Birthday Post and Other Things...

So as you recall, this week included a very special day!  In fact, it included the most special of all special days: my birthday.

With the Queen's Lunch on Wednesday at noon, I had to go to CrossFit at 6am.  Waiting for me was a partner workout, which included 8 rounds (where one person does one round and the other person rests- so we each were to do four rounds) of: 20 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, and 50 air squats.  My partner had to go to work, so we only ended up doing 3 rounds, but my arms and shoulders were shot nonetheless.  That said, I have seen (on the internets) other places that have birthday workouts... like, "Hey!!  You're turning 23!!  Let's do 5 rounds (because it is May 5th) of 23 pull-ups, 23 overhead squats, 23 push-ups, 23 double unders, and 23 handstand push ups!!)  To which I say, "Ain't nobody got time for that!!"

My coworkers joined me for lunch in our conference room, where we had cake and champagne!  Julia's Doppleganger (who is my coworker, who I absolutely adore) made me a crown.  Don't be jealous, MOM!!

For my birthday, Dave and Nico got me a Manchester City scarf, a DePaul Beanie hat (it's getting cold up here), a DePaul drawstring sack, and the book "The Signal and the Noise."  And we had Lou Malnati's pizza for dinner.  And I had cider.  And Dave got us a trifle/layer/parfait dessert thing that was delicious, but quite the mess.  In all it was fantastic!!  Last night, we concluded the festivities with a date night at the Little Bucharest Bistro and a stop by a nearby used book store.  Dave and I were talking about it last night, and so far, we have had cuisine from: Romania, Serbia, Poland, the Phillipines, and Cuba, since we have been in Chicago.  Isn't that cool?

So, in all, it was a fantastic birthday!!  I couldn't have asked for a better day!!

Which brings me to an announcement: one of the things that I want to do in the next year is get pregnant  (for the last  time?).  As a demographer, I am well-aware of the risk of having babies after the age of 35.  Since Dave and I have always been planning to have more than one kid, we need to get this show on the road. ASAP. That said, I want to lose the last 9 lbs of Dissertation+Nico baby weight before we get that show on the road.

There is no real reason for this.  I am really healthy.  Most weeks, I put 35-45 miles on my bike, I do CrossFit 3-5 times a week, and those are the "easy' weeks.  This year, I have stopped drinking soda, stopped eating fast food, cut way back on alcohol, and have dabbled with paleo eating (I say dabbled because I can't quit you cake, chocolate covered anything, frosting, cookies, bread, pasta, peanut butter, beer, cake pops, little debbie cakes, oatmeal cream pies, fried anything, pretzel buns, pizza, butter, yogurt, donuts, bagels, biscuits non-paleo food).  Also, since I don't do drugs or smoke, the only thing that would really put me at "high" risk other than my age is my weight.

Hold your horses, even after I lose these last Dissertation+Nico lbs, I will still have about 20-30 grad school pounds that I'd like to get rid of.  Don't get me wrong, I will be super excited to be back to pre-Nico weight.  I don't think I have ever put the numbers "out there" but when it was all said and done, I put on 45 lbs with Le Beast.  Obviously, I am going to bust my ass for as long as possible so that doesn't happen with El Dos.  Can you imagine how bad ass all my CrossFit friends will think I am when I am still working out at 6 or 7 months.  Of course, I can't wait to use my pregnancy as an excuse to not do certain things.  Death by Burpee today?  Sorry, can't! Doctor says I can't be on the ground like that!!

I think this plan is completely reasonable, it just takes time.  Also, the weather is changing up here... which means I might not be able to ride my bike for that much longer.  Mostly because I don't have snow tires on my bike (which I think are what mountain bikes are for in the city).  That said, I cannot justify buying another bike (would this be a "winter bike?") just to for winter riding.  I really would be insufferable then.  In fact, I am hoping to make it to Thanksgiving riding to and from work.  That might be ambitious, but as long as there isn't snow or frozen water on the ground, I think I will be okay.

So my announcement is that I am ducking out of the blog and facebook for a while.  Just till Thanksgiving.  Mostly because I have two big papers I am working on at work that I am kind of digging... so if anything I want to put in more time working on them.  But also because when I get home at night, its only a matter of time before I am ready for sleep.  Not ready for bed, but ready for sleep.  If I had my way, most days, I would be asleep by about 830 pm (as it turns out, I am turning into my Dad).  Besides, I hate the idea of people checking my blog for news about the Bishop-Royse adventures in Chicago only to be disappointed. And plus, The Facebook is kind of a timesuck.  And a half.  So for about the next six weeks, I am going to focus on Nico, Dave, working out, eating well, and work.  If you need me, call me or email me.  Otherwise, I will catch you on the flip side.