| Holidays and Other Things... |
[24 Dec 2009|10:41am] |
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*I'm currently at work until around noon and then I will be heading home for a few days! I'm very excited about Christmas. My father has a mysterious present he's giving the family tonight. I have a feeling it's something cute and cheesy instead of something actually good, but I can't wait to find out what it is! I'm also super excited to give everyone the gifts I've gotten them.
*The next few weeks are going to be crazy fun. I'm taking a couple days off next week and I think I'll basically be eating and drinking in some form nonstop for many days. I'll also be going to the gym for longer since I have time off, so that will hopefully offset all of the eating.
*Speaking of the gym and obsessively eating, I got my body fat index taken the other day. I was in the "acceptable" range, but I was at the higher end of "acceptable". I was kind of surprised. I've been frantically lifting and admittedly still doing tons of cardio. I've gained some weight and I assumed a lot of it was muscle weight, but now I'm not so sure. The trainer who took my body fat index thing told me the electric approach which they use is not necessarily super accurate. If you drink too much or not enough water, if you drink coffee or if you're retaining water for any reason, the number may be completely thrown off. The most accurate test is the pinch test which they won't do at my gym because it's "too invasive". Needless to say, it's really disturbing when someone tells me 40 pounds of my weight is fat. Disturbing and kind of hilarious.
*And on that note, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!
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| Viva Las Vegas |
[11 Dec 2009|04:03pm] |
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I've been obsessively looking at some very impressive travel deals to Vegas in February. Brain's never been, I know he would love it (for the buffets alone, not to mention all of the gambling) and it is insanely cheap to get package deals there.
Vegas, it's been about 4 years since I've seen you. I don't know how I've stayed away this long.
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| Dear Douchebags on the T... |
[06 Dec 2009|04:04pm] |
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Just because I'm wearing workout shorts and boots doesn't mean you have to:
a.) Glare at me like I'm insane.
b.) Ask me if I'm cold seductively while looking me up and down.
If I was cold, I would be wearing pants. And I obviously am not trying to make a fashion statement so no need for the glaring.
That is all.
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| A glllllllllllllllllll... |
[24 Nov 2009|10:09pm] |
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I just read a description of the Turkey Trot I'm doing as "the first mile is a 500' ascent followed by 3 quad busting miles downhill..."
I'm really going to be earning this turkey.
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| Food Rant |
[30 Aug 2009|01:13pm] |
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So I've been seeing a lot of dieting shows and magazine articles lately and a lot of them state, "Don't think of food as a reward when you're doing well in your life." Don't think of food as a reward? Are you KIDDING me? Every culture in the entire world thinks of food as a reward, American culture especially, and I personally don't think that's a bad thing. Food IS a reward. When you want to try to impress someone, you'll take them out to a good restaurant or cook a delicious meal. On someone's birthday, we make them baked goods and sugary cakes. When someone gets a promotion or to celebrate anything, everyone goes out eating and drinking. It's part of our culture and part of everyday life.
I think the statement should actually be, "Don't reward yourself by overeating." If I run 5 or 6 miles, you bet your ass I'm going to eat more than I normally would, partially as a "reward". Does this mean that I go out and get a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake? No. It means that I may go get a foot long sub made with fresh ingredients with lots of veggies. Would I normally eat a huge sandwich for lunch? No. But I will to reward myself. It's a reward without being too unhealthy. Almost every day I get a breakfast sandwich (egg and cheese on a whole wheat english muffin). Is it the healthiest breakfast I could eat? No. But it makes my day start well and I've already exercised that morning so I deserve something delicious. Do I reward myself with a breakfast sandwich made with bacon or sausage with a side of homefries and french toast? No. I eat something that I wouldn't be eating if I weren't exercising so much, but it's not necessarily unhealthy.
In my opinion, it's worth it for me to be 5 pounds heavier to not have a psychological issue when I eat something that's not great for me. As long as I'm exercising and I'm healthy, food will be a reward for me. In fact, I think I need to go have a snack right now.
*Side note - Has anyone else seen What Would Brian Boitano Make? on the Food Network. I think this is the most hilarious cooking show I've ever seen and I love it. I had no idea he was so... for lack of a better word... gay. Charmingly, charmingly gay. I recommend it.
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| Move Completed! |
[30 Aug 2009|11:13am] |
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The move to our new place was finally finished yesterday. Our apartment is shockingly already set up, including cable and Internet (obviously). The space is so much bigger than any other apartment I've ever had, it's beautiful, new, bright and clean. I had a great night's sleep last night because this apartment is so much quieter than my old place and very dark at night.
We still need a few pieces of furniture like a table for the dining room and a new futon, which we'll buy sometime in the next month. Other than that, we're pretty well furnished. Brain has a surprising amount of shit and I don't, so somehow I look like the neater one of the two of us for the time being! I'm sure that will change over time.
It's nice being on the second floor and not feeling the necessity to run around shutting and locking all the windows when I leave. It's pretty awesome that most of our rooms need to be lit by lamps because the lighting makes everything so much more homey and comfortable.
So, long story short, this move is a huge success and definitely a move up from both of our old places. HUZZAH!
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| Somehow We're All Moving Closer... |
[15 Jul 2009|12:15pm] |
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I remember a presentation in high school that they made us go to. We were seniors, and I think it was an attempt to stave off "senioritis". It was a motivational speaking troupe, and the biggest take away I have from that assembly is the comment, "You should cherish this time because when else in your life will all of your friends be in the same building as you for 8 hours a day?"
I've thought about that a lot in the years since. Perhaps all of my friends weren't in the same building as me for 8 hours a day, but they didn't mention that I would be living with a lot of my friends for all of college. They never said anything about how instead of being asleep in my parents' house by 11 pm, I could stay up all night talking to any of my friends who lived mere feet away from me or friends that lived further away (like a five minute walk). In fact, for the last 10 years of my life, I have had friends a five minute walk away. I have consistently had people to hang out with and whenever I feel like doing something, I can call one of the several people that live within walking distance and make plans.
This fall will mark the first time in ten years that I won't have a whole group of friends living in the same apartment that I can visit often. Granted, my bro, Tiff and BNutz will be living together, but it's not the same as the days of West Campus, DDT's house or the house in Newton. People are growing up and moving on little by little, and that kind of scares me. The feeling of being "alone" scares me.
But then I remember that most of my friends live within a ten minute walk of me still, and I feel better. I'm also extremely fortunate to have so many friends so close to me at this stage in my life.
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| Excitement! |
[13 Jul 2009|12:16pm] |
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*Brain and I are signing the lease on our new apartment in Somerville on Wednesday. We went in last Thursday and put down the first and last month as well as filled out some applications to take it off the market. We also had to fax in proof of employment forms today, so the lease signing will commence this week!! We tried to negotiate the best we could, but in the end we're paying a little more for this apartment than we would have liked. However, it's huge and is being completely renovated and it's only a 5 minute walk to the T in the exact area we wanted to live, so I can't complain too much. The lease starts August 1st, so we can start moving our stuff over in a few weeks. My roommate is also able to move his stuff early which may result in an "Abandoned House Party" at our current apartment one of the last weekends in August.
I have to say, I have absolutely no doubt about moving in with Brain. Honestly, it feels like it won't change that much although I know it will. Hopefully it will go as smoothly as I think it will. The biggest thing for me will be the lack of a space that's completely my own. But I'll get over it.
*In less than a week, I will be on the beach in Cape Cod. I'm psyched. A few of us are renting a house down there (which was insanely cheap, by the way). I'm excited to relax, not work and do whatever the fuck I want for 9 whole days. I haven't had 9 consecutive days off from work (including the weekend) in years.
*I went to Portland this weekend and my love for the city increased, although I realized more how industrial and mildly sketchy it is. I think Brain and I walked everywhere we possibly could and also went to Shipyard Brewery and some awesome restaurants. Not sure if there will be a return trip anytime soon since we've kind of exhausted the tourist opportunities there, but we'll see. I think our next stop on the New England tour should be Burlington, VT.
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| Variety is the Spice of Life |
[30 Jun 2009|03:29pm] |
This past weekend was very fun, mostly because I did things I don't normally do and saw people I don't normally see. Not saying it's bad, but I've gotten into quite a routine lately of seeing the same people and going to the same places. I love this routine, but I also love branching out and doing different things.
The weekend started at the tres chic bar Alibi in the Liberty Hotel for Brain's cousin's birthday. It was hilarious to see his aging hippie activist aunt in this atmosphere. The highlight was when she tried to remember if she had actually been in the jail that is now Alibi. "No, I think I only went to jails in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain..."
I headed over to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) joeybonbon's house after and saw a whole slew of people I don't see normally. It was refreshing to have some deep convos with some good friends and to meet some new people also.
The rest of the weekend consisted of two barbecues and a 7.5 mile run. The first bbq was held at kes3682's coworker's house. There were a few characters there and I talked to an older woman for a while about a ton of different things.
The second barbecue was a going away bbq for Brain's friend from college. I got to hang out with all of Brain's college friends who are so sweet to me, and I had a great time. The barbecue took place on the stoop outside of Brain's friend's apartment in Allston, and quite a few vagrants tried to horn in on the free food. There were a lot of adorable dogs around and a lot of high class food, as well as an attempt to play croquet near the street which failed miserably. It was quite the scene and a great idea for a bbq, although probably illegal due to the two grills and open containers on the sidewalk.
Overall, a great and variety filled weekend.
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| Goals Reached (Kind Of) |
[27 May 2009|09:47am] |
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*So my goal of eating pasta the day before the race was not reached. I ate some barbecue instead. But the more important goal of healthily running the half marathon was reached. I ran it an 1:55... MUCH better than I expected to do. I felt like I was going at a reasonable pace the whole time and I never felt too winded. It was a great experience! I think I'm going to sign up for one in October soon!
*I declare this summer the Summer of Outdoor Patio Drinking. For some reason, I always take the outdoor patios in Boston for granted in the summer even though it's the most beautiful time of year here. I have already gone to Daedulus, Tia's and Charlie's Beer Garden this year. I have plans in the works to go back to Tia's and to Sail Loft as well as The Roadhouse in Brighton for their outdoor patio experience. I love warm weather!
*I can't wait for all of the travel I have planned for this summer. A rundown:
June 4th-7th: Florida
July 12th-14th: Portland and other areas of Maine
July 18th-25th: Cape Cod
I would like to plan another weekend trip back to Portland sometime in August perhaps, and I'll be going home to Wilbraham at least a weekend or two. I CAN'T WAIT!
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| A Few Goals |
[18 May 2009|09:32am] |
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My overall goal is to run the half marathon coming up this Sunday, but I have a few goals for the actual duration of the race:
*Pace myself. I want to run a 10 minute mile... I'm not trying to be a hero here. I just want to feel good when I'm done and not hurt myself. I tend to run faster in race scenarios, but I really need to be aware this race.
*To sleep enough and drink enough water the night before. Also, to binge eat pasta from the North End.
*To really be present while running. During races, I usually don't look at my surroundings. The only thing on my mind is finishing, and I tend to count down the miles. This time, I want to notice the sights, hear what's going on around me and really see things that are there instead of being so inside my head.
*I HAVE to stop at water stops whether I want to or not.
I'm getting nervous. Although I have legitimately never run a race where I've gotten enough sleep or been hydrated enough. And sometimes I drink the night before too. So I figure if I do this in the most healthy way possible this time, I may be stunned at what my body can actually do.
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| ... |
[15 May 2009|02:20pm] |
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And after talking about how great my cardiovascular health is, my doctor just told me I have a heart murmur and need to get an EKG. Ruh roh...
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| Mind Over Matter |
[15 May 2009|11:28am] |
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During my 9 mile run yesterday, I was thinking about what my mind goes through on a long run. 9-10 miles seemed unfathomable to me a few months ago, and actually it still does before I do it every time. I actually get nervous (about what I'm not sure since I can technically stop whenever I want). Here's where my mind usually goes:
Mile 1: I think my legs feel good. A little stiffness here, a little pain there. I'm fine.
Mile 3: Take it slow. We're probably around the 3 mile mark, right? Please let that be right. Only... oh wow... 7 miles left. Don't think about it.
Mile 5: I could quit. I could just stop running. 5 miles is good enough for a day. Maybe I'll stop after this next stop sign.
Mile 7: (At this point, I usually start talking to myself). You can do it. It's ok. Just keep going. Oh God... my legs are so... tired. I'm starving. I'm going to eat a fucking Big Mac when I get home. And a sundae. I want to sleep.
Mile 9: (At a stop sign). Ow... OW! My butt... I can hardly move it. My ankle... cramping. Only one more mile. How many minutes will that take? Maybe 10. I'll be home in 10 minutes.
Mile 10: Thank GOD.
It's always mind over matter. Always. Cardiovascularly I am in SPECTACULAR shape. I have the endurance to run a marathon. However, my muscles are just not there yet, and I don't know if they ever will be. So it takes a lot for me to keep my muscles moving forward when sometimes all they want to do is stop. My half marathon is next week, and then I think I'll take a little break from 10 mile runs for a while.
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| My Intense Love for Coffee Shops |
[30 Apr 2009|11:41am] |
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*I've been thinking lately about how much I love cafes. When asked if I could do anything in the world, regardless of how much money I would make, it always comes back to being a barista or working in some respect in a hip coffee shop. The thought of sitting at a coffee shop is one of the most calming images I can conjure. Every weekend, I have to go get breakfast at Diesel and sit there alone. It's "me" time more so than anything else I do and it makes weekends that much more relaxing and fun.
*I accidentally clicked on something on my LJ and got the count of journal entries. I've written 791 entries! 791!!!! I never would have thought I had written that many.
*I'm really looking forward to this weekend, mostly because I'll be hanging out exclusively with some of my favorite people thanks to a poker tournament and my brother's birthday party. I never thought one of my favorite people would be my brother, but somehow it is. We used to hate each other and we still bicker constantly, but he's one of my good friends now. It's weird how relationships change as you get older.
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| It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! |
[24 Apr 2009|08:57am] |
*Some of the most exciting times of my young life revolve around snow. I remember being little and hearing that the first snowstorm of the season was coming and being absolutely ECSTATIC. I would wake up in the morning and gaze outside to see the white blanket of snow and I would run around the house gathering warm clothing. I couldn't get outside fast enough.
Now I feel that way about hot days. It's going to be 80 degrees this weekend for the first time in at least 7 months and I am THRILLED. I will be running around my house finding tank tops and skirts, kicking my winter coat in it's proverbial nuts (yes, I actually feel hatred toward winter clothing when I don't have to wear it) and sprinting outside with a huge smile on my face as soon as I can.
*My eczema has reached awful levels. I don't know if it's because of the weather or the increased workouts since sweat irritates my skin, but I now have rashes on my stomach, under my boobs and a little on my collarbone. I finally put on the prescription ointment which is expired by now, and it helped clear it up somewhat. My coworker also recommended Aquafor (which is basically glorified Vaseline) since she used it on her baby's eczema and it worked wonders. Yeah, I have to take advice for treatment for babies since most people over 25 don't have eczema. But whatever... It seems to be helping somewhat. I'm going to the doctor on the 15th, so maybe she'll suggest I see a dermatologist. We'll see.
*I am so happy it's Friday.
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| It's Slug Season! |
[23 Apr 2009|08:37am] |
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Until I moved to Somerville, I hadn't really seen that many slugs. I didn't even know there were slugs in these parts. I'd seen a few in Wilbraham and several in Maine. It wasn't until I was outside in really wet weather a lot last year, that I noticed that Somerville was absolutely infested with slugs.
Now, I kind of like slugs. I know that sounds weird, but it kind of reminds me of summer and it's always kind of cool to see a monster slug somewhere. They don't move fast, so they're not scary and they're kind of gross looking which is fun to watch. And in a strange way, it's being close to nature to see these creatures that I never see otherwise.
So hooray for slug season!
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| Dear Yoga Experts, |
[22 Apr 2009|03:18pm] |
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So I was at yoga today and we were doing some deep breathing and different poses and I felt close to sleeping. Is this the deep relaxation yogis talk about? Is it close to sleeping? I legitimately couldn't tell if I was just almost napping or if I was deeply relaxed. I mean, I guess there was nothing in my mind, but that's because I was almost asleep.
Thoughts?
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| Who Am I? |
[21 Apr 2009|09:33am] |
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As I was pondering whether or not I would have a softball game tonight, I had a thought. My thought was as follows: Wait, I'm on a softball team? And then I started thinking about the things I would not have believed if you had told me three years ago:
*I'm training for a half marathon and ran 11 miles on Sunday.
*I've joined a softball league.
*I've joined a dodgeball league.
*Yes, that's right, two nights of my week are taken up by sports leagues.
*Last weekend and the weekend coming up, I've actively attempted to get various sports games together.
What have I become?
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| Runner's High |
[16 Apr 2009|09:14am] |
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I'm reading Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo. It's an interesting book about a guy who is happy in his life, but ends up travelling cross country with a "Rinpoche" (kind of yoga/buddhist master) by a bizarre turn of events and realizes there's a lot he's concerned about and a lot that could be made better in his life. Yeah, kind of farfetched, but pretty fascinating.
At any rate, there is one scene where the Rinpoche tricks the man into taking a yoga class. He's twisting and turning and it sounds like a very strenuous yoga class and then he's lying on his mat and because he had a good workout, his mind goes blank and he feels completely at peace.
That is EXACTLY how I feel after running a long distance or having a particularly strenuous workout. Is this what yoga people feel after a hard session? Runner's high? The feeling of utter calm and happiness about everything that lasts for a little bit? Because I always try to find that at the end of yoga, and I don't. But I also don't really break a sweat at the lame yoga classes I'm taking.
If that's what some yoga people feel, I understand now why so many people love yoga. And I finally understand how working out and running has changed my life and left me with a lot less anxiety.
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| LA, Conclusion: The Last Day |
[14 Apr 2009|08:30am] |
I don't know about anyone else, but the day before a long travel day is always sad. The entire day has a cloud hanging over it. Tomorrow I have to get on a plane for 6 hours bound for a cold place and work.
Either way, the day was beautiful. I went for a semi long run in the morning to dead streets. When I got a little freaked out by a guy sleeping on the side of the road, I turned around. I stopped at a nearby Starbucks for a much needed bagel... I hadn't had one in over a week, and really had a hankering. LA isn't exactly the best place to get bagels, so I took what I could get.
After chatting up Trisha's roomie for a while, Katie and Trisha woke up. Today was our beach day. It was sunny and 80 degrees for the first time since we got there. We all got ready... I wore a bikini even though no one else was in swim gear.
We took the bus all the way to Venice Beach and walked down one of the coolest streets I've seen in a long time. It seemed like it was straight out of the 60's with lots of art shops and cafes. We stopped in at a cafe. I got a "Brown Cow" which was basically an iced cafe mocha. When I asked if I could get nonfat milk, they said no. So I went with it. I also noticed an enticing bagel and lox platter on the menu and was pissed that I wasn't more hungry.
We continued our walk and went to a cool dress shop and then made our way to the beach. I was very happy that I had a bathing suit on. We spread out our blanket and looked at the ocean. I got a bit of a tan! We then took a VERY long walk to a Carribean restaurant. On our walk, we passed Muscle Beach, where I did a few pull ups, and enjoyed the sights of the Venice strip. It reminded me a lot of Miami... kind of skanky but kind of chic.
We got to the Carribean restaurant about an hour later, and I was ravenous. I decided on the jerk chicken combo - a jerk chicken enchilada, a jerk chicken tostada and a few fried plantains. It really hit the spot. We continued walking to the Santa Monica boardwalk and found a nice outdoor area to sit and have a few beers. I got progressively more depressed as the day went on. We decided to see a movie (Adventureland). We had some time to kill so we went to a British pub for half an hour. I got the first truly tasty beer of the trip. I noticed that LA doesn't really pride itself on beer like New England does. I also noticed how attached to the taste of good beer I've become.
We saw Adventureland and I was only mildly entertained. I didn't love it. When the movie was out, I felt like I was robbed of my time in LA. I was severely depressed at this point, because it was almost 10 and I had to leave in the morning!! We went back to Trisha's, had some snacks and went to bed. I woke up the next day upset that I was leaving, and boarded the plane back to Massachusetts.
Thoughts on California:
Pros:
-Trisha lives there
-Beautiful vistas
-Stable, nice weather
-Good Mexican food
-Good every other type of food
-Lots of healthy options
Cons:
-Minimal selection of beer
-Too spread out
-Too much health food. Sometimes I just want shit.
-It's not Boston.
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