Depressed Type A seeks advice

I am depressed. About running. Ever since I started training for this dumb marathon, I've been getting slower and slower. Yesterday, my long run took almost four hours, and I still would have had 5 miles to go if it were the real deal. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. Why we do things, I mean. We try to do things we're good at and enjoy, right? I am a designer because I enoy it and am fairly competent. If I wanted to be depressed about my job, I'd be a high school math teacher. But, I also know myself and I know I sometimes do things just to prove to myself that I can (like the time I got a job at the Gap and quit the next day) not because I really want to. Is this one those cases? I didn't think so at first, but now am not so sure. I wish I could say I just want to finish and be happy with that. Stupid goals, stupid inner drive!

So, any thoughts on learning to just go with the flow and stop competing with yourself?

High school football in Atlanta...

is quite different than it was in Potsdam circa 1995. A few examples:

Tickets are $7.00
Pep band played the Fresh Prince theme song
Over 60 players on the team
Stadium vs. metal bleachers in a field
Actual announcer with box and hi tech P.A. system
Stars in the night sky are obscured from view by stadium lights
Police presence
Metal detector (Strangely they only wanded Brett, even though I had a huge bag. He IS rather thuggish...)
9 uniformed refs
Coaches wear headsets
Bling instead of varsity jackets
Crowd sported designer jeans, purses, iphones, etc.
Multiple concession stands vs snack shack
SEXY cheerleaders and dance team... actually a little uncomfortable to watch!
City traffic whizzing by outside the stadium
Chain link fences

The aforementioned cheerleaders did do the B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E cheer though, so safe to say that some things do endure. And the home team creamed 'em! Go Grady Knights!

peanut butter heaven

I had a craving to bake Saturday night (my god, I'm boring) and Brett requested something with peanut butter and chocolate. This recipe from the divine Ms. M (no, the other one) looked perfect, so we tried it.
They were SO good. Totally worth the effort of making cookies, not mention the calories. Highly recommend it! By the way, I think they are also good frozen. Not that I snuck any out of the bag in the freezer...
just a hunch :)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.
Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

Jonathan Orange Adler

I had sort of taken a break from decorating while I figured out my real estate future, but since a chat with mom a few weeks ago, I've decided to stay put for a while and continue to rent. I have a fantastic 1000 square foot 1920's apartment in a great part of Atlanta, so what's not to love?

So anyway, I'll be doing some more painting in the coming weeks, (eye for an eye, Katie) and I've been all 'round the internet looking for some new stuff. Thought I'd give a shout out to one of my favorite home decor gurus, Jonathan Adler. There really is nothing in his collection after which I'm not pining. Plus his marketing really is too cute. The phrase Tongue in Cheek Chicness comes to mind. Anyway, check it out. I want it all. Especially the orange stuff, natch.

http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/index.php

Is it legal

to try to sell someone human growth hormone over the phone? Cuz it happened to me this week. Gross.

Is it bad

that I am psyched that I just got a jury summons in the mail? Last time I got called in I sat in a room and read Middlesex all day. Anyone have a good book suggestion for this time around? I am just finishing The Lovely Bones.

yes!!!

Maybe I'll design a poster featuring another favorite adage: 

Doubt Means Don't! Courtesy of Katie (ok, and Oprah)

I just bought this from Etsy. I have wanted it since I saw it at the Shabby Chic store with my mom. We were shopping one afternoon when she was visiting Atlanta and I was like, I have to have that for my new office! My mom's like, I'll buy it for you, honey. I said, mom, this store is ri-DIC-ulously priced. Let's see how much before you trade your first born for it. It was almost $300, so her first born was safe. Well, actually she was very generous and said she'd still get it for me, but I didn't want to pull a Veruca Salt. Anyway, at $25 on etsy.com, I'd say it was a bargain. They also had one for $12, but it was a really bad knock off. They used Helvetica instead of Gill Sans. As if!