blog my blog: gymin' it up

Showing posts with label gymin' it up. Show all posts

weekend tidbits

- I finally treated myself to a manicure & pedicure on Friday, and picked OPI Gargantuan Green Grape... new fave, for sure. it's a lot lighter and more pastel than it looks in the picture from OPI's website - it would probably take a million coats to achieve that!


via OPI

- we ran errands on Saturday and did some serious shopping for house stuff.

we bought tons of random things at Target that we've been meaning to get... like a garlic press, a tiered shelf for spices, and a new bath rug.
and then we hit Home Depot for even more randomness... potting soil & new planters, a raised garden bed (for veggies, which was on SALE for about $40), a quart of paint, and a door knob.
finally, we ended our day at a lighting store, where I stumbled upon the coolest lamp ever. the only one in stock was the display, so I snatched that sucker up. I LOVE it. it really brings a good amount of light to our living room, and it's got that funk factor I've been looking for.

- we have big plans for the landscaping at Casa de Quinn this year. this week we're going to pay my brother to come in and tear out all the ugly bushes that surround the house (and subsequently hide it) so we can plant flowers and put in our raised garden bed. AND he'll be completely demolishing our existing deck so that we can install pavers in it's place. I'll be getting outside after work today to take some "before" pictures to show you all, although it's slightly embarrassing.

- since we picked up potting soil at HD, I finally planted the herbs I bought to go in these planters (which I mentioned here). I'm pretty excited, considering it's my first planting adventure.

- I wrote a 1500 word paper yesterday comparing Nora from A Doll's House to Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby, discussing their abilities to exert power as women. I have one more paper to write this evening for my final exam and then I am done with my English class. I CANNOT WAIT to be done, but I'm thrilled to take new classes in the fall.

- I just finished reading Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin and was utterly disappointed in it. I guess I shouldn't have expected much, since I'd heard that her books got progressively worse as they went on, but I was hoping that it'd be a least worth a 4 star rating. it wasn't terrible, but it was way slow in the beginning and I felt like the ending was rushed and cleaned up a little too nicely for my tastes.

- this is what I wore out and about on the gorgeous day we had here on Friday. not pictured are khaki capris and white flip flops. I love my mustache necklace, which I got as a birthday gift from Kaley.

- running and working out has unfortunately taken a back seat in favor for school work and house work the past couple days, but I hope to get back into the swing of things this week!

Happy Monday!

running/exercise update

I'm so happy that I finally had the time to put together a post regarding my progress in working out and attempting the C25k program. I know that there are women out there who struggle with their weight or their overall health, and don't know how to go about changing their lifestyle.

to backtrack a bit... up until February, I saw a personal trainer twice a week for nearly 7 months. during that time, I also dabbled in spinning classes and a bit of walking on the treadmill, but I've never really been one to fully commit to a cardio routine. I much prefer strength training to cardio, that's for sure.

a few weeks ago, I attempted to start the C25k program, which I blogged about here briefly. I've struggled with shin splints in the past, so it was no surprise to me that I ended up with screeching pain in my shins after only two days into the program. while my gym shoes are running shoes, I figured that since they're pretty old (not necessarily beat up though, since I don't do ANY running), I could probably benefit from a new pair, and finally decided to go ahead and get properly fitted for new shoes (I blogged about the shoes I wanted to buy in this post).

in between the time of suffering from shin splints and getting fitted for new shoes, I discovered that I had been running incorrectly... meaning my form and where I landed on my feet was causing a great/abnormal impact on my lower legs, and therefore causing the stress to my shins. obviously, I've since made a mental note to just run with what feels like a "natural" form... which is kinda hard for me considering that I don't run on a regular basis and so NONE of it really feels "natural" for me. either way, I needed to change my running form.

so I finally got a chance to head up to the running specialty store in Annapolis, which came highly recommended to me by a few people. I had previously tried on a pair of the Nike Free Run and the Reebok ZigTech shoes, and I liked both of them, but clearly wanted something custom for my feet. mostly, I was concerned with whether I under-pronated or over-pronated, etc.

the sales team at Charm City Run were amazing to work with, and it seems to me that they really know their shit. immediately, she had me take my shoes off, roll my pants up, and walk a straight line away from her, and then back. she squatted down close to the ground to watch my feet as I walked, and she determined that I was neutral, which means that I walk "normal."

based on the arches in my feet and my level of running experience, she recommended three pairs of shoes with neutral cushioning for me: the Brooks Ghost, the ASICS Gel-Cumulus, and the Nike LunarFly. I ended up picking the LunarFly, because they were the most comfortable for me. The ASICS felt too heavy for me, and the Brooks were lighter, but didn't give the support in the right place on my feet. I grabbed a couple of breathable tanks and a pair of compression shorts before heading out, too.

I decided to go ahead and break in my new shoes at the March of Dimes 5 mile walk yesterday, and it was a wonderful idea. my feet were comfortable ALL day long, and the shoes are so light that they never bothered me at all. I couldn't believe how great I felt afterward... yes, I know it was just a walk, but it was 5 miles, and I have only ever walked that distance once, when I participated in the AIDS walk with my family as a kid. so yeah, it was amazing.

I also wore my new shorts, and I am so glad I discovered them.... I might have to go out and buy a few more pairs of them. one thing I hate about wearing shorts to the gym is that I have thick thighs that rub together, which means that my shorts always ride up and my legs chafe easily... not with these babies.

anyway, so the new shoes are amazing and I have a feeling they will contribute nothing but greatness to my new running routine. I strained my hip/groin during the walk yesterday, so I couldn't do much running today, but I did get up and walk at an incline for about 30 minutes this morning. I'm not totally used to morning workouts, but I'm looking forward to having my evenings back for getting things done around the house and eating dinner before 9PM.

oh, and here are a few pictures from the March of Dimes that I shamelessly stole from Stephanie, who was our wonderful team leader! we ended up having 55+ walkers and raising over $3300. it was an amazing experience and I'm sure I'll be making it an annual event for our family!


you can see my sweet new gear - I'm sitting low in the lower left hand side of the picture.

sadly, my camera died before the walk even started, so I only have a handful of pictures, which I still need to upload to the computer.

I should be back into the running game and continuing with Week 1 of the C25k program on Wednesday. I'll make sure to keep you all updated!

have you done any running lately? what running shoes do you prefer?

Friday loves

this video that Sean sent me this week. baby laughing at a dog who eats bubbles. I'm pretty positive there's nothing cuter in the world.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I don't have much of a green thumb, but I've been wanting to grow my own herbs this year. these three planters (thyme, rosemary & basil) from C&B would be perfect to sit on my window sill. and if I ever got tired of growing herbs, they could double as flower planters too.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

our local March of Dimes walk is a little over a week away, and I'm thoroughly excited about it. one, it's for a great cause, obviously. our team has raised almost $2500 for the charity and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of the largest walking team in our area.

oh, and two, it'll be great exercise. and I'm wearing a purple & black tutu. don't worry, there will be about a gazillion pictures taken. <---- I know this isn't something I've come across on the internet this week, but I'm SO pumped, I couldn't NOT post something about it.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

these running shoes, which I may or may not be buying for myself. there will be a post regarding my progress (or lack thereof) of the C25k next week. short story is that I've got shin splints and I need them to heal. I've also been running wrong. only I would find the "wrong" way to run and fuck my legs up because of it.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I started following Sherry's (from YHL, as if you didn't already know that) boards on Pinterest this week, and am so glad I did. she is an awesome pinner (is that a real term?) and I love her style! it would be awesome if their servers weren't down all the time though, ugh.

also, while I'm on the subject of cute baby & dog videos AND my ~~crazy obsession~~ totally normal affinity with YHL, check this video out. adorbs in every sense of the word.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

totes digging these funky vases from Pier1. I'm hoping to stop in my local store this weekend, and I'm crossing my fingers that they have that teal one in stock.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

spending hours a day watching a live feed of a Bald Eagle pair and their newborn baby chicks! thank you to Kaley for passing this cuteness over to me! it's seriously one of most awesome things I've ever seen. if you haven't seen it, go here now and keep it up on your computer at all times. you will not regret it.

Happy Friday! 

design ADD & tidbits

I changed my header again. and my button. I'm sticking with the argyle background though, cause I loves it. I wanted something cleaner and not so busy, so voila. even made a matching button, cause I'm fancy and shit. sike.

had a busy weekend - got this done on Saturday. it's the only picture I have so far, and it's on my cell phone, of course. I got the two flowers and the crab colored... I only have one more session to go until my sleeve is complete, and I can't wait. it's disgusting looking right now with the peeling and the flaking, so I'll wait til it's healed to take better pictures.

spent Sunday with my best friend at her house for a Tastefully Simple party. pretty sure I'm hooked on their products now... especially the strawberry cheeseball. holy crap, that thing was delicious. I ordered $66.61 worth of stuff from the consultant. 666... fitting, no?

I had the day off yesterday, which was wonderful considering it was about 80 degrees and beautiful outside. I went to my first ever dermatologist appointment in the morning... I needed to have my moles checked out (I'm moley, ha), and to find out what the hell is going on with my skin. as I suspected, my recent breakouts are due to my crazy ass hormones going bonkers since getting off birth control. and my moles are A-okay.

the rest of the day went as follows: 

-drop off prescribed antibiotic lotion at pharmacy

-stop to see a friend at her work

-get nails done (color= jade is the new black. it's gorgeous)

-pick up prescribed antibiotic from pharmacy

-go home and take a quick nap

-head BACK out to the dentist, have teeth cleaned and told I need to floss more (what else is new?)

-go home and change

-go to the gym and start C25K program (awesome, by the way)

-home again... shower, dinner, TV, bed

WHEW!

wish I could have relaxed more on my day off, but it just wasn't in the cards for me I guess, haha. I'll write a better post about the Couch to 5K program when I get some time, but I'm sure you've all heard of it. I definitely want to elaborate on my experience with it, because I'm not a runner... but I'm only on Week 1, so I'll see how I feel about it in a few weeks and update you!

oh. one more thing. who has two thumbs and has been a non-smoker for 6 months today?
this girl! :)

Happy Tuesday, readers!

listomania

my next tattoo appointment for my sleeve is this weekend! I can't wait to get some work done now that I have some birthday money to spend. I plan on at least getting the rest of the color done, and hopefully will be able to start on the background as well. ideally, I'd like to get it finished, but I don't know how long I'll be able to sit. we shall see!

photo taken after my last tattoo session in October.

we have been total rockstars when it comes to gymin' it up. we've successfully worked out at least 3 days a week for 4 weeks now, and it feels amazing! I took spin class last Wednesday and had a serious case of the DOMS until Sunday, so I spent a few days doing upper body exercises. I downloaded an app on my phone to track my workout routine, and it's really helped to make sure I'm working all of my muscles and I can even check to see that my form is spot on. I've noticed a huge difference in my strength and I can tell that I'm slimming down again after my month long hiatus during the winter.

regular season hockey is almost over! I'm counting on my Caps to bring home the Stanley Cup this year... that is, as long as we can make it out of the first round. we're hoping to score tickets for at least ONE playoff game this season... if they're in our budget, of course.

photo taken from last season's game 7 of round 1 against Montreal, which we lost.

I'm walking on May 1st for our local March of Dimes, and I could NOT be more proud of our team. so far, we've succeeded in becoming the largest team in our area and one of our members is currently in 4th place for most money raised by an individual. we are walking in honor and support of our friend's baby Gianna, as well as others babies who were born too soon. so far, we've raised almost $2,000! if you'd like to help us out and donate (or if you're local and would like to walk with us), you can check out my personal page. go to the homepage for our team (appropriately named Gianna & The Baby Steppers) to read more about Gianna's story!

photo belongs to Gianna's mama, Stephanie. don't steal, or I will CUT YOU.

speaking of participation, I decided to sign up for the April Photo Hunt Challenge - you can find the link over on my sidebar under "Current Projects." I've been a huge slacker when it comes to taking photographs on a regular basis, so I'm hoping that the challenge will give me a little more motivation to get my camera out more often. I think now that the weather is nicer, I'll have more interest in getting out and about with my camera.

I need a vacation. badly. or I might kill someone. I have 4 weeks left of classes, which includes 3 more discussion posts, 1 more essay (600-700 words), 1 research paper (1200 words), and the final exam, which is in essay format. I am SO ready to be done.

Happy Tuesday!

tidbits, yo

UGH. slacker blogger. very busy weekend for this girl - beer night Friday, errands Saturday afternoon, birthday celebration Saturday evening, and hanging out with friends/writing a paper Sunday.

as you saw in this post, I finally upgraded my phone. I was the proud owner of the LG Dare for almost 2 years. my upgrade day was St. Patrick's Day (luck o' the Irish, say what?), so on Friday, we ventured out to Verizon to get the Droid X. I was torn between that and the Thunderbolt, but I just couldn't justify paying $250 for a cell phone... and the extra memory and the kickstand was just not worth $100 to me. so far I'm really loving my Droid. if you have any recommendations for apps, let a sister know!

check out my sweet birthday card I got from Kaycie. does she know me well or what?

I went out with friends this weekend to celebrate my 25th birthday! we started out with a small group and dinner at a local Japanese Steakhouse, and then moved next door to Cadillac Ranch. I was so happy to have so many people come out to celebrate with me - we had an amazing evening full of laughter, flowing drinks, and memorable conversations. I am a lucky girl. here are some pictures (most were not taken by me, and I'll have more to post once Kaley uploads hers! AHEM!)

on the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to turn 25. I know that 25 is not old by a long shot, but I just feel very "adult" saying 25.

I'm slowly moving through my 2011 Reading Challenge. I've now read 9 books this year - I finished two of Emily Giffin's books within about a week. I loved the first, Something Borrowed... I was really drawn to the narrator, Rachel, and was thrilled with the ending. The second book, Something Blue, was... alright... it's from the perspective of the other main character, Darcy, and I honestly hated her. I ended up liking her a bit more by the end, but overall, I was kind of underwhelmed with the story in comparison to the first. I'll be doing lengthy reviews for both books when I have the time.

speaking of reading and writing - I wrote an 800 word essay on the reliability of Nick Carraway as the narrator of The Great Gatsby for my English class yesterday during my lunch break. I started it Sunday and emailed it to myself to finish and send over to my professor from work. went to save the file, and it was corrupted. instead of copying & pasting like an intelligent person would do, I just x'ed out of it. lost the WHOLE thing, minus the measly two paragraphs I had written the night before. talk about pissed... I had to re-write the entire thing last night.

Bear is really ridiculously good looking. just sayin.

spring is officially here and I am SO excited. that's pretty much all I have to say about that.

since I had my last training session in February, I've only been to the gym once, and that was for a spin class. last week. I really need to get back into the swing of things when it comes to working out, but if I'm being honest here, that month off felt amazing. I'm still doing well with my eating habits... still staying away from fatty, greasy, and non-nutritional food. I need to stop making excuses as to why I can't work out, starting with tonight!

Happy Tuesday!

Reverb 10 - December 17th

December 17: Lesson Learned

What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

regardless of whether this year was full of more ups than downs or vice versa, I sure as hell have learned a lot about myself. I've been tested in more ways than one throughout 2010, which forced me to get to know myself on a different level. the best thing I've learned about myself this year is the amount of willpower I have. I've had to persevere through quite a few obstacles this year, and I think I've done an amazing job at standing my ground on numerous occasions.

I've been determined to live a healthier lifestyle and have been continuously training at the gym for almost 6 months. I've been making an effort to eat healthy meals and not allow myself to consume the junk I used to love. I've cut back on sodas and drink only one diet soda a day, and instead of drinking soft drinks all day, I drink water - all.day.long. as much as I'd love to indulge in sweets and fatty foods, I know that it'd be just like taking 2 steps backward, and it's not worth it to me.

I'm amazed at my willpower when it comes to not smoking. I thought it would be a lot harder than it actually is. I admit I have a hard time when I'm drinking and socializing with friends who are smokers, but I refrain from smoking by just telling myself it's not worth it to only have one while drinking. I know that I can't just have one cigarette and I know that I can't just be a social smoker.

it just doesn't work that way for me and it's never worked in the past... I'd start out smoking just on Saturday nights while out with friends, bumming one here and there. and then I'd "feel bad" for mooching and buy my own pack, but give them away at the end of the night so that I didn't take them home. before you knew it, I'd still have some leftover in that pack on Sunday and I'd be a regular smoker again. not this time though. I've not had a cigarette since Halloween night, which, unfortunately, was one of those nights when I was bumming from a friend. we've gone out with friends multiple times since then, and I've been good about not jumping on the wagon and just having one. so hallelujah to that!

there are tons of other situations that show how my willpower has strengthened this year, but I'll just leave you with those two, since I think they're the most important. now... time to catch up on the rest of the Reverb prompts!

Reverb 10 - December 3rd

December 3: Moment.

Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

I think the moment of 2010 when I felt most alive was the night I had my very first training session with my personal trainer. it was only one evening, but it was probably the most important hour of my entire year.

I remember being really nervous for several reasons... one, I really hate going to the gym because I feel like everyone is going to watch me and criticize me. two, because I have NO idea what I'm doing in terms of working out, especially using the machines and knowing what muscles I'm working. I felt like I was going to look like a giant dumbass. actually, I was convinced that I was going to make an ass of myself one way or another. I'd be the girl to fall off a treadmill or drop a weight on the floor, for sure.

I walked into the gym and asked for "Jamie." the teenage boy behind the desk points to a short little [older] woman with grey-blonde hair and tells me "oh, she's right over there."

I walked up to the woman who would change my life, and said "are you Janie? I'm Mandee."

"uh, no, I'm JANIE, with an N, but it's nice to meet you."

awesome. I couldn't help but think to myself, "wow, you've been here for 83 seconds and you've already made yourself look like a fucking idiot... good job." I apologized and blamed it on the teenage boy behind the desk, since he didn't bother to correct me. she said not to worry, she gets it ALL the time and she usually forgives people pretty quickly. whew.

we went into the office and sat down to discuss what my goals were in joining the gym and paying for training sessions. I pretty much told her that I just didn't want to feel fat anymore - I wasn't happy with my body or my level of activeness, and I was sick of it. I was tired of putting it off and I needed to make a change. we agreed that it would be best if we met twice a week and that I should do some sort of cardio exercise on the days that I'm not training.

we then left the office and out into the main gym area, where there were many other people working out... running on the treadmills, cycling on the stationery bike, and using the machines and free weights. I remember feeling very intimidated... like "gee, I could NEVER do that stuff."

Janie got me on the treadmill and the elliptical, just to do some warm up exercises to get my heart rate up... which, by the way, I still hate to this day... getting my heart rate up, that is, not the treadmill or the elliptical. you can read more about the actual workout experience in this post. just so you know, I didn't fall off the treadmill. and I didn't drop any weights either.

I think I consider this day to be my most alive feeling moment of the year, because it's completely changed how I look at myself. it's changed my lifestyle into a healthier, more active one, and I'll never forget that first day with my trainer. I don't see myself as being fat anymore. now, don't think I've gone and lost 20lbs or anything, because I haven't. to be honest, I haven't technically lost much weight at all, but you know what?

I FEEL great. I'm losing inches, and I can see it, as well as feel it. I'm getting SO much stronger. I don't struggle with my workouts like I used to, and I'm consistently impressing myself (and my lovely trainer) with the amount of weight I can lift, or the number of push ups I can do, or how long I last during an endurance exercise. I actually look forward to working out, even on Mondays, because I know how awesome I'll feel at the end of the day.

I feel like a brand new person now in terms of my confidence level. I know I still have work to do on my body, but I'm okay with that - it took a long time to put the weight on, and I know it will take even longer to get rid of it. but knowing that I'm not just sitting around being lazy and that I'm actually working to change the way I look makes me feel SO good about myself. I feel great, health-wise and I know that I'm doing the right thing by working out a few times a week and watching what I eat more closely.

so, I don't remember what I smelled, or what I heard, or what textures I experienced that day, but I recall how I felt, and I felt alive. I felt like my life was changing right before my eyes and I knew that from that moment forward, I would be a different person.

random thoughts

- I am super duper excited about going out of town this weekend. at first, I was a little bummed, because I'll be riding solo and it's a 6 hour drive (Sean has a Ravens game and therefore cannot join me)... but now I'm actually kind of happy to have all that alone time. it's been a very long time since I've gone on a road trip by myself, and I enjoy the time I have in the car to just think and sing at the top of my lungs.

- I also really can't wait to spend time with my cousin and her family. the whole point of going up there is to help out making apple butter, but I'm just using it as an excuse to see one of my favorite people. we've already decided that if the whole apple butter thing is lame, we're going to skip out on it. :)

- you have to go check out Kaley's new blog style! her friend and fellow blogger, Jess, designed it for her! how awesome and gracious is that? if someone wants to redesign The Bear Naked Truth, feel free to let a sister know! haha!

- I just discovered Wordle.net and I am having a blast playing around with different words and layouts. I might use this on the blog somehow. basically, you type in a bunch of words, and the program rearranges them for you - you can change your font and your color scheme and how you want the words arranged. the more times you put the same word in, the bigger it is.

- work has been a huge pain in the ass today. two of my coworkers are both out sick, and therefore, a lot of the work has been placed on my plate today, despite the amount of work I already had planned for today. the other estimator is out sick, and unfortunately, she left a project for me to revise and send over... but the problem is that we do things differently and it's hard to understand where she got some items and how she came up with some figures. ugh. I hate doing other peoples' work.

- I went to my spin class last night for the first time in two weeks and it felt GREAT to get back in there! they've increased the time of the class by 15 minutes (making it a 45 minute class), but the last 15 minutes is all core work. since I already worked out with my trainer, and did PLENTY of ab work, I left the class after the spin portion was over.

my workout with my trainer was awesome last night as well... I was complaining and whining about every single exercise, which means it's working. even though I've been working out for three months, I've only lost 8lbs total. I'm okay with that though, because I feel great and I can tell I'm really toning up in some areas.

- my baby fever is getting worse by the minute. it doesn't help that fall is here and babies have the CUTEST clothes in the fall - little knit hats, leg warmers, and boots. oh my! 

- I was really honored to be mentioned on Becca's blog the other day. as a celebration of her 200th blog post, as well as having 100 followers, she posted a bunch of blogs that she loved, and mine was included! how sweet of her to do something different to honor her followers.

Happy almost Friday!
don't forget, I'll be out of town all weekend (including tomorrow), so I probably won't get the chance to post anything. even though I'm itching to finish up the 30 Day Challenge, it'll have to wait until next week! :)

injury prone

this is what happens when you try to be a social butterfly while attempting to work out.

hmm, not very noticeable in this picture.

what about this one?

oh yeah, that's better. and yes, I did take this picture while sitting on the toilet at work. don't worry, I wasn't poopin, I just dropped my drawers to take this picture to show off my battle wound.

BACK STORY:

last week, I started taking a 30 minute spin class as opposed to the hour long one I took a few weeks ago. I don't think I mentioned it here, but I had the DOMS really bad after that hour long spin class. I literally could NOT bend my legs for two days without being in an immense amount of pain. obviously, I pushed myself too hard and should not have started my cardio adventure with an entire HOUR of high intensity cycling.

anyway. so I did the 30 minute "Begin To Spin" class last Wednesday evening and I loved it. I mean, really loved it. I felt really comfortable with the instructor and the other people in the class, and I felt GREAT afterward. I could actually walk the next day, which was a huge relief, given my previous experience.

I'd also like to mention that this 30 minute class is directly after my one hour training sessions that I have with my trainer on Wednesday nights, so not only am I getting my cardio in, but I've been strength training for an hour prior to the class. and it STILL feels great.

last night I returned for the 30 minute spin class, and to my surprise, the class was full. like, there were no more bikes available, even though my name was on the sign in sheet. luckily, a girl whom I've come to know through the spin classes offered me her bike. she takes the hour long spin class twice a week (brave girl!) along with the 30 minute class, so she said she didn't really need to cycle. thank goodness for sweet people, because I was really looking forward to that class!

as the class was going, I was on a roll. I was doing all the exercises and keeping my resistance knob turned up to a position I was comfortable with, but still felt like I was getting a good workout. I was feeling like a motherfucking rockstar! well at one point, I turned around to talk to a girl behind me (who was also in last week's class). WHILE I WAS STILL PEDALING AWAY. and I must have turned my leg to the left with the rest of my body and then BAM! my knee slams against the resistance knob. of course, I played it off like it was no big deal, but I was writhing in pain on the inside.

and then that little beaut of a bruise shows up today. lesson learned. don't try to play when you're supposed to be working. gosh, I'm a fucking idiot sometimes. I mean really, who injures themselves on a stationary bike?

this girl.

a week in review

I am so fucking happy that it's Friday, and more so that it's a three day weekend for most Americans. woo! I'm at home this evening, drinking some wine, while the Mister is out for a guys night. so pardon me if there are any spelling or grammar or "this shit just doesn't make sense" mistakes. it's the wine.

some highlights from the week:

- Lane finally won HOH on Big Brother, and didn't knock out Brittany when he had the chance. I think she needs to dump her ugly fiance and get together with Lane. they would be incredibly cute together - they have a very similar sense of humor and they're both southerners. what else is there to love?

- I lost THREE motherfucking pounds in a week! it must have been that hour long, oh-my-god-I'm-going-to-die, painful spin class from last week that really pushed that weight off. unfortunately, I had a case of the DOMS after the spin class, so I didn't attend this week. but I DID go to a "begin to spin" class on Wednesday evening after my training sesh, and it was only 30 minutes, so I feel much more successful in that one. either way, three pounds is amazing, and I'm damn proud. it's the biggest jump in weight loss I've seen since I started this journey, and it feels great.

- my little (okay... he's not little... he's like 6'-2") brother turned 22 years old yesterday. it's really hard to believe we're all growing up. I remember our childhood like it was yesterday... we'd go hiking back in the woods to a little clearing accompanied by a big lake and try to scope out animals. we'd play in the creek until we were FILTHY, and we'd end the night by jumping up and down on the bed yelling out cuss words. don't worry, we got the appropriate punishment - soap in the mouf. we were partners in crime, and I'm so fortunate to have him.

- I got a chance to host my very first giveaway on my little corner of the web right here! there's still plenty of time to enter - I'll be closing the contest next Wednesday, September 8th, at 4:00PM EST. check it out!

- speaking of blogging, I finally got completely caught up on reading all the posts in my Google Reader. I've been struggling to keep up with everything since we got back from our (internet-less) vacation. when I got back home to check in on what I missed, I was faced with almost 400 blogs to read. AHH! (REAL MONSTERS!) sadly, I made the decision to unsubscribe to a few blogs that I just didn't have much interest in, but I'm happy to say that I currently only have 30 new posts to read... quite the accomplishment!

- this one is not a highlight, but more of a rant. 5 minutes ago, Bear (yeah, that cute guy over there ---> to the right) just spilled my half filled cup (yes... that's CUP, not glass... I'm home alone and I refuse to do dishes) of wine ALL over the floor. THE WHOLE THING. on the floor. and not in my MOUTH. needless to say, we are not on speaking terms right now.

- my boss (aka my dad) told us (us being the entire office, which consists of a mere 5 people) that we could bring in wine or beer to celebrate Labor Day today. I'm the only person who brought in a bottle of wine. and the only person who really consumed it. yikes.

Happy Friday!

Monday blues [Etsy goods]

my legs hurt.

STILL.

from the spinning class that I took on THURSDAY.

if I thought I was really sore on Friday, I was highly mistaken. I had a little trouble getting around over the weekend, and found myself either limping, or walking like a zombie with my legs straight out. my legs are extremely stiff, and if I don't stretch them every hour or so, they tighten up and I literally cannot bend them.

I tried a heat wrap on my knee, a hot soak in the tub, ice (well... frozen veggies), etc. nothing seems to lessen the pain at all, besides constant stretching. needless to say, I haven't been sleeping very well considering my legs stiffen in the middle of the night.

also, it's Monday. I hate Mondays.

so to cheer up my blue mood, I went on a hunt for pretty blue things. enjoy!

[all images courtesy of Etsy]