busy...Busy...BUSY...

That was a really long break. My appologies to the three of you that read this blog. I'll try not to let it happen again.

I have some bad news. Remember that whole "30 Day Shred" Challenge business? Well....I fell off the wagon, indefinitely. In all honesty, I got a little bored with it. Plus, it wasn't helping (at all) in my weight loss journey...it was actually causing me to gain a little. I know it was muscle because for the week that I didn't do it at all, I lost somewhere around 6 lbs. So, I'm going to try to do it a few times a week instead of every day. I mean, it really does wonders for toning.  No one said that I'd complete all of my challenges, right? Right.

Anyway...life seems to have taken over...well...my life. Seems a bit strange to say, but I feel like life has gotten kind of intense over the past month. Not all bad, but definitely not all good. Here's a rundown of current/upcoming events:

School/Work:
I work at a University, so it's kind of exciting when school starts back. Campus is pretty dead in the summer--with the exception of a few summer class students--so it's nice when everyone comes back and the campus is buzzing again. But along with the students comes more work for me! Contracts, and chapels, and events...it's busy. I still love my job and I'm SO blessed to work with such great people!

Sickness:
I've felt a little like death for like a month now. It comes and goes, but I haven't felt 100% in a while. I'm hoping its just the weather--which has been BEAUTIFUL this week, FYI--but we'll see. I'm not going to let it get me down, even though all I want to do is sleep. :)

Sleep:
I just want to sleep always! Until last night, I haven't slept an entire night in about 3 weeks. Last night was great though. I slept like a rock (however rocks sleep). AND I took a fabulous nap yesterday as well. I think sleep will be returning to me soon!

Dreams:
I've been remembering my dreams a lot more recently. I'm not sure if they're real dreams though, or simply 'almost-asleep' thoughts. Either way, they've been relatively good dreams. And some of them have had really cool 70's-esque lighting...weird, right?

Friends:
Had a little girl's night outing with a few lovely ladies (one who was visiting from Houston--Shout out to "Mir") which was a blast...even though we ended up at a shady karaoke bar.  Some random dude told me (had a friend tell me) he thought I was pretty...yay? haha.
I've reconnected with some old friends. :) Facebook is a magical thing. :)
A great friend from high school/college had a labor day cookout (complete with smoked meats and such) and I got to see TONS of people I haven't seen in a while. It was really fun and much needed!

Phone:
Plugged in my phone a few weeks ago to update my software....and well, it decided to purge EVERYTHING. Pictures...gone. Messages...gone. Contacts...gone. Apps...gone. Everything...gone. I cried for about 20 minutes, then realized that I was being silly. It's just a phone. I'm not dead. It'll be okay. I'm slowly rebuilding my phone life. Little by little.

Family:
My Cousin is in town for a few weeks (she has one week left here). Then she's off to Marine boot camnp! I'm so proud of her! I think she'll do great.
My dad's pending nuptuals....
I've seen my nephew a lot recently....He has to be the quirkiest kid in the world. I love him to pieces!! AND I'm ready for another niece or nephew...Here's lookin' at you, bro!

Future:
My dear friend Elisabeth's birthday is this weekend (expect a special (heavy photo) blog post about that. I'm not sure what I'd do without her; she's amazing! I'm excited to celebrate her...youth!
It's September, which means that October comes next, which means that HALLOWEEN IS SOON!!!! It's my favorite holiday and I'm SO excited! Also, I will be doing some sort of Music challenge starting in October. I know I originally had a Couch-5k routine planned, but I might push that to the spring. We'll see how it goes....

Well, that's about it. Nothing too major happening, but I think some good things are on the horizon. I'm ready for cooler weather and cardigans! and boots! and scarves! I have a feeling we're going to have a few more weeks of warm weather though before I get to enjoy fall...but I will celebrate when it finally arrives! Until next time...

  Peace.

-M 

Weekend Round-up...I Need Coffee & A Massage...

I can't believe it's Monday already! Why do weekends seem to go so quickly?! One of life's unanswerable questions, I suppose.

I had a really fun weekend though! I will chronicle it in the photos below....enjoy!

FRIDAY

I had the honor of celebrating the birth of my dear friend Ashley! Along with her fantastic roomie, Elisabeth! It was a fun night! We had dinner at a restaraunt that none of us had been to before, and it was actually quite delicious.

The big-talking Host, Rico, was kind enough to take our picture! We all look a little strange in the eyes...but its okay.

After dinner we headed downtown where more fun was had.

 

The evening ended in us walking to our car in the rain. It was still a great night! I love these ladies!

SATURDAY

I, along with my church's youth group, took a little journey to Frontier City. I'm not gonna lie, I was really excited about spending a whole day outside in the sunshine...even in this crazy Oklahoma heat! I mean, look at that! I was all smiles, for serious.

I was less smiley once I actually go there and started sweating, but it's okay...I survived....Until my best friend tried to make me ride that horrifying ride pictured below...

Why would someone voluntarily get into a giant slingshot!? ah! No thank you! But I was going to take one for the team and ride it anyway...but...Luckily I got out of that it, thanks to the lovely Rachel... 

It's a fun story...maybe i'll tell you about it sometime...haha.

Apparently others look strangely on people who stand in line for rides at amusement parks while wearing a neck brace and ranting on about how she was injured riding the very ride they were all standing in line for...This girl is hilarious!. :)

After all of the standing in line (and really only riding a handful of rides) it was time to partake in what we all came to the park for...SWITCHFOOT!

I saw them a few years ago with The Goo Goo Dolls and they were great! They were even better this time!! Plus, I got to share the musical goodness with my favorite person in the entire world...Wes!

Just in case you are unaware, he's the best.

It was a long, hot, sweaty, crowded, but fun day...And by the end of it...

My feet and legs hurt so bad....to the point where I actually thought that aputation would be less painful...(yeah, i'm dramatic when i'm tired and sore). haha.

 

It made me realize that I'm not a youth anymore...I'm an adult and I get tired at 8:30. My feet hurt when I'm stomping about an amusement park with hundreds of children and youth. That's my life now....I'm cool with it.  It's a good thing busy weekends like this are rare for me. I'm not sure I couldn't handle it!

  Peace.

-M

Getting into a routine...

Technically, I'm on day 11 if the 30 Day Shred and I think i've done pretty good thus far. I've only missed two days. They were both Wednesdays (I have a lot going on Wednesday evenings and I just don't have time). I've even done Level 2 a few times and I didn't die! [my abs hurt like I was goign to die, but I didn't]

 So...If you read the previous post, just ignore that schedule. ha. I've decided that I can do the workout everyday, but i'll just skip Wednesdays. If I feel like doing some other form of exercise in addition to the 30DS then so be it. But I'm not going to be a workout nazi...that's just no fun.

That being said, i've noticed a lot of differences just in the 9 workouts i've done (I haven't done it yet today). I'm not losing all that much actual weight, but i'm stronger and definitely more toned...and I've already lost about 1.5 inches around my waist! It's a work in progress for sure, but I'm getting to where I want to be.

This was a very boring update, but it's what I have for now. Until next time...

   Peace.

-M

I Fell Off the Wagon....

It's true guys...I've fallen...but i'm going to get back up! I skipped day three of my 30 Day Shred Challenge. Completely SKIPPED it. [even the Fonz disapproves of this].  I could make up a number of excuses (letting my muscles heal, i've had a cold for a week, yada yada yada) but the truth is, I just didn't have time, nor did I have the energy. It's lame, I know, but I'm not giving up.

It wouldn't be a challenge if it were easy, right? I will continue with the 30DS today and add another day to the end of the challenge (or perhaps use one of my "free" days as a 30DS day). It'll work out.

To be honest, I enjoyed the day off. haha. My legs were pretty sore yesterday...so I guess because of that, I let myself be a slacker for a day.  I will survive, and so will this challenge! I owe it to the Fonz!

   Peace.

-M

Revisions...and a few aches....

Well, I successfully completed Day 1 of the 30 Day Shred (I'll refer to it as 30DS from now on) Jillian kicked my booty! WHEW! I felt all 27 minutes it! Felt it in a good way though...It was definitely tough, but it wasn't excrutiating and it's definitely something i'll continue to do...
That being said, my muscles are a little sore today. Not bad, but I can tell they were worked out. ha! I find they hurt a little more the longer I sit...They're fine after I walk around for a bit....But, I've decided to revise my 30 DS plan just a little to give my muscles some time to rest and to add variety. Instead of doing the 30DS for 30 days straight, I'm going to break it up a little. I'm going to do 5 days of 30DS [Monday-Friday] and let my weekends [Saturday & Sunday] be "free" days.

Let me define "free": I have the option to do absolutely no working out on one of the two days...ONLY ONE! On the other (or both if i'm feeling particularly adventurous) I can either do a 30DS routine, or a jog/walk, or a bike ride..etc. Variety is good, right?

I think this will work out really well. I've been reading a lot of testamonials about 30DS and a lot of people had better weight loss results when they combined it with another form of cardio. That's my goal. To tone, add muscle, and lose weight. Plus, the 30DS system has 3 different levels of difficulty, so I can change it up weekly or daily (as I see fit).  This, combined with better eating habits (not fully healthy, but better) I should see great results!  We'll see if i'm this optimistic in a few weeks. ha.
I'm really excited about this particular challenge and I hope that I can make it all the way through. It'll end up being more than a month, but it's okay. My September Challenge is a music challenge which can easily be done simultaneously with this challenge. I'll get in to that a little bit more in a later post. I have 3 of the 4 bands picked out already, and I might consult my readers for the 4th [see my previous post for more details].

   Until next time...

   Peace.

-M

A Future of Challenge...

Hello All!

I've been absent from the blog world for a little while, but I decided today was as good a day as any to find something to write about...

I have decided that I really enjoyed having a challenge in my life. (a fun challenge, not a tough life challenge) That being said, I think i'm going to try to do a challenge every month (at least until december). I already have them planned out...sort of. It's going to be exciting!

August is going to be a tough one, but I figure it never hurts to start out with something that won't be easy...I mean, country music WASN'T easy and that turned out pretty great!  During the month of August (1-30th) I am going to do Jillian Michael's '30 Day Shred'. I'm hoping it kicks my butt, in a good way! It seems like the perfect time to start a more intense workout routine. I've been jogging/walking/biking pretty much everyday for about a month now, and I seem kind of stuck in an almost boring routine. This should be just the boost I need! Plus, it will help tremendously (I hope) with the "weigh down" we started at work a few weeks ago (I'm 7 lbs down so far!).

Not all of my future challenges will be exercise challenges. I have decided to alternate them between music and workout and whatever else comes to mind...and if anyone has any ideas on other challenges that could be fun...Let me know! I'm always open to suggestions.

Here is a tentative schedule of challenges:
August--30 Day Shred
September-- Four, week-long music challenges [Four bands/artists I don't love. One week each.]
October/November--Couch to 5k
December--???

I could probably do another challenge during October and November, but I'm not sure what I want to do. Maybe learn a new skill or something? Ideas are welcome! Until next time...

  Peace.

-M

It Is Finished...

It's all over! I celebrated with some Jason Mraz this morning [thanks Pandora].

Generally speaking, a month is a long time. But limiting yourself on something (especially something like music) for a month makes it seem SO MUCH LONGER. When I started this challenge, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to stick with it. I mean, it took me completely out of my musical comfort zone. I found that the more people poked fun at the fact that I (of all people) was listening to country music, the easier it became. Maybe it was a challenge within a challenge; to prove to the non-believers that I could do it! Whatever it was, I DID IT!

I will be honest though...I'm glad it's over. It's not that I hated every moment of it, but I've never limited myself to one genre of music before so it was tough. I'm not even sure I could listen to any other genre for a month straight without getting bored with it.  That's why we have so many genres to choose from, right?

• Miranda Lambert's voice takes a little getting used to, but once you're used to it, it's quite lovely. Also, her and Blake are the ‘Supreme Country Music Couple’ right now. For serious. Love them both.
• I think I could like Taylor Swift if her lyrics were better and she could carry a tune.
• I adore Lady Antebellum. ADORE.
• It's okay to be just a little bit pitchy...right?
• The delivery of country music is different than most other genres. The runs aren't as fluid [sometimes even choppy] and the phrasing is really unique. It's kind of cool. I hadn't noticed it before this challenge.
• I still CANNOT STAND Jennifer Nettles voice. I tried. It’s awful. Sorry kids.
• You can’t go wrong with a song featuring Jimmy Buffet. Truth. [Just ask Zac Brown Band]
• I tend to enjoy the southern rock vibe more than the twangy, more traditional vibe.
• Being pretty gets you further than actual talent in some cases, much like all other music genres.
• There aren’t really a broad range of topics when it comes to content…Most country songs are about “real life” [real country life, that is]…Tractors, rain, women, parties, being a redneck, lost love, making mistakes, memories…etc. Most topics can be related to the everyday person’s life…which is cool.
• Loretta Lynn wears fancy dresses and I like them.
• I still twitch a little when I sing lyrics that are grammatically incorrect. It happens more than I’d like it to in country music.
• Harmony. Harmony. Harmony. Harmony. Harmony! I love the harmonies that country music have to offer. They're availible in other genres, but it's different. In country music you can have a raspy male vocal combined with a soulful female vocal and it's heavenly! [This in itself is one of the reasons this whole challenge was worth it! I'm a sucker for amazing harmony!]

And...Last but not least.....

• I may actually add a country station to the radio presets in my car! And I won’t be deleting my country Pandora stations. To me, this means my challenge was a success. I managed to incorporate (or will incorporate) a new genre into my daily musical life and i'm excited about it! I'm not sure I could go on a month-long country music binge again but...I know now that not all country music is created equal. It doesn't all make me want to shoot myself. It doesn't all make my ears bleed. It isn't all twang and cowboy boots...It really is quality music. I'm excited to have reached that verdict.

I have also compiled a list of songs that have made their way into my daily circulation of "songs that get stuck in my head"...Or just songs that I looked forward to hearing on the radio/Pandora. [I think I might have to make a Country Music Mix Tape/CD....I don't know who I am anymore!!]

1. Miranda Lambert - A Heart Like Mine
2. Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather
3. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood - Remind Me
4. Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss
5. The Band Perry - If I Die Young
6. Blake Shelton - Honey Bee
7. Little Big Town - Boondocks
8. Rodney Atkins - Backroad
9. Eli Young Band - Crazy Girl
10. Eric Church—Homeboy
11. Sara Evans—A Little Bit Stronger
12. Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson - Don't You Wanna Stay (Harmony!!!)
13. Justin Moore - If Heaven Weren't So Far Away (this song is precious!)
14. Chris Young - Tomorrow
15. Jason Aldean - Dirt Road Athem
16. Taylor Swift—Mean

Now, before you get all uppity about the fact that there is a Taylor Swift song on my list, I should explain. In general terms, I don’t like her music. It’s too “little girl princess-pop-country” for my liking. And her voice isn’t the best. BUT, her songs are catchy and I do appreciate the fact that she can make fun of herself and not really care what others say about it. I think the song “Mean” is a perfect example of this because she’s pretty much giving ‘the bird’ to the people who think she can’t sing (I accept that bird, Taylor).

All in all this was a really fun challenge…a really fun, CHALLENGING, challenge. I look forward to whatever my next challenge may be…musical or otherwise. If anyone has any questions about this challenge [or anything else, I guess] feel free to leave it in the comments. I hope you [all 4 of you] enjoyed reading all about it. Stay tuned for more challenge fun! I’m thinking of taking on my next challenge in September [it’ll give me time to dive back into the full spectrum of musical genres]. Until then…

   Peace.

-M