Some other good things I'm a bit behind on sharing: getting back to making progress on my 101-in-1001 list! In the past few weeks, I've completed a couple things.

I went for the first time back in December - Matt got a plain hot dog with nothing on it, and I got a duck sausage with foie gras and truffle aioli. We have different tastes, for sure. This time, he branched out a bit, and tried a chicken sausage with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and Dijon mustard. He also tried the alligator sausage with me - it was quite good. He didn't try the elk, though, because it had a bacon-garlic spread on it, and he keeps kosher.
Another item I accomplished was #50 - get a massage. Even though I've lost a good amount of weight, I still feel incredibly self-conscious about my body - sometimes even moreso. My skin on my stomach is loose and my arms are covered in stretch marks, permanent reminders of the way things once were. A massage seemed like a huge self-esteem boost - first, I'd have to take off my clothes so a total stranger could rub me down. Then there is the massage table, something I'd have to lay on (even now, as unreasonable as it may be, I still have a fear of breaking furniture). And finally, it would be an investment in my mental and physical well-being, something I have been struggling with for the past year or so.
A few months ago, I found a good deal for a massage on Groupon and bought it, figuring I'd use it after the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon in July. Because we ended up walking a good amount of the race, though, I wasn't in as much of a need as I thought I would be, so I decided to save it for after the marathon in October. Then, last week, it hit me that I was stressed out incredibly and it would do me well to relax a bit, so I made the appointment - after all the transitions of the past year, especially the past month and a half, I certainly needed it.
The shop was fantastic, very calming. My masseuse was terrific too, very professional and very understanding when I explained it was my first massage and that I'd lost a bit of weight. She could definitely feel tension in my back and shoulders!
A third item worth mentioning is #97 - meet one of my blog friends in real life. I already crossed this one off last year when I met Cynthia, but I've since met several other blog writers/readers. Meet-ups are always incredibly fun. Cynthia (then pregnant, now with an absolutely adorable 4 month old baby girl) and her husband came to my apartment and I made crêpes. I also met Marisol while in California, and we did Bay to Breakers together.
A few weeks ago, I met up with Katie from Runs for Cookies (and from my Ragnar team!). She and her husband came to the city for a day, so we had lunch and explored a bit and talked a lot. It was wonderful - delicious vegan food, her first time at a frozen yogurt shop, and lots of really fantastic conversation. I've been reading Katie's blog for quite a while, and she is such an inspiration to me - I love how real she is. She shares when she struggles (something I try to do myself) - it shows the reality of weight loss/weight maintenance, that happily ever after is a heck of a lot of work, even though it's incredibly worth it. I'm not really one to play favorites or keep a blog roll or anything like that, but if you're looking for fantastic maintenance folks to follow, I can't recommend Katie, Ellen, and Caroline enough. The wisdom that they have to offer has been so valuable to me and so helpful on my journey. I'm beyond grateful.
And about a week or so after meeting Katie, I got an e-mail from a reader who doesn't have a blog, but has been reading mine for a little while and said she'd be in town for work and would I like to meet up? Oh, and by "work," she meant...
Super cool! Because of the nature of her work with the tour, I can't share pictures of her or even her name - I'll call her Jane - but trust me that it was unbelievably amazing. We met before the show, and Jane gave us a tour of the backstage area and introduced us to a few behind-the-scenes folks. The show was incredible - I wasn't sure what to expect since I don't really listen to pop music, but I recognized a few of the songs, and regardless, it was an amazing performance - especially Enrique, he put on a heck of a show. So much energy!
The best part of the night, though, was before and after the music, when I got to sit down with Jane and talk about running, weight loss, life. She enthusiastically showed me her new Fitbit (she logged a crazy amount of steps while working!), and asked about the Ragnar project and about meeting Katie. It was a really wonderful evening, and I'm so lucky to have these kind of incredible opportunities, all thanks to my little blog!
What about you? Do you have a 101-in-1001/'day zero" list? What have you "crossed off" lately?