Blue Diamonds

Hey peeps!  Happy Humpday.  It's Monday for me.  I had a lot to catch up on at work today, but I kept my cool and powered through my tasks with a little help from my friends, Ms. Green Tea and Mr. Clif Bar.  Har har har.

Took a break to eat lunch al desko.

This burrito was off the chains!  I don't usually spring for premade and/or frozen foods, but this had good stats and was tasty to boot.  I loved the cilantro flavor, it really made the burrito taste fresh.  I can't believe there is such an anti-cilantro army out there!  Apparently, some people's taste buds are wired in such a way that cilantro tastes like soap to them.  Buhhh.

Chickpeas, almonds and raisins from yesterday's Ocean State trip.  Love both of these.  I'm going to try to come up with an almond recipe that mirrors these pricey Blue Diamonds, and I'll DEFINITELY be making my roasted chickpeas this weekend. 

Plus unpictured carrot sticks.  I know, convenient and cunning, but just trust me on this one.

This afternoon, I snacked on a Braeburn and a chunk of cheddar.  Such a great combo!

----------------------------

I took a jaunt after eating my lunch and wound up at TJ Maxx.  I like to stock up on fun specialty foods, candles and workout gear there, and today I found a real gem!

A blue lame (with an accent over the "e", ahem) American Apparel duffel bag!  It was marked down from $60 to $30 to $10.  I now have a great new workout bag for a song.  SCORE!

When I'm in a bit of a workout rut, I try to bribe myself with (inexpensive) new treats to enjoy at the gym.  Some ideas I like are making a new playlist, finding new exercise gear, or even trying out an exciting post-workout dinner recipe.  This gifting technique keeps me from getting bored and dreading my workouts.  Gotta keep it fresh!

----------------------------

Ok, time for me to bust out the infamous Oprah Voice for an announcement.  The above duffel bag shall double as new carry-on, because...

I'm going to San Francisco!

Jake's friend is getting married in early October, so we are going to take a little vacation out in Fog City (OT, but I had to Google San Francisco nicknames and came across this article... so cool!).  I've never been to the West Coast and I'm very excited.  I already have plans to meet up with a London friend, go for a run and get juice from here.  I'm due for some travel, and this comes at the perfect time; I cabin fever in early fall, and I love going to warm spots to escape the onset of New England winter; last year, I went to Santa Fe!

----------------------------

Questions of the Day: Have you ever been to San Francisco?  If so, what's your one can't-miss destination?  Also, what to you do to keep workouts fresh and interesting?  I will confess that my ice cream date with Jake tonight was a big motivator for today's gym trip.  There's protein in ice cream... right?