I joined a gym! 
$10 joining fee + $39.99/month for access to multi locations (one’s a stone’s throw from work, one’s a stone’s throw from home!) and NO first month + last month dues due up front. KEY! I hate having to shell out $150+ bucks just to join, know what I mean?
I packed a workout bag this morning, anticipating that I’d join this afternoon, but it is SUCH a deliriously beautiful day outside that I couldn’t in good conscience coop myself up inside!
I hit the trail for 4 miles under the cloudless sky, through the crisp breeze and among the gorgeous Fall leaves. Mmm! It was all good – except for the part where a giant beast came hurtling at me from 50 feet away during my first mile…
At first I was all "AHHH! What is that giant beast coming at me?!" Then I was all "Ahhh! It’s a baby deer! Do I stand motionless or run away?!" Then I was all "Ahhwww…it’s a freaking dog…" 
False alarm.
I passed by his owner about two minutes later and he was all "Have you?!" and I was all "Umm, yeah – he’s sprinting thatta way." Put your pets on a leash, people! But still – poor dog and owner. I hope they are reunited soon!
In other news, I baked up an Italian feast tonight. It was making my stomach growl with a fierceness as it was baking up in the oven – Italian Pasta Bake!
I halved this recipe and made the following changes: I didn’t layer the pasta & cheese, and I only used 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Oh, and I forgot the basil. 
But it was UNREAL! You have to make this recipe sometime. It is SO good.
I actually used the last of the pasta I got in Italy for this dish. The long ziti shape is so fun to chew.
Tossed with slowly simmered, spicy Italian sausage, garlic & onions – I could have eaten the entire, flavorful thing. MMMM!!!
This spoon actually reflects my feelings quite accurately. Ben’s comments were "Damn, baby! This is the best thing you’ve made in a long time!"
Thanks?
Anyways, I’ve got an evening full of house cleaning & organizing to look forward to, until Teen Mom’s on at 9. Did you hear? Apparently Amber’s getting in trouble with the law for laying the smack down on Gary. T. G.!!! She is such a train wreck.
Good night!
~~~~~
Have you ever had a close encounter with an animal while exercising outside?
I swear I have a new story almost every time I run on the trail. Last week I actually DID pass a baby deer like 2 feet away from me. Neither of us saw/heard each other until we were almost touching, and we both freaked!
I once thought a deer was a massive dog and got soooooo scared my heart didn’t stop pumping for the longest time.
I never know what I’m going to encounter on my morning runs. I’ve crossed paths with deer, frogs and SNAKES! Ew!
I always always pass dogs off leash while I am walking my dog (on a leash) – so annoying! I do encounter a few loose dogs when I run the country roads – last summer I was fortunate to have a farm dog join me for a run for a few miles…I swear a man in a truck was following me and the dog made me feel a bit safer while I was sprinting back towards town hoping to run into my husband whom I called to come and pick me up! Scary.
OMG, that looks so good! I am going to have to make it, despite the fact that I will probably eat the entire thing since my husband and daughter are not big fans of “cheese” (I know, I can’t even imagine not liking cheese). YUM, thanks for sharing!
I love Teen Mom! Amber should get in trouble for what she did so she learns it is unacceptable. If he did the same to her he would already be arrested.
I’ve never had an outdoor animal encounter. But, damn baby, that dinner does look dynamite!
I’ve been blog-stalking for awhile, but I think this might be my first comment!
First of all — mmmm!
As for running into creatures, I’ve had a few on the trails when my husband and I lived up at Fort Drum in NY. I have twice almost stepped on a snake (and screamed like a little girl/ninja-kicked/jumped out of the way), saw a turtle once and had a fawn and its mother(?) bound across the trail. Because the base is so forested, we also had some fabulous scenery on the treadmills (they face big windows that overlook a field) — deer, turkeys, rabbits and groundhogs in the summer!
I’ve been blog-stalking for awhile, but I think this might be my first comment! First of all — mmmm!
As for running into creatures, I’ve had a few on the trails when my husband and I lived up at Fort Drum in NY. I have twice almost stepped on a snake (and screamed like a little girl/ninja-kicked/jumped out of the way), saw a turtle once and had a fawn and its mother(?) bound across the trail. Because the base is so forested, we also had some fabulous scenery on the treadmills (they face big windows that overlook a field) — deer, turkeys, rabbits and groundhogs in the summer!
(sorry for the double comment — meant to include my link!)
Oh that pasta looks great! And I know what you mean re gym v outdoors! I tend to use the gym over winter as I cant bear to stay inside when the weather is lovely and warm!
That pasta looks delish!
I was running in my neighborhood when 3 GIANT deer came bolting towards me (ok…maybe not giant, but they sure seemed that way when you turn a corner and you’re both facing each other. Whenever I’m on the trail, I always see racoons – eek!
MMM that looks so good – I just made baked ziti the other day, actually… Now that I am training for a marathon, my runs take me ALL over the place, meaning that I’m destined to run into a stray dog on every run. I’ve always been taught to stop and walk slowly, so that they hopefully don’t come at you.
That pasta does look good! Boys are so funny, aren’t they?
That pasta dish looks delicious!
I loved that you put how Amber is getting on trouble with the law for her weird ass attack on Gary in the last episode! I put it on my facebook wall because I was rather excited when I saw it on MSN.
I’ve always been upset about the way she treats Gary, shes def my least favorite Teen Mom.
I’m excited that you found a great gym for a low price! Rock on!
And I love that IBE said that about your dinner, made me laugh.
This happened to me a few weeks ago on a run! Well maybe not with a dog the size of a deer, but I get so annoyed when dogs bark at me while running. It’s such a mood killer.
The pasta bake looks awesome! Haha, I love guys reactions to things they love. It’s so fitting.
The pasta looks great! I’ll have to try that soon. I have encountered snakes, frogs, a cow (it had broken through a fence and found the road!), dogs, and HUGE dragonflies. I can always get my speed work in when a dog comes around!
mmmm yummy dinner! but i can’t complain- tonight we had mexican out. yum!
as for animals out running… uh well i’ve seen deer and all the usual woodland animals. i’ve been chased by dogs and even bitten by 2 (together
it was not good). i saw a coyote earlier in the summer too… scary! i also saw a dead deer hung up in a tree to dry out. that was gross.
oh, and i live in indiana and did live in ohio, so these stories are from the midwest!
Well, it wasn’t when I was exercising, but this past weekend my fiance and I took a day trip to the St. Mary’s Historic Village (sort of the Jamestown of Maryland), and as we were walking down a pleasant, sunny path, I suddenly stepped right in the path of a HUGE spider, and it made like it was going to RUN UP ONTO MY FOOT! I shrieked and did a crazy dance with my legs kicking out to avoid it, while my fiance oohed and ahhed over the “cool” spider and the fact that it had babies clinging to its back! Yuck!!!!!
I was on a wooded walking trail with my daughter and we came to a clearing where there was a young buck standing several feet away. We stopped and looked at him for a couple of moments, and he was looking at us. My daughter took one step forward, and he took his front hoof and hit the ground with it! Like he was saying “You don’t want a piece of me!” It was funny that this young deer thought he was so tough, but also a little scary because what would we have done if he came after us? It was all good, we went on our way and he stayed grazing where we found him.
p.s. It’s about time Amber gets in trouble. She is violent!
I’ve come across all sorts of wildlife on my runs–coyotes, snakes, and deer. I’ve also been pooped on by several birds!
My husband and I are going into a gym to join tonight and then I plan on going home and watching teen mom!
I saw a deer the other day while running too…dead on the side of the road. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I had a heart attack and some interesting words flew out of my mouth. Good thing there were no little kids around.
so im the one who admitted to being a law student who dvrs teen mom….i was just informed that Farrah is pregnant again, is that TRUE??!!
We have those spoons, they make me smile!
Also, I tried Greek yogurt with honey today. Mostly cause I was curious from seeing it on your blog all the time! IT WAS SO GOOD! I am in love with it.
I’ve come thisclose to running into moose on my runs quite often! That’s an “only in Alaska” moment for ya! One time I even scared a moose so much he slipped on the ice and fell down! (true story!)
In one day I saw a cat (come out of a field), 3 snakes, and a gazillion grasshoppers…Minnesota!
That was a sad episode. I can’t believe she punched him like that. Pasta looks yummy.
I love Teen Mom. I don’t mind admitting that at ALL. Bentley is my favorite–he’s adorable!
Love Teen Mom! your pasta looks amazing!!!
one morning on the way to the gym…it was around 5:30am…as i was walking…a deer jumped out. I was soooooo scared because they will chase you. i quietly walked in another direction…and then all of a sudden…it was there! i stood still and finally it jumped across the bushes to another yard. so, i took off running to the gym! i thought i was gonna die!!!!
I discovered your blog via the Project Food Blog challenge. You do beautiful work in the kitchen, and that Italian pasta bake looks incredible! Yum! Keep up the great work, and continued success to you.
As for animal encounters while exercising – I am a runner, and I have had a number of them. One of the best was getting dive-bombed by a nesting sharp-shinned hawk while on a trail run!
Unleashed large dogs seriously kinda scare me! Dogs aren’t always friendly!!
Damn, that looks delicious. This is good after a workout!
I have been chased my many a small dog – oftentimes with absent owners.
I have even been chased by the SAME dog a few times. I would just slow down and not pay attention to it with the hopes it would walk away. It usually did.
Delicious looking pasta – I have been craving pasta lately!
I encounter deer quite frequently. Since I am running early in the morning near a stream and an open field area I guess I’m kind of asking for it. They still scare me every time. I feel like such a dork clapping and talking at them trying to get them off the path! Teen Mom is totally one of my guilty pleasures too. =)
I’m just here to mention that I also love Teen Moms! lol. My boyfriend even will watch it with me because he’s so floored by how ridiculous those ladies can be.
Rattlesnakes! I was up on top of a mountain, it was hot and I should have known… but there it was! It just stayed right there, lying across my path. So I picked up some small rocks and threw them toward (not at) the snake and it finally rattled its way off the trail! Whew~!
While biking, I got chased by a skunk. Was a little freaky! Can’t wait to try the pasta.
Ooh that looks incredible.
We have lots of pasta dishes here in Thailand, but the Thais unfortunately add sugar to them (they love everything sweet!) so they have a funky sweet taste. I do actually love them (been here 7 years, you get used to it, LOL), but still prefer the good old western style.
While trail running I’ve encountered deer & moose, but luckily have not run into a bear while on the “road”. I always carry bear spray and tell the bf which way I’m headed…I live in western Wyoming on National Forest.
It’s lunch time here and I might eat my screen!!
Looks too delicious!!
Oh and if you want, I can look if we have this pasta shape here, and send you some?! Just shoot me an email if you are interested?!
Lots ‘o love from Switzerland!
That pasta bake looks nice and cozy! But wouldn’t you know that the temps here are going to be back near 80 for the next few days? I’m having to reshift from “soup/stew/casserole mode” back to “grill mode.”
We vacationed this summer in western North Carolina with my FIL and his girlfriend, and his girlfriend and I went hiking together every morning. One morning, we had to shoo about four cows out of our path. Up close, cows are pretty big.
what a great comforting meal! my boyfriend would love this too! don’t you love when guys say funny stuff that they totally mean as a compliment but sometimes it just doesn’t come out quite right?? haha — men!
[...] Comments « Damn, Baby! [...]
Just found your blog on metromix! A) love you postings B) food looks incredible c) I felt so bad for Gary! He might be a dud, but Amber is nuts.
That pasta looks amazing, nothing like the pasta available in the stores around here!! Can’t wait to try this, my family loves anything pasta related, so I am sure this will be a hit!
Can you give us the exact reciepe for this awesome looking dish!? LOL
I came around a corner on the trail once and was face to face with a baby deer and it’s mama. She was directly in my path, so I had to stop. {Plus, I was scared to move. Didn’t want her to think I was trying to get her baby! I’ve seen videos of deer beating up people, and it does not look like fun!} But anyway, it was awesome…a little moment in nature just me and a couple of deer.
I came across a deer on the bike path one night (no matter how old I get I never cease to be in awe of them!), & we just stared at each other. I was afraid it would run right in front of (or into!) my bike at the last min. so I clapped my hands to scare it off, but it never moved.
I also had a HUGE snake slither in front of my bike on the same path one day! YIKES! T.G. I was on my bike!
Oh yeah, I also saw a beaver one day! And too many loose dogs… grrr! >(
[...] nice that I once again pardoned myself from the gym and went for a three mile run on the trail. No rogue animals today, however I did almost stomp on a fuzzy, black caterpillar. Dodged just in the knick of [...]
I was on a trail at dusk, and a 4 point buck came sprinting down the hill and stopped about 5 feet from me. I was so shocked I froze. He froze. We stared at each other forever (probably 1 second), and he took off. I think that I realized then that he was so big that if he actually collided with me, I’d be seriously hurt. I hightailed it back to my car.