Winter Bucket List

I'm pretty pumped because Wheat and I actually accomplished nine of the ten things on my fall bucket list. We didn't make it to Brown County, but I'll settle for a solid B+ on the season. I think the trick to our success was limiting the list to ten things, so I'm going to do that again with my second annual winter bucket list.

- Go snowtubing
- See a Christmas show, play, ballet, or musical
- Have a gift exchange with friends - Complete!
- Make snow angels
- Check out Veal's Ice Tree - Complete!
- Take a drive to admire the lights - Complete!
- Go to the Lebanon Christmas parade - Complete!
- Make a handmade gift - Complete!
- Watch The Polar Express
- Send out Christmas cards - Complete!

I know it's sad to be writing a WINTER bucket list in November, but I'm just keeping it real. This gives me more time to get things done and with three inches of snow on the ground already, I think it's safe to say that fall has left town early this year. Ugh.

What are you planning to do this winter?

Christmas is coming...

I'm one of those rare people that actually feel bad about widespread Thanksgiving neglect. Starting the day after Halloween, radio stations are infiltrated by Christmas songs, decorations and yuletide decor pop up in Target, and Thanksgiving falls by the wayside. Don't get me wrong - I love all that December brings, but I try my best every year to keep Christmas cheer at bay until after my birthday. This weekend, however, made that goal a serious struggle for me.

We turned up the heat in our apartment, snuggled into the couch, watched football, and ate pumpkin pie cupcakes and homemade chili. We also tried out Broad Ripple Brewpub for the first time and loved the tasty food and comfy atmosphere. I had the chicken nachos and Wheat did his best impression of a European and ordered the bucket of mussels.

After dinner, we spotted a new French-inspired bakery in Broad Ripple called The Cake Bake Shop. Unbeknownst to us, it was opening day for the bakery, which had its cupcakes prominently featured in Dumb and Dumber To recently.

I couldn't have resisted the place if I tried. The gorgeous cottage-turned-bake-shop was decorated for Christmas and the beautiful white tree beckoned me from inside. Upon entry, we were overwhelmed by the smell of gingerbread, the gorgeous French chandeliers, and the crackling of the fireplace. Small groups of people lined the walls, sipping champagne, wine, and French-pressed coffee while enjoying pieces of cake, cookies, or scones. Every inch of the place was the perfect combination of France and Christmas and I practically melted into the floor with excitement.

We ordered two ginger molasses cookies and a slice of red velvet cake (topped with a macaron!) from an attendant wearing an authentic French apron. We sat on a bench lined with pillows at a table topped with a candle and devoured our dessert. It was a perfect little French retreat. We closed the night by seeing St. Vincent, which was both funny and heartwarming and featured Bill Murray at his very best...and that's saying a lot.

Sunday afternoon, Wheat and I bundled up and headed to Crown Hill Cemetery for some exploring. The cemetery, which is the final resting place of several notable people, was absolutely gorgeous. About halfway through our trip, it started to snow that light, fluffy, snow globe-like snow, so we ambled through the empty cemetery as it gently fell on the tombstones. We stopped at the graves of John Dillinger, President Benjamin Harrison, poet James Whitcomb Riley, Dr. Richard Gatling (the inventor of the Gatling gun), Robert Irsay (owner of the Indianapolis Colts), author Booth Tarkington, and Eli Lilly.

I suppose this was all a long-winded way of saying that I feel like blasting Michael Buble's Christmas CDs, eating candy canes, and hanging our stockings. Bah, humbug.

Stress - It's a physical thing

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Stress is a very real, very serious thing.

Now, I'm not talking about 'My team is losing with one minute left in the game' stress, although my family can attest to the truly horrific ways I deal with that type of anxiety. I'm talking about the stress that leaves you paralyzed and borderline unable to function, the kind that wreaks havoc on your body and mind.

In the last eight months, my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, my brother was deployed, I gave up on the search for my dream job and took an unrelated position, my sister moved across the country, my mom suffered through eleven chemo treatments, blood clots in her lungs, and a case of the shingles, and I've dealt with my own continued health frustrations. To say I've been stressed is a bit of an understatement.

I've always considered myself a worrier, but I never knew the physical effects that stress could have on your body until the last few months. So, in order to spread some stress awareness and let other overwhelmed individuals know they aren't alone, here is a comprehensive list of the physical manifestations that my stress has taken since July:

• Stomach issues. My gut was probably the first part of my body to react to my elevated stress level. I use the phrase 'stomach issues' because it really ran the gamut, from feeling nauseous and wanting to throw up to not feeling hungry at all to being constipated for days.
• Skin problems. For the last few months, my face has looked like a pubescent teenage girl. I never thought I'd have to deal with acne again, but anxiety has consistently caused my face to break out. I also developed a short-lived rash on my cheeks (that my doctor briefly thought might even be lupus).
• Bleeding gums. This is a weird one, but my mouth hygiene has also taken a serious hit due to stress. I haven't changed my brushing habits one bit, but my gums have been bleeding and my doctor attributed it to stress.
• Mouth pain. Speaking of teeth, I went through a period where I experienced searing pain that migrated along my jaw. At first, I thought I had a horrible toothache, but quickly realized it wasn't.
• Hair loss. This one is embarrassing, but I actually stressed myself out to the point where I was losing a lot of hair. I always find hair in my brush or on my clothes, but this was another level entirely.
• Sensitivity to pain. Suddenly, I was feeling random pains all over my body, ones that I had never felt before. The doctor told me that stress weakens your immune system and makes your brain more susceptible to feeling pain.
• Heartburn. Holy cow. The worst heartburn ever. I even went to the emergency room and after hours of testing, they told me I had a severe case of heartburn called GERD. It causes extreme chest pain, persistent dry coughing, and even makes me lose my voice from time to time.
• TMJ aka jaw problems. Apparently, my anxiety makes me clench my jaw and the right side now pops whenever I open my mouth.
• Muscle pain and cramping. Along the same lines, whenever I'm stressed, my entire body tenses up. After days of tension, my muscles start cramping, causing some debilitating pain.
• Exhaustion. After I started having panic attacks, it was impossible for me to sleep through the night. I would wake up every few hours, check my phone, and never get a full night's rest. This made me miserable the next day. The anxiety also caused soaking night sweats.
• Twitching. After an MRI and an EMG, a neurologist finally diagnosed me with benign fasciculation syndrome. In other words, different parts of my body randomly twitch whenever I'm at rest. It's incredibly annoying and really used to scare me, but now I'm getting used to it. It also causes itching and other unpleasant feelings on the surface of my skin. The likely cause? Extreme stress.

These physical symptoms didn't occur over night. They were the result of months of anxiety, lots of crying, and persistent worrying. Of course, everyone's body reacts to stress differently, but I can honestly say - my experience was miserable. After weeks of panic attacks, my body actually started to shut down, unable to cope with the heightened stress level. I won't even delve into the long-term effects that chronic stress can have on your body, including elevated blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack.

Fortunately, with the help of an antidepressant, an anti-anxiety pill, some therapy, and lots of love and support from family and friends, I can honestly say I'm feeling better now. I'm learning healthy ways to cope with my anxiety and I'm working on a post to share some methods with you. As always, I'm a work in progress and I still have some really tough days, but I'm slowly learning how to accept the tough things and remind myself of the good.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

Somehow, the weather plummeted from 60º to 30º practically overnight...and the oh-so-reliable (ha!) weatherman says it's going to stay this way. Needless to say, I need some happy thoughts to fill me with the warm fuzzies.

+ The Killing. I'm almost embarrassed by how quickly I binge-watched all four seasons of this amazing AMC/Netflix show. Really, it's one of the best series I've seen in some time. I love how every piece of the plot, every seemingly insignificant detail came into play and all four seasons connected seamlessly, despite delving into very different crimes. If you're even remotely into murder-mysteries or crime dramas, I highly recommend it.

+ This little girl. I mean, if it's going to be cold and icy outside, we should at least have this little girl to entertain us.



+ Ohio State Football. Look, I know it's a long shot for them to make the playoffs, but can we just bask in that great win over Michigan State on Saturday night? Can we also look to the future and imagine the Big Ten dominance that is undoubtedly going to continue for several years? Ohio State consistently has one of the best recruiting classes in the country, so I don't expect the Buckeyes to slow down anytime soon. Thank you, Urban Meyer.

Showing some Buckeye love with the Coke display. Kudos, Kroger.

+ Philly Cheesesteak. At least once a week, Wheat and I order the greatest Philly cheesesteaks from a little hole-in-the-wall place down the street. It's not even a sit-down restaurant; it's one of those seedy-looking places that you'd probably never try if someone didn't take you there first. But the food is killer - the fries are seasoned and crispy, the frozen lemonade is refreshing, and the cheesesteak is perfect.

+ "Tuesday" by I Love Makonnen ft. Drake. Switch it to Thursday and you've got my theme song for the day. Also, will Drake ever do something I don't love? Doubtful.



Is it freezing where you live?
What does 'Got your girl in the cut and she choosy' mean?
What's making YOU happy this week?

Gatlinlove.

I'm not entirely sure when it happened, but Tennessee has easily become one of my favorite vacation spots. This weekend, my friends and I reinforced that yet again with our annual fall getaway to a cabin in Gatlinburg. About half the usual crew couldn't make it this year, but we still had an awesome, relaxing time, despite missing them a lot.

Wheat and I arrived at Rocky Top 2 (how cute is that cabin name?) pretty late on Friday night, so we spent the evening settling in and catching up with friends. Saturday morning, I was absolutely blown away by the gorgeous view from our enormous porch before heading down the mountain for some blueberry pancakes. Spoiled.

After brunch, Wheat, Alex, and I decided to check out Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies downtown. I can honestly say it was worth every penny of the $30/person admission price. We spent a couple hours admiring thousands of fish, including ones we didn't know existed, and watching dive shows and feedings of the penguins and sting rays. We even got to pet horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, sting rays, and leopard sharks.

I absolutely loved the moving sidewalk that took us through shark lagoon, which included sandtiger and nurse sharks, green moray eels, sawfish, sting rays, and more. As usual, my personal highlights were the jellyfish and the penguins. We happened to be there during the penguin feeding, so we watched them hopping around and eating fish for longer than I care to admit. Each penguin had a little arm band with its name on it and I quickly decided that Norm was my favorite.

Wheat also indulged me by dressing up as a seahorse for a picture. He's the best.

After the aquarium, we recharged at the cabin before heading to Pigeon Forge for dinner at Corky's. My barbeque baked potato was truly heavenly. We finished the night with some college football (O-H!) and a glorious soak in the hot tub.

On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a late breakfast on the porch before heading downtown for some moonshine tasting. Before the crew did three different tastings, Jenn, Alex, and Sib rode the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster, an individual, self-controlled ride that weaves throughout the trees on the steep hillside.

The moonshine tasting became a bit of a bar crawl with stops at No Way Jose's Cantina and Blaine's Grill & Bar, in addition to Ole Smoky Moonshine, Sugarlands Distilling Company, and Davy Crockett's Tennessee Whiskey. While enjoying some chips and guac at No Way Jose's, we noticed a small crowd surrounding the table next to us. Unbeknownst to us, we sat down next to Tyler and Chico from Discovery Channel's Moonshiners. Although I've never seen that show, I was pretty entertained by their heavy accents, cut-off shirts, and the fact that they already had pre-printed pictures of themselves on-hand to autograph and pass out to admiring fans.

Once everyone was sufficiently loose, we had dinner at Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria, where I ordered the world's largest chicken and onion calzone. No really, guys. It was the size of my head. We closed the trip with some games, drinks, and Sunday Night Football in the cabin, the perfect end to a wonderful weekend.

Is it Friday yet?

Why YOU Should Start Rooting for the Bengals.

On Sunday, Wheat and I made a big move on the fall bucket list when we bundled up to cheer on my beloved Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Although our seats were in the upper level, we managed to nab cheap spots at center field. Our winter-like layering proved to be unnecessary, as the sun and our adrenaline kept us plenty warm throughout the game. Even more importantly, the Bengals beat the Jaguars (I know that's not saying much), 33-23, in AJ Green's first game since returning from a toe injury.

The Bengals' special teams unit blocked two punts, including one that resulted in a safety, so that made up for the weirdly close score in my book. Wheat even wore a Bengals hoodie, so this girl was brimming with hometown happiness. We closed the night with quality time with my parents, Gold Star - why can't I quit you? - and the new episode of The Walking Dead. Perfect Sunday if you ask me.

In anticipation of Cincinnati's Thursday night matchup against divisional rival the Cleveland Browns, I give you 10 Reasons Why YOU Should Root for the Bengals:

1. Our fight song. You know you love it.



2. Devon and Leah Still. They'll remind you that sports can always have a meaningful, positive impact beyond the field, court, or rink.

3. Ochocinco's antics of the past. I don't care what you say - I miss him. NSFW.



4. We've never won a Super Bowl and who doesn't love rooting for the underdog?

5. Domata Peko's awesome hair.

Via

6. The Freezer Bowl.

7. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses.

8. The Ickey Shuffle...and the new Geico commercial featuring Mr. Woods.



9. Hu Dey Beer, produced in 1988 by Hudepohl Brewing Company. I have an unopened can in my room and this brave guy actually tried to drink one. Again, NSFW.



10. Because no one, absolutely no one, should wave the Terrible Towel. It's better suited for cleaning cleats. Just ask TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Via

Big Bangoween!

I must admit - it feels really good to finish Blogtober. My final post is coming at you a few days late, but better late than never, right? On another note, how is it November already? Does anyone have any tips on how to force your boyfriend to participate in No Shave November?

Wheat had a game on Friday, so I spent Halloween night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, watching the Grizzlies beat the Pacers. I actually quite like Memphis (especially Tony Allen), so I wasn't too disappointed. I was upset, however, with the snow that was falling during my walk back to the car. I don't care where you live - it should not be snowing in October. I guess it's time to start wearing a coat.

Our Halloween costumes were pretty easy this year, Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. Let's be honest: We kind of look like them already. Being the method actor he is, Wheat really got into character.

 

Is it weird if I'm already brainstorming costume ideas for next year? Hope you had a wonderful Halloween weekend, free of snow and full of Snickers!