponytail holder instead. It sucked and was uncomfortable for most of my workout.

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2. I parked my car at the train station and forgot to pay attention to the assigned parking spot number number, which I realized when I got to the pay box. I had to run back to the car and check before I could pay my $1 and almost missed my train.

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3. I like to listen to Glee radio while at work. Lately they have been playing a ton of disco. Um, what's up with that Glee radio? No one likes disco, not even people that lived in the 70s.
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4. My office provides milk for us to use during the week for our coffee, cereal, oatmeal, etc. Our floor gets a 1/2 gallon of 2% and a 1/2 gallon of skim. By Friday the milk is usually gone for my coffee and that weird powder stuff is not a good substitute. I'd rather eat garbage (maybe).
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5. We had a team meeting at the office on Thursday. I saw a big bowl of something green next to a big bowl of tortilla chips. I was really excited until I got closer and realized that the bowl of green was guacamole flavored chips as opposed to actual guacamole. Guacamole chips never taste like real guacamole. There is no substitute. Due to this disappointment, I was forced to go out to lunch on Friday to have some real, delicious guacamole. Yes, forced.

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6. I was running late to work on Friday. I had time to grab my gym bag but not a lunch. Therefore I had to spend my lunch break in line at a busy lunch spot in the Loop instead of at the gym. The lunch was delicious (and included guacamole), but now I can't get my workout on at the office.

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