Stylish Blogger Award

Leah, over at Chasing Atlanta has nominated me for the "Stylish Blogger Award". I am glad I got tagged because I was sort of at a loss for posting this week. No one wants to hear how sore, sick, and pathetic I am being after my race! Finally ran today for the first time since the race and was tired. It doesn't help that I am sick too. Here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I used coupons for wants, and not needs, and hate to pay full price for anything that isn't a need. By this I mean if I am going to eat out for dinner or order a pizza, I like to have a coupon. Conversely, if I am at the grocery store and we need toilet paper, milk, or other staple, cost doesn't really enter the equation too much. High gas prices make me angry, but have little effect on my activity aside from driving out of my way to Commerce for Costco gas. I am really bad at using coupons at the grocery store, they seem to be too big of a mess maker at home for what they are worth, I usually buy store brands and stuff that doesn't have coupons anyway, like produce and fresh items. I also shop at Costco who only takes their own coupons (which I do use). I also shop the sale items. The grocery store nearest to us, Busch's, has a super deal that is different every day of the week, and I go WAS going there multiple times to get the $.99/lb boneless skinless chicken breast on Sat and $1.69/gallon of milk on Wed. I have been really good about not buying a ton of extra stuff too each trip. They just changed the deals this week, and I am NOT HAPPY. No more chicken at all and milk is on Sundays. I use coupons and sales for clothing, gear, home goods, and have even successfully negotiated discounts at the car dealership. This is hard for me because with my husband a Ford employee, we usually get a set discount and that is that. I did get a tire for free too once (with purchase of 3) just for crying and doing the "girl thing". It works, I have no shame when it comes to stuff like that.

2. I have a wicked sweet tooth. My biggest weaknesses are chocolate cake, cupcakes, and frosted sugar cookies. I will go so far to eat really healthy all day in order to keep my calories low enough to have a cookie or cake binge. It drives Ryan nuts that I will eat a massive piece of cake but refuse a cheeseburger or leave all the butter and olive oil out of recipes. Priorities. I also can bake just about any treat with ingredients on hand because I enjoy baking. I can't put a meal together without multiple trips to the store. Good thing I go a lot due to reason 1.

3. One of my major vices is "premium denim". I love fancy expensive jeans that are sold in the trendy stores. I don't know why, but I just do. I love going and trying them on. I get a pair about once a year, and am glad that Piperlime is part of Gap and can usually score a pair during their friends and family event, also part of reason 1. I wish they weren't so stinking expensive, because then I usually just wear a cheap clearance black tee that cost about $10 or less with them.

4. I have a degree from The Ohio State University AND a degree from the Univeristy of Michigan. I did gymnastics for OSU for my BS in Industrial Engineering, so that is where my loyalties lie come football season. I got my master's degree from UM through Ford's distance learning program in Automotive Engineering. I didn't have to go to campus on a regular basis as everything was done in the beginning through mailed videotapes and homeworks and then through video streaming online and online submission of assignments. I did go to campus for the library, to meet with professors for help, and to do my final project presentation. I also walked for graduation at both schools.

5. I prefer Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi over Caffeine Free Diet Coke, and that is my pop (we say "pop" here in the Midwest, not "soda") of choice. I am really trying to cut back on pop period since it has been accused of all sorts of bad things, so I only buy it if the 2Ls are $1 or less. Unfortunately, since I made this decision, I have been able to get it more often than I thought I would be able to. For a while it never seemed to be on sale, and now it always is.

6. This is more of an experience, but I wanted to share it. I had an odd experience last year while shopping (not everything in this post is going to be about shopping, but I am surprised at how many things go back to it!) While I was at the mall in a parking garage, I had a bird fly into the car while I was putting my children in their carseats. It was totally freaky! It flew in the drivers side door and tried to get out the closed moonroof. The passenger doors were open as well. I was just getting ready to reach in and start the car to open the moonroof when it flew out the other side. This whole thing must have only lasted 25 seconds, but it seemed forever. I was screaming as well as my two children. Oddly enough, I don't think anyone saw or heard us because I looked around afterwards and no one was there.

7. I have reoccurring nightmares about tornadoes. I did see a funnel cloud once as a child outside, but it did not drop down from the sky. With all my bad dreams I had before the marathon last week, I was really waiting to wake up in the middle of the night being run down on the course by a tornado. I probably didn't have that dream because I will have it in a month or so in regards to my prep for my half Ironman, Racing For Recovery, in Monroe MI. This will be a valid fear, though, because last year the transition area was hit by a tornado the day before the race, so there were delays with the start. Everything had to be set up again and there was a lot of debris on the course that caused them to shorten either the run or the bike. Thankfully, I wasn't there, I just heard about it. Those are my 7 things.

I must now pass this along to the following people:

Liz at Feet Dominating Pavement
Fancy Nancy at Living the Dream
Colleen at IronDiva

I think most of the regular followers of mine have already done this post or are tagged by either Shelby or Leah. Sorry if you have already done this ladies! On a side note, Shelby is looking for Bonk stories. I don't have any "blog worthy" ones. I have probably given up mentally or had an injury before getting to the point where I am actually bonking when working out. I have got a big workout planned for my birthday this year, and hopefully I don't bonk there. Most of the time I have bonked it has been when I have been watching the kids and been to busy to eat. I was once in a business meeting with my manager and got a bit loopy from low blood sugar and came close to having a tantrum over missing my lunch. He gave me an apple and some cookies of his that I was fixated on the entire meeting, and I was able to make it through the day. I am totally addicted to gu/gels when working out, and overuse them to the point where I get upset stomachs from too much sugar. I also have a spare marathon bar in each of my workout bags and my glove compartment, just in case.