Thinking Out Loud- Pretzel Spoonz And An Ah-Ha Moment

 

In honor of Amanda, our Thinking Out Loud host, check out the newest pretzels from Snyders:

Pretzel Spoonz! Click on the image or here for the link to the Hungry Girl article all about these new perfect-for-dipping Pretzel Spoonz.

I love a fun utensil but I never really cared for the pretzel.

Are you a pretzel fan? I just never really formed a strong opinion or craving for pretzels. Sort of goes with my indifference towards all things chip-related.

However, give me one of these spoonz, a bowl of melted chocolate and a jar of peanut butter and I can show you how it’s done.

So I have this strict routine when it comes to the music I listen to when I work out:

iTunes playlist is reserved for running only. If I am on the elliptical or the bike or dilly dallying around with the weights (dilly dally is the best way I can describe myself with strength training), I switch to Pandora.

I have a few reasons for this:

1- Pandora tends to annoy me by playing songs I don’t always like so I have to be free to click the thumbs down button or switch the station. When I am running, I can’t be bickering with an app.

2- Saving my iTunes playlist for running makes me excited to hear the songs on the list and less likely to want to fumble with my phone to change them.

The other morning though, I hit the Pandora jackpot:

Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. And if this classic crowd pleaser wasn’t enough, it was followed by this song:

I used to play We Didn’t Start The Fire on repeat in the car while I was pregnant thinking that like osmosis, the history loaded into the song would filter through my stomach to my unborn child making him a genius.

It may have worked by the way- the little boy has been a lover of history since the age of two and could tell you all of our nation’s presidents in order along with the placement of each state on the map when he was three.

I love those timeless songs. Billy and anything 80’s will always be at the top of my list.

Remember listening to Journey as a kid over and over and over?

I caught the little boy listened to Journey’s Faithfully the other day… right before he threw me out of his room.

I stopped myself from doing the whole I-am-your-mother-you-will-respect-and-listen-to-me thing because  I had a quick and sudden realization.

An Ah-Ha moment if you will…

I couldn’t get angry with him, I was once a kid. I was once the same kid who was obnoxious and wanted to be left alone, especially in the privacy of my own room to talk to my friends on the phone and do as I please.

He has it worse than I did-  If I walk in and he is on the phone, not only am I the annoying mother, I am now the annoying mother on camera for all of his friends to see.

I still can’t grasp the face time or why anyone wants to constantly be seen while talking but I will respect it as best I can.

Have I mentioned school has been closed all week for winter recess? Yes it has been tons of fun over here.

Even though I have been busy dodging various balls being thrown at me, I did make it over to another Trader Joe’s in my quest to locate my onion rings.

It seems that the Trader Joe’s I normally shop at won’t be selling my beloved rings because they don’t have enough room.

If you ask me (which they didn’t but maybe you want my opinion) there is always room for something you find important. Why they don’t find onion rings important is beyond me.

That’s fine though, I can drive in the other direction to a different Trader Joe’s location where they clearly have priorities in order.

And look what else I spotted:

Frozen organic pizza crusts all rolled out and ready to be topped and baked.

I normally buy their whole wheat pizza dough in the refrigerated case and will probably continue to do so because it takes up less room.

It is warm again this morning – 39 degrees. I do think I will be taking my run outdoors today before I head into the city for a Healthy Living-type luncheon event.

Before I go eat breakfast (fresh pot of oatmeal currently cooking) I must share a link with you that I came across yesterday:

The 10 Stages For Going For A Run When It’s Freezing Out – You must read this, especially if you have been trying to run outside through the winter.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

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Favorite pretzel – rods, sticks, twists, thins, flips, braids- what am I forgetting? I don’t have a favorite but I can tell you that I hate those yellow boxes with the thin salty sticks from when we were kids. Ick.

Do you use Pandora or a different music app?

Favorite Billy Joel song? Uptown Girl!