I was in Texas this week, Ya'll.
ALL WEEK.
I'm tired of Texas. And I have to go back next week as well. I mean, nothing bad happened, it was just draining. I'll tell you all about it later.
Anyway, so while I was away in Texas I did not have a second to myself to check my email/facebook/blog so I'm catching up today. I wandered through my blogroll to see what was up and I stumbled upon something SUPERB.
My friend Dani has a cute little blog for her and her husband Mike in which they update us on their lives in far away Utah. I love reading it because we are both busy folks and and don't really get a chance to talk and email as much as we'd like to so I can keep up with what she's doing and she can keep up with me on our blogs.
She may have thought she was being a creeper, but in her most recent blog, Dani wrote a little Heather tribute and it was the BEST THING IN THE WORLD. It's just what I needed.
Not to sound self-involved.
I mean, sometimes its nice to be told, "Hey, you are great and people like you" because sometimes you forget it.
So Dani, you don't give me the weirdies. In fact, I love you! I think sometimes I would lose my mind if I didn't have you to talk to you. I always look forward to hearing from you. Also, you can tell Michael that I can handle being in cars that other people drive now (mostly). So there. I have a saying as well, but it's not as good as WWHD. I wish I could say it was WWDD? but it's WWFD? Which stands for What Would Farigno Do (Lou Farigno, the incredible Hulk. Long story). Anyway, you are the sweetest best friend ever and I am very blessed to have you in my life.
PS- I still can't leave comments on your blog. WTF? We can start our own blog burn book. It'll be great.
PSS- (or is it PPS?) I saw one of your brothers the other day at the store, but I didn't know which one it was so I refrained from saying anything at all. I'm awesome.
More to come about Texas later (and pictures GALORE).
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Classy Valentine's Day 2010
Oh. Boy.
I'm signing up for Roller Derby next year. I'm going to be on a team NO MATTER WHAT.
Saturday was our Valentine's Day instead of Sunday- Sundays aren't good days for holidays. We started out by eating Flips and a cupcake from Bliss Cupcakes. Then, Boyfriend took me to an early dinner at a lovely little sushi place in Sellwood. It was fabulous. I ate a bowlful of deep fried babies. They were delicious.
... deep fried baby octopus. Odd texture, and their heads pop in your mouth. The first bite almost made me gag because of the head, but then I focused on the taste instead of what was actually in my mouth and forgot all about how weird it was.
We also had some DELICIOUS sushi.
After we were stuffed to the gills (haha... get it?) we headed over to Oaks Park to see the Rose City Rollers roller derby. I don't know why I've never been to one of these before. Roller Derby is AWE. SOME.
I'm all about the leopard print unitard.
BF being classy at Roller Derby... because PBR is the just that. Pure Class.
After Roller Derby, BF and I headed over to the Lloyd Center (still keeping it classy) for some shopping. We definitely had a good time in the Pirate themed store. We tired pretty quickly of the mall and headed back to my house to watch an awesome vampire movie (no, not Twilight).
Thank you, BF, for a wonderful, classy, fun-filled Valentine's Day. You definitely made this one of my top Valentine's Days.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Valentine's Day Randomness
I went to Fred Meyer today (actually, I go to Fred Meyer almost daily). I went to look for V-day cards for the parents.
Of course they have tons of red and pink and candy and flowers and lingerie and lotions decorating every available front aisle space. And they have the seasonal aisles lined with plush stuffed animals and cutesy decorations, Valentine themed tablewear and boxed Valentine cards for the kids. I like looking at all of the funky seasonal stuff- and sometimes I really have to stop myself from buying it (some of it is hokey, but SO TEMPTING!).
Anyhow, today a man brought his 3 small kids to pick out Valentine's Day gifts with him for his wife/their mother. It was so freakin' adorable I almost died. They kept tossing things in the cart and saying, "Oh, Mom would like this, Daddy" or "Mom likes pink a LOT so we should get her this". He was trying to monitor it all, and I'm sure they left with a few things that he just couldn't get back on the shelf. Eventually he steered them over to the flowers and told them to pick out the prettiest flowers and he'd get those. So all three kids were scampering around the tables trying to pick out flowers and also on tip toes trying to smell them all. One child had her face completely buried in an arrangment inhaling deeping and she exclaimed,"Dad! We've got to get these! They smell so good that she won't be able to smell your feet!".
I had to walk away so they wouldn't see my hysterical, body shaking laughter.
Of course they have tons of red and pink and candy and flowers and lingerie and lotions decorating every available front aisle space. And they have the seasonal aisles lined with plush stuffed animals and cutesy decorations, Valentine themed tablewear and boxed Valentine cards for the kids. I like looking at all of the funky seasonal stuff- and sometimes I really have to stop myself from buying it (some of it is hokey, but SO TEMPTING!).
Anyhow, today a man brought his 3 small kids to pick out Valentine's Day gifts with him for his wife/their mother. It was so freakin' adorable I almost died. They kept tossing things in the cart and saying, "Oh, Mom would like this, Daddy" or "Mom likes pink a LOT so we should get her this". He was trying to monitor it all, and I'm sure they left with a few things that he just couldn't get back on the shelf. Eventually he steered them over to the flowers and told them to pick out the prettiest flowers and he'd get those. So all three kids were scampering around the tables trying to pick out flowers and also on tip toes trying to smell them all. One child had her face completely buried in an arrangment inhaling deeping and she exclaimed,"Dad! We've got to get these! They smell so good that she won't be able to smell your feet!".
I had to walk away so they wouldn't see my hysterical, body shaking laughter.
In other hysterical news- BF is taking me to the Roller Derby for Valentine's day. Can we say "AWESOME"? I'll be taking my camera. Here's to class and roller derby fun!
P.S. Just in case you were wondering, This Guy is now 18, which means it's not sick of me to want to date him or think he's just the cutest thing ever. I'm just saying.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Cheats and Mental Health
Cinnabon is my favorite.
I think I ate Cinnabon at least 2 times a week in high school; sometimes more. That's pretty disgusting, and what's even more disgusting is that I didn't look like I ate that much Cinnabon. Thinking back, I ate whatever I wanted ALL THE TIME in middle and high school. I could eat Cinnabon and whole containers of frosting (which I sometimes did- stop judging me) and wouldn't gain a single ounce and I would only work out when I felt like it (other than some school sports which were few and far between).
Anyhow, Cinnabon has become one of my "go to" for cheat meals. No idea what I'm talking about? When you eat really "cleanly" every day like I've been trying to do, it's a good idea to give yourself a "Cheat Meal" once a week. This is good for a couple of reasons.
Reason #1: If you eat close to the same amount of calories every day, your body gets used to it and your metabolism won't stay at a higher level. If you increase your caloric intake every now and then just for a meal or so you keep your body from getting used to the set amount of calories and it will burn those extra ones instead of storing them.
Reason #2: Mental Health. I may go crazy if I don't eat what I want to eat every now and then. It's purely psychological. I don't get cravings per se, but I do get upset because I'm very "Don't tell me what to do". And I'm telling myself what to do. Does that make sense? So in order to not feel deprived I need to cheat a little.
Reason #3: Variety. You can't eat the same thing all of the time. Your body will stop absorbing nutrition effectively from the foods you eat if you keep eating the same things over and over again, and when you are dieting or trying to eat healthier, it's sometimes easier to find foods that you like that are easy and just stick to those. I'm not saying that you'll get any nutrition at all from Cinnabon, but if you have a more sensible cheat meal (which I sometimes do) your body can work with that.
Today I'm having fun looking at all of the delicious things I can eat for my cheat meal on Valentine's day. Actually it won't be on Valentine's day; BF and I are celebrating on the 13th instead because the 14th falls on a Sunday this year. Can you tell I'm a little stuck on this today?
Here is my list of favorite cheat food:
Gelato
Cinnabon
Chocolate Mousse
Banana Pudding
Lemon Meringue Pie
Cupcakes
Frosted Sugar Cookies
It's all for my well being...
I think I ate Cinnabon at least 2 times a week in high school; sometimes more. That's pretty disgusting, and what's even more disgusting is that I didn't look like I ate that much Cinnabon. Thinking back, I ate whatever I wanted ALL THE TIME in middle and high school. I could eat Cinnabon and whole containers of frosting (which I sometimes did- stop judging me) and wouldn't gain a single ounce and I would only work out when I felt like it (other than some school sports which were few and far between).
Anyhow, Cinnabon has become one of my "go to" for cheat meals. No idea what I'm talking about? When you eat really "cleanly" every day like I've been trying to do, it's a good idea to give yourself a "Cheat Meal" once a week. This is good for a couple of reasons.
Reason #1: If you eat close to the same amount of calories every day, your body gets used to it and your metabolism won't stay at a higher level. If you increase your caloric intake every now and then just for a meal or so you keep your body from getting used to the set amount of calories and it will burn those extra ones instead of storing them.
Reason #2: Mental Health. I may go crazy if I don't eat what I want to eat every now and then. It's purely psychological. I don't get cravings per se, but I do get upset because I'm very "Don't tell me what to do". And I'm telling myself what to do. Does that make sense? So in order to not feel deprived I need to cheat a little.
Reason #3: Variety. You can't eat the same thing all of the time. Your body will stop absorbing nutrition effectively from the foods you eat if you keep eating the same things over and over again, and when you are dieting or trying to eat healthier, it's sometimes easier to find foods that you like that are easy and just stick to those. I'm not saying that you'll get any nutrition at all from Cinnabon, but if you have a more sensible cheat meal (which I sometimes do) your body can work with that.
Today I'm having fun looking at all of the delicious things I can eat for my cheat meal on Valentine's day. Actually it won't be on Valentine's day; BF and I are celebrating on the 13th instead because the 14th falls on a Sunday this year. Can you tell I'm a little stuck on this today?
Here is my list of favorite cheat food:
Gelato
Cinnabon
Chocolate Mousse
Banana Pudding
Lemon Meringue Pie
Cupcakes
Frosted Sugar Cookies
It's all for my well being...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I May Be Crazy...
This week I've really hit a nice stride at the gym. And by that I really mean that I love the gym.
?!
You heard right.
Shocked? I kind of am. I'll give you all the lurid love affair details.
So I started getting back in to working out last year when I decided I was going to run and then run in some fun races. I cannot believe that I actutally ran in the Hood to Coast race and didn't die. I lost some weight and realized that I actually liked to run- even in high school when I was in pretty fabulous shape I hated running. Anyhow, this past fall/early winter I started the Whittle Your Middle challenge with a few friends. I didn't really like the program that the creator of the workout used, so I asked BF to write me a workout plan that would work for me. He did an excellent job (and still does since that plan changes every few weeks). I've been going to the gym a few days a week doing weight training and some cardio. Now I've upped it and I hit the gym 4 days a week for weights and cardio and one extra day on my own just doing cardio.
At first going to the gym was something I dreaded... not to the point that would send me into depression, but I would definitely drag my feet on getting ready and getting there. As I started seeing some results (read: weight loss) I got a little more motivated. Then I started seeing muscles and I really found my motivation. Last week I noticed that I am starting to get some ab definition. AB DEFINITION people. Even when I was 30 lbs lighter and getting over mono I lacked ab definition. And my legs! OHHHEMMMGEEEE.
Needless to say I'm totally hooked now. It's a bad day for me when I don't get to work out. I sort of live for it, but I still have days where I don't want to get out and I want to eat cookies and chocolate all day (hey, I'm still a girl). And all of this working out makes eating healthier easy. That sounds weird but it's true. I have more energy when I eat cleaner- heck, I just have more energy in general now.
The thing that I really like about the gym is that I see where I've come from and I see where I can go, it's just up to me. Weight training makes me feel powerful (oh, and it's good for your bone density) and unlike home, there are an infinite amount of things I can do if I get bored (which happens pretty easily). I'll admit that it's taken me a while to feel 100% comfortable working out there (I'm BIG into having my own personal space and NOT being around other people's cootie germs) but now it feels normal. Something about going to the gym fuels me. I plan my days around getting there and having enough time to get what I want to do done. I sound insane. I know.
I've reevaluated my goals and I've decided that I need to keep going. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn into a female body builder or a rail-thin exercise freak; I'm keeping the goals healthy and attainable. I thought it would take much longer than it has to see results that I liked, so I'm very pleased.
Next challenge- getting ready for bathing suit season. I know it's 3+ months away, but I got my Victoria's Secret catalog the other day with all the cute bikinis and I've already earmarked the pages. I'll be damned if I don't look better than the VS models this summer. Damned. It's gonna be some hard work (thank you ahead of time, BF, for your help and support!) I want to point out now that my downfall is food. When I eat well, my results are on point. When I stray my energy goes down and everything else sucks. Have I mentioned that I LOVE food? And I LOVE bad for me food. Like I said, downfall. But I don't have to let it be.
What are you doing to be awesome this year?
Side Note: I am addicted to watching Biggest Loser. It ALWAYS makes me cry. EVERY WEEK.
?!
You heard right.
Shocked? I kind of am. I'll give you all the lurid love affair details.
So I started getting back in to working out last year when I decided I was going to run and then run in some fun races. I cannot believe that I actutally ran in the Hood to Coast race and didn't die. I lost some weight and realized that I actually liked to run- even in high school when I was in pretty fabulous shape I hated running. Anyhow, this past fall/early winter I started the Whittle Your Middle challenge with a few friends. I didn't really like the program that the creator of the workout used, so I asked BF to write me a workout plan that would work for me. He did an excellent job (and still does since that plan changes every few weeks). I've been going to the gym a few days a week doing weight training and some cardio. Now I've upped it and I hit the gym 4 days a week for weights and cardio and one extra day on my own just doing cardio.
At first going to the gym was something I dreaded... not to the point that would send me into depression, but I would definitely drag my feet on getting ready and getting there. As I started seeing some results (read: weight loss) I got a little more motivated. Then I started seeing muscles and I really found my motivation. Last week I noticed that I am starting to get some ab definition. AB DEFINITION people. Even when I was 30 lbs lighter and getting over mono I lacked ab definition. And my legs! OHHHEMMMGEEEE.
Needless to say I'm totally hooked now. It's a bad day for me when I don't get to work out. I sort of live for it, but I still have days where I don't want to get out and I want to eat cookies and chocolate all day (hey, I'm still a girl). And all of this working out makes eating healthier easy. That sounds weird but it's true. I have more energy when I eat cleaner- heck, I just have more energy in general now.
The thing that I really like about the gym is that I see where I've come from and I see where I can go, it's just up to me. Weight training makes me feel powerful (oh, and it's good for your bone density) and unlike home, there are an infinite amount of things I can do if I get bored (which happens pretty easily). I'll admit that it's taken me a while to feel 100% comfortable working out there (I'm BIG into having my own personal space and NOT being around other people's cootie germs) but now it feels normal. Something about going to the gym fuels me. I plan my days around getting there and having enough time to get what I want to do done. I sound insane. I know.
I've reevaluated my goals and I've decided that I need to keep going. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn into a female body builder or a rail-thin exercise freak; I'm keeping the goals healthy and attainable. I thought it would take much longer than it has to see results that I liked, so I'm very pleased.
Next challenge- getting ready for bathing suit season. I know it's 3+ months away, but I got my Victoria's Secret catalog the other day with all the cute bikinis and I've already earmarked the pages. I'll be damned if I don't look better than the VS models this summer. Damned. It's gonna be some hard work (thank you ahead of time, BF, for your help and support!) I want to point out now that my downfall is food. When I eat well, my results are on point. When I stray my energy goes down and everything else sucks. Have I mentioned that I LOVE food? And I LOVE bad for me food. Like I said, downfall. But I don't have to let it be.
What are you doing to be awesome this year?
Side Note: I am addicted to watching Biggest Loser. It ALWAYS makes me cry. EVERY WEEK.
It's Too Nice Out to Work...
Today was "catch up" day at work because a bunch of people are out sick or traveling this week so I have some peace and quiet and time to finish straggling projects.
BUT it was so beautiful today it was hard to get anything done at all. I took a walk today and took some pictures just to get out before the rain and cold hits us again.
Also, I have a complaint for the powers that be at work. Mostly, it's a complaint to the building designers.
On our floor there is one women's restroom. That restroom has 3 stalls. There are over 100 women on said floor. There is rarely a time where I don't have to wait to use the bathroom. Even when people are out sick or traveling.
I need to end on a positive note, but I'll have to just do a separate post because it is so not even close to related to this one.
BUT it was so beautiful today it was hard to get anything done at all. I took a walk today and took some pictures just to get out before the rain and cold hits us again.
Also, I have a complaint for the powers that be at work. Mostly, it's a complaint to the building designers.
On our floor there is one women's restroom. That restroom has 3 stalls. There are over 100 women on said floor. There is rarely a time where I don't have to wait to use the bathroom. Even when people are out sick or traveling.
I need to end on a positive note, but I'll have to just do a separate post because it is so not even close to related to this one.
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