It’s been way too long since I have shared a “Thinking Out Loud” post full of random nonsense. This feels like the perfect week to jump back in, so let’s get started!
This week is teacher appreciation week, but at my school they are calling it “staff” appreciation week because there are lots of us there who work with the kids and are not teachers. On Tuesday I received a box of munchkins…I took them home because I know better than to leave food in my office overnight. I think Rob was both happy and mad that I brought them into the house. I can let them sit on the counter for days and maybe grab one or two, but he has a harder time stopping himself from eating them all at once 😉
Does anyone remember how I said I got a whole bunch of Starbucks gift cards that were sure to last me a lifetime? Well, they have finally run out. Between the weekend(s) that were fueled by Starbucks and going straight from the gym to work some days, I have been buying coffee there quite a bit lately. I even stick with regular coffee most of the time and it’s still $2.50 for a Venti! The good news is that it takes me a while to drink them- this one I had just finished up around noon. It also dripped quite a bit on my drive from Starbucks to work 😞
I need to admit to you all a slightly irrational fear that I have been experiencing lately. I am very worried that one day I am going to end up wearing Toms that don’t match (accidentally, of course). I have a pair of brown ones and a pair of black ones. They look very similar, but it would be very obvious if I wore one of each. One of these days I am going to pull them out of my gym bag or look down at my feet at work and realize they don’t match.
This week we ventured out and tried a new flavor of LARABARS. So far, so good. I always get sick of the ones that we get all the time, and lately that’s been brownie and blueberry.
Finally, check out who was cheering me on as I finished up my run on Monday morning. I have also seen a fox several times while on my morning runs. We are definitely not living in Baltimore city anymore!
Thanks to Amanda for hosting! I am excited to be back to thinking out loud with everyone this week! 
Have you ever accidentally worn shoes that don’t match?
How often do you buy coffee out?
Are there wild animals where you run?
A few years ago I ended up in the gym in two different pairs of Saucony sneakers. Ha! And one time I think in college(maybe?) I wore two different colored loafers. A brown and a black. Uh huh, that wasn’t too awful…Wait, a fox? That is crazy scary to me. I have a hard enough time running amongst the squirrels, bunnies and dogs on leashes lol. I freaked when I ran in Florida amongst the exotic birds!
I see alot of squirrels but the funny thing is that I keep thinking they are rats…because I used to see rats when I ran in the city! So I guess I need to adjust to being out in the suburbs:)
I remember in college I bought a pair of shoes and when I got back to my dorm I realized they were slightly different colors! That was annoying but also kind of funny.
Adam would eat all the munchkins the first night, probably rationalize by saying they’d be stale soon. Toms are so comfortable, though I only have 2 very different pairs so couldn’t mix them up 🙂 there are a lot of animals where I run since we have several nature centers around the area, and the scariest for me are the turkeys. There’s a gang of turkey’s actually near where I’m planning to run today and they are huge, loud, and unpredictable!
We had to just throw away the munchkins today..they were definitely going stale and Rob knew if he stared eating them he would never stop:) There also weren’t too many good flavors in there!
I never thought turkeys would be scary but I guess that makes sense! I am wondering if there is anything I should be doing to protect myself from these animals?? I mean they pretty much leave me alone but I don’t know what I would do if something came near me!
I would have taken a few munchkins then put that box in the break room. I too can’t resist.
I have worn two different shoes before. Black and brown. I didn’t notice until I was halfway through my day and luckily no one else noticed. That’s what I get for getting dressed in the dark.
Ha! Well at least no one noticed! Im sure if that happened to me it would drive me crazy all day!
One of my biggest fears is actually that I’ll walk out of the house with mascara only on one eye. It almost happened to me once before until I realized it literally at the last second before walking out my door, and it’s been a pretty big phobia for me ever since 😆
Haha, that sounds a legitimate fear! I don’t wear mascara enough to worry about something like that, but hopefully it never happens to you!
Foxes are so cute! I grew up in z suburb of St. Louis and we had deer, turkeys, and coyotes around our neighborhood.
I haven’t worn mismatched shoes, but I’ve almost worn my slippers out of the house.
Coyotes would really freak me out! And there are many days that I want to wear my slippers out of the house, but I think Rob would be too embarrassed to be seen with me:)
We have wild animals… in the form of cyclists and taxi drivers (who will try to run you over). MUNCHKINS ARE THE BEST. I would rather have munchkins than the regular donut, no contest. Especially if they are the blueberry cake ones….
Oh I definitely prefer munchkins over donuts! I actually have no problem turning down a donut because I don’t really like them that much. I enjoy munchkins because I can have 1 or 2 and be perfectly satisfied.
I don’t drink coffee, so not an issue for me. I have yet to buy a pair of Toms, do you like them? Are they worth the $$?
I like them alot, and I think I got mine on Amazon for like $30. They are comfy and versatile!
Oh yeah, lots of deer! I actually see more deer road running than trail running. One day when I was running my usual back road routes, I saw 17 deer within 5 minutes of each other. 9 were running right through the woods and I could see them, then down on the other side of the road, 8 ran right across the road. Because of the direction they were coming from/going, I knew it was 2 different groups of deer. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Wow thats alot of deer! My parents have alot in their area, and I have seen few near our new house. Im kind of surprised because we have quite a bit of traffic around here!
I love Larabar! We see deer all the time when we run. It never ceases to amaze and capture my attention. Your post reminds me that I need new Toms 🙂
I think I want to get some new Toms as well! They have so many fun options:)
I don’t drink coffee but I love iced tea. I used to stop by Starbucks every morning but it does add up. I had a Mr. Coffee iced tea maker at home that I finally decided either use it or lose it. i still treat myself every so often but making tea over the weekend saves me time on my commute.
Thats a great way to save time and money! Whenever I go straight to work from home I make my own coffee and bring it with me. Starbucks is just so convenient when Im already out and about!
At a Ragnar 3 years ago it was about 2am when I was getting ready in the very dark van for my next leg, as I was getting out I realized I had 2 different sneakers on–I guess that is why normal people don’t get ready to run at 2am!
Oh no! I bet that felt weird! That would drive me crazy and I don’t think I would ever be able to run with two different sneakers!
I totally get Rob’s munchkin mind…I am like that with a few foods, and it’s tough for others in the household to understand. For example, if someone buys peanut butter cup ice cream and it’s a 12-serving carton, leave it around me and it’ll be gone in 4 days max!
Haha, yea we can’t have certain foods in the house because of that exact reason! I can limit myself, he can’t.
I need to get a pair of Toms, I have heard great reviews!
That chocolate chip cookie larabar has become one of my favorites 🙂
You should definitely try a pair of Toms! And I think I am going to like the chocolate chip cooke dough lara bars too- its definitely a nice change from the others!
Oh munchkins…. they are a true obsession of mine. I always feel like I’m doing better getting munchkins as opposed to donuts… until I eat ten of them and realized I just ate 3 donuts.
I definitely prefer munchkins too but they do add up quickly!
One day this past winter, I wore boots to work, and grabbed 2 similar black shoes from my closet. Unfortunately, they were both for my right foot! Ha! I don’t drink coffee, but love my tea! I used to see several deer on our front lawn where I used to live, but I haven’t seen deer here yet, however, I did see a fox, pretty scary!
My parents have had both deer and foxes in their backyard! Pretty crazy! I was really surprised to see them around here, but I guess with the new construction area they still think its their home:)
I haven’t worn shoes that don’t match, but I’ve 100% worn socks that don’t match. The sad part it wasn’t even a black and a navy sock, it was a black and a pink sock. Pretty hard to miss…
I run in the suburbs of CT so I see LOTS of animals in the morning. Everything from deer and foxes to wild turkeys!
Well at least maybe no one could see the socks?:)
I wonder if I will see any wild turkeys around here…Ive only been living here less than a month and have already seen more animals than I ever would have expected!
I know that feeling of being worried about wearing different shoes! I also have multiple pairs of Toms and I hope I don’t wear one of each! There are lots of deer where I live and I see them all the time on my runs. I would freak OUT if I saw a fox or anything like that!
I hear that foxes are afraid of humans…so I am hoping thats true. So far the ones I have seen are just running into the bushes.
If you like Larabars, you should try this recipe to make your own: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-covered-recipes/fudge-baby-mania. They are sooo delicious and super easy to make. I frequently run on a trail near a bog, and I see tons of wildlife–it’s really neat! 🙂
Thanks for sharing that recipe! I will have to give it a try.
Okay, so I have two pairs of black Toms but one pair was the ones I wore to work (I did a short stint at Starbucks) and the other pair are cleaner and darker and I’m freaked out that I will mix them up and end up wearing one of each. Stress about stupid stuff much, Suzy? Starbucks will bankrupt us all, but at least we’ll go down in a ball of caffeineated flames.
Even though no one would probably notice your different shades of black Toms I know what you mean:)
Also, whenever I buy coffee out that is not Starbucks I am reminded why there is a high price tag for that stuff- its SO much better than the other places.
Love your cheering section! I love it when I see wild animals when I am out running. Usually doesn’t happen unless we’re camping.
I am like Rob and wouldn’t be able to eat one or 2 of those yummies. I would end up eating them all at once too. Tell him he’s not alone!
I also love that your school does Staff appreciation instead of just the teachers.
Its been really nice this week that the administrators have been recognizing all the staff! My school is small but we have alot of staff who help out, most of which are not actually teachers.
Last year, there were a few months where I was having Starbucks on a consistent weekly basis and more than once. This year, I think I’ve only had it maybe twice. So strange. Munchkins. Ahh those bring back childhood memories haha. They would not be safe if I was around :). I don’t really have a ton of similar color/style shoes that could easily be mixed up, but if I did that would be a legitimate fear of mine too!
I didnt think about how it could become a problem when I purchased both brown and black Toms! I definitely go through phases with Starbucks…I think its time to back away for a bit!
I love munchkins! What do you do for the schools? That flavor of larabar is one of my favorite! They had a pumpkin one for the fall that was amazing.
I am a school-based mental health therapist (Im employed by the University of Maryland but placed in a Baltimore City school through a partnership program). I love trying out different flavors of lara bars! We order ours on amazon so after a few months I am always ready for a change:)
I pretty much always see deer on my runs and, lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of bunnies – that’s fun 🙂 I hardly ever buy coffee out, unless I go out to eat for breakfast, but I don’t do that much since I run in the morning! And I don’t care about donuts, but I LOOOOOVE munchkins, I would eat them all immediately!
Munchkins are a million times better than donuts! I always make my own coffee whenever I can…its just being out that makes Starbucks so tempting (as well as the convenience).
I used to buy coffee out every week (Fridays) and then I bought a better coffee maker, now I enjoy cups of delicious coffee for cheap 🙂
I really love my Keurig! And it definitely saves money to make your own coffee. Its just so much easier when I am out already to stop and grab a Starbucks:)
Whenever I see a deer, I can’t help but just go, “Oh, deeeeeer.” Super lame, but it cracks me up for some reason. Glad you had a nice “staff appreciation” week! PS – I was just in your neck of the woods on Tuesday night. Kind of there, I guess…was in Baltimore city!
Haha, that’s funny! And I hope you enjoyed your time in Baltimore:)
I haven’t mismatched my shoes (yet) but I’ve worked with a couple who have. It’s staff appreciation here as well. Foxes are quite common around here too. They are beautiful!
Not sure what i would do if I saw someone else with mismatched shoes! The foxes are pretty but they do freak me out a bit!
Love this! One time I wore an open toed black shoe and a closed toed brown shoe to work. It was HOURS before I noticed…I still crack up laughing every time I think of it!!
I’m glad things are getting back to normal for you!
OMG how did you not notice that?! Too funny!!
Woof I’m with Rob….munchkins are way too hard to stop eating! They’re SO good. Idk when I became such a donut person but it’s a real struggle haha. Is it just me or are Starbucks cups crazy? Sometimes they’re fine but other days they leak EVERYWHERE. nothing more annoying haha. Have a great weekend!
I am not really a donut person but munchkins are just so easy to eat! Actually the reason I never loved them was because I hated the kind with jelly inside, and I could never tell which ones had jelly so I would really only eat the chocolate because I knew they were safe:)