The Deal

Here's the deal. I'm on a diet. This makes me cranky. Actually, it makes me cranky for the first like oooh two weeks that I'm on it. Then I kind of get into a groove and I can do it better. But, let me tell you, I've been a cranky lady. Mild cranky probably. Not it's too-late-and-I'm-picking-a-fight-with-anyone-who-talks-to-me-cranky (see: high school Lauren post 10 pm. not kidding). It's more like, I'm a little bit quiet, a little bit reserved, would rather read my book cranky.

In order to curb this crankiness I started making a list of things I want to bake when my diet is over. Check out the tab HERE, or the tab along the top. I think it's coming in nicely.

In other much more exciting news, I'm really concerned this week for the welfare of my friends. There's a lot going on in their lives and I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen. I'll give you a little insight:

• What are the consequences to Mr. Bate's wife dying?
• Who is this burn victim Patrick guy? How is Edith going to act?
• What exactly did Matthew feel last time we saw him?
• How is Mary going to turn her horrible engagement around and get away from her fiance?
• Why doesn't Daisy just take the widow money?
• Will Branson and Sybil really run away together? I hope so.
• What is the deal with the new maid and why does she keep looking at Lord Grantham?
• Why can't Thomas and O'Brien just mind their own business?
• But the most pressing matter is, HOW ARE MATTHEW AND MARY GOING TO GET TOGETHER??? 

It's all so stressful.

If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, you better stop whatever you're doing and get on Netflix and watch Season 1 of Downton Abbey and then you better start watching Season 2 (available on Masterpiece Theater Online). You're missing the most awesome British Period Drama Soap Opera of all time! If I'm not eating cake I need something else delicious to take up my time! (Check out the pretty pictures I posted on my other blog HERE.)

30 Day Shred

Yesterday Lisa and I started the 30 Day Shred. I've heard it takes three weeks to build a good habit and only one to break it. (Don't quote me.) So, by the time we've hit day 21 on our 30 Day Shred we'll only have 9 more days to go and hopefully then we'll have made a good habit and good motivation to continue getting up at 6:30 and doing the video.

The plan:

• 6:30 am every day do "the shred". (I'm hoping the pinched nerve in my arm goes away so that I could actually do more than a half-hearted, struggling push up, but maybe that's just because I have weak arms and chest muscles...)
• eat healthy to optimize results
• take before and after measurements so that we can see the numbers there and on the scale
• do a longer gym work out at night since "the shred" is only 30 minutes

The projected results:

• loss of pounds and inches
• look more toned

Today was a struggle to get up. (Say that like this: struuuuuuugle.) But, I did it, jet lag and all. I might be getting to bed at 9 tonight but that will hopefully only make it easier to get up tomorrow morning.

And since healthy eating is important to 30 Day Shred, we cooked up a storm last night after our workout to get ready for the week. Fresh Vegetable Soup? Check. Crock pot chicken and potatoes? Check. Purchased ingredients for Green Smoothies*? Check.

I'm feeling so productive with all my New Years Resolutions. Isn't that how we all feel the first week of January though? Hope I'm still feeling awesome and productive with the resolutions in June, and again in September and then feeling really satisfied that I was successful in December. (And able to do the splits...)

*This would be a basic smoothie with a heaping handful of spinach blended in.

Good, Bad, Great

Tonight after work I felt like I was riding a rollercoaster. Why? Because my emotions seemed to be all over the place.

Good: I left work and went to the gym. Lifted weights and did a light cardio. I really really really didn't want to go and almost talked myself out of it multiple times because I wasn't going to be able to work out that long since I worked a little late and needed to catch the movie. But, I made myself go and was happy and it was good. (That sounded a little like scripture language.)



Bad: The movie was Remember Me with Robert Pattison. He was actually attractive in the movie too. It didn't get good ratings, but most chick flicks don't get good ratings anyway right? So we went and saw it. It was good all the way to a point. I sat in the theater with a completely disgusted look on my face as my hand rested on my heart. I won't tell you what happens just in case you want to see it. I will tell you though that my favorite part of the movie was Tyler (Robert Pattison's character)'s relationship with his little sister Caroline.
We also decided to catch a movie after work on Mondays. It'll be our own little FHE. Yay!

Great: My lovely roommate Andrea was so kind to pick me up from the metro, I came home to this:

and Green Velvet Cupcakes.

P.S. Want to know what's in the package? Just you wait. But, I'll give you a huge hint: you sit on it.

Exhibitionist?

My friend Debbie picks me up in the mornings so we can go to the gym together before the sun even rises. This morning I texted her shortly after my alarm went, off feeling too tired to go and deciding that an extra 45 min to an hour would do me a lot of good. Besides I thought, I'll just go after work.

Unfortunately Debbie didn't get my text.

I heard her little honk out front and was dragged out of my sleep a bit. I saw light flooding through the gap in my door.

I gasped a bit and thought, "Debbie thinks I'm up because the light is on!"

Dang. One of my roommates was up. Debbie always knows I've slept through my alarm or turned my alarm off (or in the case of Monday morning, forgot to change the time on my alarm and was disoriented when I woke up at 7 because I had dreamed I had already been at the gym) because the lights are off and our house is really dark.

Then I thought, "I'm sooooooooo tired. I can't go to the gym." And I rolled over.

But then I started to feel guilty. How long would she wait out there expecting me to come out the door? Why did I decide sleep was more important than getting fit?

So, I jumped out of bed. Decided I didn't have enough time to get dressed for the gym because then I'd get home late, I'd miss the bus, I'd be late for work, blah blah blah. So I grabbed my robe and ran down the stairs to the front door.

The porch light was on so I knew Debbie could see me. Or at least I thought she could see me.

She didn't.

I danced around on the spot for a second and then ran out the door, barefoot, and in the cold, wearing only my thin robe* that was only just covering my underwear. I explained the missed text, ran back in the house and jumped back into bed.

Besides, I'm going to the gym tonight.

* * *

Or at least I planned on it until I realized I forgot my shoes which are sitting by the couch underneath the coffee table.

*To see the robe, you can go HERE.

Qualifying Time

So, I'm flirting with the idea of running a Half Marathon in March and needed to run a race to qualify for it. To use a 10k to qualify you need to run it in 1:05:00. That's approximately a 10:27 minute mile.

As I ran the 10k on Thursday I thought, I gotta run this fast so I can qualify just in case I want to do it in March! But, because I decided to run it so last minute I hadn't trained or anything, making the race pretty difficult. I started having a really hard time running as we hit long gradual slopes and realizing that the course wasn't as flat as I had hoped. I slowed down. Waaaay down a couple of times, but I kept going. And I kept thinking to myself, "I just want to finish. I just want to be done. Qualifying doesn't matter anymore, just finish the race."

When I got to the finish line, Lisa was there waiting for me and I was so relieved to see her, and to be done.

Today I looked up the finishing times, to see if I even qualified. I ran the race in 1:05:01. I ran a 10:28 minute mile.

I don't qualify.

I don't qualify by ONE MEASLY SECOND.

But I finished and that's what matters. Right??

I RAN A 10K!

Lisa and I ran the Turkey Chase yesterday morning.

BEFORE:



Right before we started running. All that was going through my mind was, "WHAT were we THINKING??"


Pictures of the starting line, and running action shots. Lisa looks beautiful in the running picture and I'm already overheated. (Pretty sure that's the most unflattering picture of me ever...) I think we were some where between mile 3 and 4. And about to run up a hill...

AFTER:

I'm looking sweet. I'm looking red. I had to take off my jacket because I was so hot by the end.



It wasn't the easiest 10k. There were lots of hills and I wasn't completely in shape for it. A 5k would have been pretty easy, but by mile 4 I was starting to get tired. Perhaps it was because at mile 4 we also were running up a hill...

But, all in all, I was so happy I ran it so I could eat more sweet potatoes and not feel quite so glutenous.

Thanks Lisa for being my running buddy! It was fabulous!

(Stay tuned for pictures of Lisa's great turkey, the dinner spread, the dinner company, pies and Hannah Montana dancing...)

Thanksgiving Week! (3)

I'm thankful for my body.

And that I can run, and walk, and run, and skip, and run, and gallop, and run, and jump, and run and dance, and run. I don't particularly like running, but for some reason my sanity lapsed for about five minutes this morning and I signed up for the Turkey Chase. And if you clicked on that link, you'll notice that there are three options.

1. 10k
2. 2 mile
3. 50 meter kids fun

We signed up for the 10k. WHAT??

I know.

I'm crazy.

Last time I did a 10k I was in 7th grade, in cross country, and had training everyday after school. I've decided I need to make sure there are no lapses in sanity again.

But, I am grateful for all the things I'm able to do. I'm thankful that I'm not even close to being a contestant for The Biggest Loser. And that I can move. That I can do everything I want. I don't have anything holding me back.

And even though I'm nervous about doing a 10k, it's not something impossible, and I know I can do it, and I know I will feel good about eating that extra piece of pie, or that extra helping of Sweet Potatoes tomorrow.

Huzzah!

I'm sick

and I'm worried I won't be better for work tomorrow. I have body aches, a headache, a sore throat, and a cough. I fear I might have other symptoms too by the way my stomach feels right now. Work is still a necessity since I already have planned days to take off at Christmas and I haven't exactly accrued enough days to take off. Not fun. My roommate just told me I have Swine Flu. I'm nervous.

Worst part about the whole being sick thing? I was going to make Banana Pudding and give it away. I can't now.

Hm...

I have lots of things I want to blog about but for some reason don't really feel like doing it. But I'm going to force myself to write a few things down now:

1. I came home from a run Saturday afternoon and my dad was watching Mean Girls. It made me laugh and it made me laugh harder when he was cracking up during certain parts. (None of which I can remember exactly now--maybe the getting hit by the bus part? or the creepy/gangster-wanna-be Mathlete guy)

2. Sunday was the five year anniversary of Brooke Wilberger's disappearance. It's hard to believe it was so long ago because I can still remember vividly what I was doing and where I was when we got the phone call asking for my dad's help to search for her the day she went missing. I remember I had just come home for the summer after my sophomore year at BYU, I sat withBrooke at church the day before. We discussed "her missionary" and my impending study abroad to Vienna. This Sunday I talked with the mother-in-law of Brooke's sister at church on Sunday about it and how I miss her and have been thinking of her a lot this week. Brooke's family is incredible. They are still strong and so positive. It makes me really grateful for my church and our doctrine.

3. I made a cake for our Memorial Day swim party yesterday. It was the Flag Cake from Ina Garten but was featured in Martha Stewart a few years ago. I think it turned out pretty good but I can't find the cord to hook the camera to the computer so there will be no picture, but just remember, I did the cake pretty dang good, and the cake and the frosting part were delicious alone but with a little added raspberry and blueberry it was divine. I probably could have eaten all the batter and frosting as they were. Not kidding, they were that good.

4. I graduated over a month ago. And I have done nothing. I can't tell if that's fabulous and wonderful or slightly pathetic and depressing. We'll see.

5. I'm trying to get back into shape. I felt really good about myself that summer Brooke went missing but after going to Vienna, I lost the good habits I had formed and slowly got back to how I was before Vienna. I guess the fact that I love to try new food didn't help at all, but Vienna + England + France + 18 months in Poland + summer Europe trip + back in Provo gotta try all the foods I loved and missed + Jerusalem, got me so off track from where I had once been that it wasn't even a habit to eat healthy or eat right. I found myself eating lots of high fat foods, using food to socialize, using food to comfort (Ben and Jerry's, especially the new Marzipan one, Mint Cookies and Cream, the cake one, and Imagine WhirledPeace--although I might just like this one because it has peace sign chocolate pieces and I like the Beatles). I made ridiculous goals for myself like this, that I knew I couldn't keep and then got frustrated and down on myself when my unrealistic expectations couldn't be met. (Although, I do understand that my goal could be met with a little self control, it just isn't realistic for me to not eat sweets, I like them too much. Giving up being lazy would be a more realistic goal.) So, back to why I'm blogging about this. Well, actually I don't know why I'm blogging about it. I guess it's on my mind a lot today because I had a slight freak out to my mom when I stepped on the new scale we just bought and I appeared to have gained five pounds from the morning weigh in to the lunch-time-testing-the-new-scale-weigh in. I was not happy because clearly the scale I had previously been weighing myself on is off by about five pounds! I've since mellowed out and calmed down, and I still don't really know why I'm blogging about this. Do I really want people to read about this? I don't even know who reads this. I have a few loving commenters but most people don't comment (as much as I wish everyone would comment *hint hint*), I know I read blogs I don't dare comment on! But I guess maybe this is why I feel melancholy today.

That's a lot going on in my mind these past few days. There was more I swear there was more. And it was more good stuff than bad. Today though I feel like the slightly depressing over powered the good.

And I thought this was going to be a short post. Hm...

Edit May 31, 2009: I found the cord for the camera so here is a picture of the Flag Cake!

Lent

So a friend of mine in high school always did lent. She would give up ice cream, or TV or something she loved. I love sweets. Ice cream, candy, chocolate, cupcakes, cookies, nutella, hot chocolate. I will do anything to get a sugar fix. My friend does a sugar fast every other month and she says it helps her not feel so dependent on sweets. In an attempt to have more self control and to curb my self proclaimed sugar addiction, I am giving up treats for lent. Yeah lent is a non Mormon tradition and yes my Fat Tuesday was extended into a Fat Week because I didn't decide to start until this morning, but I decided to extend my not eating of treats into a long month. Hopefully I will gain an appreciation and love for fruit and other natural treats. So this is my public announcement to not feed me goodies otherwise I will be angry and have to exert some serious self control!

Teeth

I hate brushing my teeth. How can anyone hate brushing their teeth, you might be asking yourself, but I don't like it. I love what my teeth feel like after a dentist cleaning and I like the minty flavor of my toothpaste and I do like the way my breath feels and how my teeth are reasonably smooth when I finish brushing, but I don't really like the actual brushing part. Maybe it's because I find it awkward to move a small instrument back and forth or in circles over my teeth and I rush it. It usually goes like this: bottom right, bottom left. Close teeth together, right top and bottom sides then left top and bottom sides, then a quick graze over the front teeth (circular motion) then a few swipes over the tongue and I'm done. Sometimes this process is halted while I put on my socks and shoes or find a pair of earrings while the toothbrush hangs limply from my mouth. Then I realize I'm really late for work and I quickly move the brush over all surfaces once, spit, rinse, wipe and grab a piece of gum to mask any residual morning breath smells and swipe of some plum mint Co Bigelow mentha lip tint (the label says it's mint-infused for fresh breath). What a horrible way to take care of my teeth!

If I do do a more thorough job of brushing my teeth, I can't keep my face clean and have toothpaste all over.

This is a mild brushing mess just for effect.

Today I decided it was time for me to retire my current toothbrush to the world of cleaning, specifically a new job as a calligraphy pen scrubber. While at Target I bought this beauty:

It's an Oral B.

I just brushed my teeth with it. I love it. It has a timer too. When it started to pulse I figured it was giving me an indication that I was half way, but then a little bit later it did it again. I guess it doesn't shut off when you've hit your recommended two minutes, it pulses and if you want to keep brushing you can. I brushed for four minutes. My teeth are really smooth.

I think I'm going to enjoy brushing my teeth a lot more now. Now if I could only afford one of those electric flossing machines. I hate flossing more than brushing. And, did you ever have that toothpaste that came in the two different sides, one was blue and the other was white? I think it was Mentadent or something. I kind of want some right now.