Changing Paths

For the last, almost, 6 years (!) I have kept up somewhat of a presence on this blog. My biggest year was definitely 2011 when I was living close to Boston while David was deployed. After that year, life got in the way (David came home and we built our current house) and the blog was pushed aside.

Then a comeback was made in the form of my 30 races in 2014! What an accomplishment! A little recap if you will:

Phew! What tiring, yet fun, year that was!

As 2015 came and went, I tried to keep writing about races, restaurants, and just general life. In July of that year I ended up getting rid of my self hosted site and went back to WordPress. In the process I lost a good chunk of 2014 and some of 2015. It was a bit discouraging but I still feel like I made the right decision to scale back. It didn’t make sense to spend money on something that wasn’t making any money. And my heart just wasn’t in it at the time.

Lately though, I have thought about refocusing my blog to focus on more day to day life and perhaps more baking as well. I contemplated starting a new blog called “Baked with Bliss” but realized that it might force me into feeling like I could only talk about baking. I wanted to do a bit more. And since I’m no longer a concierge (although I am still “jogging”!) I didn’t feel that the name really suited me as well.

And that is why I’ve started a new blog! And I decided to call it “Made with Bliss.” (My maiden name is Bliss and it’s obviously the coolest last name ever 😉 ). I’m really going to try and focus on getting more content out there, too. It may be slow going at first, but hopefully I’ll find my groove.

Won’t you join me??

Made With Bliss

Moving Up

Today is such a bittersweet day as it’s my last here at the concierge desk of the hotel. If we’re friends on Facebook or you follow me on Instagram you may already know: I got a promotion at work!

Starting next Monday I’ll be the new Executive Assistant to the General Manager at the hotel (every time I say that I think of Assistant to the Traveling Secretary). It’s a huge step up for me, and even though I still had to go through the interview process, it was extremely flattering that the GM asked about me personally.

Of course now this means a whole new wardrobe! I even gave away some of my office wear a few months ago since I thought I’d be living in uniforms. Luckily I was able to find two beautiful Calvin Klein suits at Burlington Coat Factory for only $60 each (retail price of $280!).

I also have some gift cards to Old Navy and TJ Maxx so I can at least get a good rotating selection of tops. It’ll be a work in progress for sure.

I guess the big question now is: what should my blog name be?? I’m not technically a concierge anymore, although the “Jogging Concierge” does still have a nice ring to it. I hope to still be active in Boston and surrounding areas, but we’ll see if I feel like changing things up in terms of name and identity.

And on another (singing) note, this past weekend I sang alongside my mom and other lovely ladies of Stardust Chorus to sing at the Algonquin Club in Back Bay. It was such an amazing experience, and I’ve forgotten how much I love singing in a group. We’ll have to see if it parlays into something I do on the regular. And it’s always fun to be able to play dress up:

So those are the updates in my life! Oh, and on the garage front:

We have electricity! Such a lovely thing. 🙂

What’s new in your life??

2016 BAA 5K

First off: Happy Marathon Monday!! It looks like a beautiful day for the runners and spectators. Good luck to everyone running!

This past Saturday I ran the 8th annual BAA 5K. It was my first year running, and it ended up being such an amazing race.

Dad and I at the Boston Common before the start.

The race had about 10,000 entrants, so you can imagine the crazy crowds as we tried to line up. Dad and I were around the 9 minute line, although we could have done better getting closer to the front because we ended up behind some walkers.

It was a bit crowded at first but it started to open up after the first mile. I was also FAH-reezing and my finger tips on my right hand were white. My legs and feet were also a bit cold so I think that helped me run fast, since I couldn’t feel them. 😉

The best part of the race though is when we crossed over the marathon finish line just around the 2 mile mark.

It was at this point too that my dad caught up to me. He thought he had passed me at the beginning and was surprised to see how fast I was going! I was losing a bit of steam but kept him in sight just a few paces ahead of me. I did have enough in the tank to bolt across the finish line but unfortunately the chute was too narrow for me to really get my strides in.

Stats
Time: 27:38
Pace: 8:54
Gender (F): 1395/5033
Division (F 30-34): 236/785
Overall: 3411/8708

I had SUCH a wonderful time at this race. And it has definitely boosted my confidence with running at a faster pace. Even though I have no races on the calendar, I’m certainly going to continue my running about 2 to 3 times a week and see where my fitness can take me. I’m contemplating another half marathon, actually, but it’ll be a year or so before that happens. 😉

Was there a race you did that gave you that “I can fly” feeling?? 

BAA 5K Training – Week 7 | Boston Marathon Weekend

Good day to you all! A little bit late on my recap for training last week, but better late than never right? 🙂

Monday 4/4 & Tuesday 4/5: Rest

Wednesday 4/6: 2.85 miles in 26:06 @ 9:09 pace

Thursday 4/7 & Friday 4/8: Rest

Saturday 4/9: 1.47 miles with David. No clock; just a fun run! 🙂

Sunday 4/10: Jay Lyons 5K in Worcester with my mom and dad. My mom ended up not running due to an injury so I took her bib and ran alongside my dad. He’s a speedy guy but thankfully we were able to stay together the whole race (me running faster than normal; him slowing down to let me keep up) 3.2 miles in 27:20(ish). For some reason the numbers we ran with aren’t showing up in the complete list, so I’m not sure of the exact time.  I had a great time at this run though and it’s given me the boost I need for this Saturday!

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Boston Marathon is less than a week away! The Sheraton Boston hotel is hosting a couple of events leading up to the big day, and I’ve been encouraged to spread the word!

1. Give Blood on Friday for One Boston Day!
• Join the Red Cross & Fox25 News for our annual Boston Strong blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Friday (Hampton & Exeter).
How to Participate:
o Call 1-800 RED CROSS for an appointment
o Visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code BostonStrong.

2. Donate Your Shoes!
• We’re working with the awesome nonprofit Soles4Souls to collect and distribute your used shoes to impoverished communities worldwide. Help us to reach 120 pairs of donated shoes internally, representing this year’s annual Boston Marathon!
How to Participate:
o Bring in shoes you can live without (sneakers, heels, flats, sandals, etc.) and drop them off in one of the two drop-boxes in the lobby: “Your shoes have another journey post-Marathon.”

EDIT TO ADD: I’m sure that those who are familiar with the marathon know how important fundraising is in order to run this prestigious race.

Bain Capital created an infographic on the critical fundraising efforts that happen each year in conjunction with the race. One of the most active charities is Miles for Miracles, a team of nearly 200 runners from Boston Children’s Hospital. In preparation for this year’s race, they’re hoping to raise $1.7 million to provide high quality care for children and families in need.

They were kind enough to send me the infograph to share along with you. It’s such a wonderful cause during such a wonderful occasion. (Follow Bain Capital on Twitter!)

Are you participating in the marathon weekend? Or spectating?

GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE RUNNERS!!

BAA 5K Training – Week 6

Monday 3/28: Rest

Tuesday 3/29: 2.19 in 20:00 @ 9:07 pace. Today I just set my timer for 20 minutes and was on my way. Another lovely day for a run! A bit windy, but not too bad.

Wednesday 3/30: 4 miles in 38:35 @ 9:38 pace. I was able to run with my sister-in-law, Grace, along the Charles River. We had such a great time and the weather was perfect!

Thursday 3/31 & Friday 4/1: Rest

Let’s talk about what happened on Friday. I was called in to help out at the desk because they had a call out but as I was driving down Rt. 2, a turkey decided to slam itself in to windshield.

Thankfully I wasn’t hurt but it sure shook me up a bit. Now I’m driving a rental until I can get it fixed.

Saturday 4/2 & Sunday 4/3: Crazy weather and unpredictable schedules kept me busy these two days.

And as I write this on Monday (with this crazy snow outside!) I have every intention of getting out there this week since the races is less than 2 weeks away. I feel confident about it though, and I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of fun. 🙂

Are you experiencing some crazy weather where you are? Have you ever hit a turkey?? 

BAA 5K Training – Week 5

AKA: Better-safe-than-sorry week.

I’ve been battling some chest tightness and shortness of breath lately. It happens every so often, mostly when the weather has weird peaks and valleys. Rather than risk making it worse, I’ve decided to take the runs easy again this past week.

Monday 3/21 & Tuesday 3/22: Rest

Wednesday 3/23: 2.69 miles in 25:02 @ 9:20 pace. I battled up a big hill in town and instead of feeling exhausted on the way down, I felt like I was flying! I love that feeling. 🙂

Thursday 3/24 & Friday 3/25: Rest

Saturday 3/26: 2.33 miles in 22 @ 9:22 pace

Sunday 3/27: Happy Easter! I worked the morning shift and I was on the go-go helping with luggage storage for a group that was checking out. Lots of heavy lifting and fast walking! Felt like a workout to me. 😉 To celebrate the holiday I went to my sister in laws to watch the Syracuse vs. Virginia game and enjoy some dinner. It was just what was needed after my busy morning.

How was your holiday weekend?

Loretta’s Last Call

When you think of bars around Fenway Park you may automatically think of sports bars galore with beers on tap, hot dogs on the menu, and TVs highlighting the games of the day. But did you ever think that hidden on the corner of Lansdowne Street that you’d find a little taste of the South?

At Loretta’s Last Call you’re treated to some of the best Southern cuisine. Before we even ordered, they were bringing out corn dogs, fried pickles, pimento grilled cheese, short ribs sliders (on the most delicious biscuits!), fried green tomatoes, catfish sliders, and chicken wings.

Everything was delicious, with my favorite being the sliders, fried pickles, and pimento grilled cheese sandwiches! The biscuits were so buttery and light, and the fried pickles were so perfectly fried that I couldn’t get my fork away from them. I wasn’t a huge fan of the corn dogs, perhaps because they used andouille sausage, and while I appreciate the flare, I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to my dogs. 😉

When it came time to actually order dinner, I was too full to enjoy anything heavy. I ended up going straight to dessert and ordered the angel food cake with strawberries. It was slightly moist with the most freshest tasting strawberries and whipped cream. Totally hit the spot.

For cocktails, I started with a moonshine concoction that was perfectly sweet and potent. For our second, the waitress said that she could “throw something together” that included cinnamon infused tequila. It was quite the margarita and gave me the liquid courage to engage in the evenings activity…

LINE DANCING! But really, I didn’t need the convincing; I love line dancing. David and I even danced an epic Cotton Eyed Joe at our wedding. There were two dance instructors that taught us two dances. One was to Boot Scootin’ Boogie (LOVE!) and the other was to the music of their house band. I had so much fun and can’t wait to go back again for some more dancing. And one of the best parts was when a bunch of people would just start dancing to the songs. Apparently there are people that go every week, and it felt like a flash mob of stomping boots and swinging around!

Interested in getting out your cowboy boots? Currently they have dance lessons on Tuesdays and Sundays, however the schedule will change once Red Sox season is in full swing. They also have a calendar of rotating events here.

This evening was complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Loretta’s Last Call is located at 1 Lansdowne Street, right behind Fenway Park.

BAA 5K Training – Week 4

I got in two days this past week! It was another week of early shifts and having to cover some shifts as well. Not ideal, but I work with what I’ve got. 🙂

Monday 3/14 through Wednesday 3/16: More mid-shifts and late night activities meant long days for me. On Tuesday I went to an awesome restaurant near Fenway Park for Southern food and line dancing! I’ll be posting about that soon. 🙂

Thursday 3/17: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! 2.35 miles in 20:49 @ an 8:51 pace!! Beautiful morning for a run.

Friday 3/18: Happy Birthday to me!! 3.2 miles to celebrate turning 32 in 29:39 @ a 9:15 pace. A little windy but a great run!

Saturday 3/19 and Sunday 3/20: Rest days. I had every intention of resting on Saturday and then “racing” a 5K to see where my level was but I ended up working until 1AM on Saturday and didn’t get to bed until 2:30. I slept until 10:30 and just went on my way to work.

Less than a month until the 5K and I’m feeling great about it. I’m just having fun running the short distances and further exploring my little town. 🙂

Anyone training for races?

Birthday Celebrations

 

As I celebrate my 32nd birthday today, I thought it would be fun to recap some of my most memorable birthdays. From Vegas to bowling to prohibition-themed, I always enjoyed getting out and about to celebrate turning another year older. (Although I still get mistaken for my mid 20’s. I’m not complaining! 🙂)

23rd Birthday in 2007 – Las Vegas baby!

24th Birthday in 2008 – At home with family

25th Birthday in 2009 – Celebrating at Tommy Doyle’s in Cambridge and Kings Bowling in Boston.

27th Birthday in 2011 – Celebrating with my sister in law and friend while David was in Afghanistan (the Thirsty Scholar and Post 390).

30th Birthday in 2014 – 20’s themed party at my parents house.

31st Birthday in 2015 – The year of the doughnut cake!

Today – Low-key day and having my parents over for dinner: mostaccioli and Guinness chocolate cake! And of course, more doughnuts, thanks to my wonderful manager Matt.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate your birthday?

 

Gather in Boston

Originally posted in December 2013

I finally have a computer again! As an early Christmas present, David bought me a new Dell Inspiron. It’s super fast and has a touchscreen. I still have to get used to Windows 8, but I think I’ll manage. It took a while for me to find Windows Live Writer as well but I’m glad to see it’s still around, even on this newest edition. So now I can be back to blogging! I have SO much I would love to catch up on, but I’ll start with this fantastic dinner that David and I had last week in Boston.

Last Monday David had a job that would be bringing him in to the city and he called me up to see if I wanted to meet up for dinner. We haven’t gone out in Boston for a while so I thought it was a great idea. And I just happened to have a gift card to a new restaurant in the Seaport District called Gather. It’s from the same group that owns City Bar, City Table, MJ O’Connor’s, etc., so I knew we were in for a good meal.

Before David arrived to the downtown area (he was in Jamaica Plain) I stopped over at Rumba at the Intercontinental. I had a drink at their brand new bar! It looks like they minimized the space in Miel and added a whole new bar. For a Monday night, it was pretty quiet, so I had a nice time chatting with the bartender. I also had a cucumber and rum drink which was delicious (can’t recall all of the ingredients) alongside some house-made potato chips.

 

Once David made it in, we headed over to the restaurant. It’s located in the new District Hall and houses Gather, which is open for lunch and dinner, and Brew which offers breakfast and lunch.

 

The restaurant was very quiet on Monday night but it still felt lively. I loved the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. It made a lovely glow at night.

 

Their entire menu is tantalizing and thankfully not that large. For an appetizer, we started with the Boom Boom Shrimp – a little sweet, a little sour, a little spicy (pardon the horrible phone pictures). They were fried tempura style and had a bit of a spicy zing to them. And they sat atop a grilled pineapple slice. Yum.

 

As a starter, I had the sweet and savory chopped salad with mango, cucumber, avocado, apple, and feta cheese. The picture may look like it was overrun with dressing, but that’s just the glorious feta cheese. The salad was crisp and fresh.

 

I was torn between the entrees because everything looked delicious. I was told that the veal shank with sage gnocchi was the way to go. I couldn’t say no. And I’m glad I didn’t. This dish was rich, flavorful and very plenty. I ended up taking some home and was able to have two more meals. The veal was perfectly tender and the gnocchi was doughy with just a hint of sage. Atop the dish was ricotta and sliced pears. A perfect sweetness to balance the richness.

 

David was a little less impressed with his dishes (although he’s always been tough to please. ). He had the onion and oxtail soup and while delicious, it had hardly any onions. And his fish and chips were less flavorful that he would have liked. The fish was cod and he’s more of a haddock person when it comes to beer-battered fish.

We still left satisfied and full, though. And I would definitely frequent this restaurant again. The Seaport District is really up and coming with its development and it will be exciting to see what’s next.

This dinner was complimentary but these opinions are my own.

Gather is located at 75 Northern Ave, Boston, MA.