Friday, December 17, 2010

Moving!!

you'll wanna go to sosivy.tumblr.com from now on!
whoot whoot

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Hello, Filler Time!

My folks were here for an early Christmas visit and we did presents.  Holy Cow! Goosy had SO MUCH fun!! She made sure everyone had gifts to open then rolled around on the ground with her new stuffed animals. And she loves to watch the Nutcracker.  At least until he turns into the handsome prince.  Then she looses all interest.  Also, she hates mice - but LOVES the Mouse King.  That's my girl.

I got my presents from my folks also - the LL Bean Signature pants that I really really wanted and some lovely sweaters.  I also won an eBay auction for a Classic Coach bag - black east/west cross body! Can't wait until it gets here.  Now - the Kate Spade items I want just need to stay in my price range and we'll be all set!

I really need to go and study for my Marketing final this evening... but I really don't wanna.  I am so burned out - and we have a group presentation that has everyone freaking the hell out.  And in some sad news, my uncle Jimmy died last night - don't know of what. Unfortunately it is bound to be related to alcoholism... I don't think he was sober since Judy died about 5 years ago. Makes my father, the oldest sibling the only one still alive. Enter operation Cheer Up Daddy!  I think I shall have to enlist Goosy in the cheering up process.  As she is ALL ABOUT her Grandpa. 

Wow. This got bummer filled pretty fast.  Oh well.  Can't help that now - have to study for my damn final. Perhaps tomorrow I shall post all sunny and bright.

Friday, December 10, 2010

So Over Today

You know the day isn't off go a good start when at 5:30 am you are ready for a do over.  Today has been "one of those days" starting with a let cramp at 2am (so bad that I was awake until 3:45) a toddler that doesn't want to sleep in her bed and a dog that snores so loud the windows rattle.  But.  The worst thing was my workout this morning.... I slipped doing dips.  I still have to use a band for them... and my arms were shaking so badly that ring-dips were out of the question... can you see where this is going?? Yup. Popped myself in the face with the band.  Hard.  Like my vision blacked out and I have a lovely fat upper lip.  And it was just the first round of "Elizabeth" and the big bad 6am crossfitter just wanted to sit in the bathroom and cry.  This following a series of events that have ended up making me feel like I may never get my hair cut again.  I was suppose to get my hair cut and colored Saturday morning... (got a fantastic "happy holidays" discount and everything) not realizing that we are committed elsewhere that morning.  So - for the 4th time this year, i have to cancel my hair appointment. 

I am now going to drink a lot of coffee and feel sorry for myself.  Hopefully I will be over it soon - my folks are coming down for their Holiday visit and I have a lovely picture of snow in Paris to look at on my computer. 

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Paleo Challenge - Final

And the winners of the Paleo Challenge: Chris took first and I got second.

Good Lord.

So we did what we jokingly said we would do "if we won" which was take the prize money and get some new equipment for the gym.  And we got some new abmats.  They rock.

Yay us!

Leading Up to Christmas!

Well we have certainly been busy the last couple weeks.  First thing was Oyster Festival and it was the bestest one yet... even if one of us had thrown out his back, but it was properly medicated with Gin so no worries there.  We had a fantastic visit with the Family, and Goosy stayed at home with Grandma, making this also the first time that both of us were away from the kid (only the second time for me). 

Then we had a weekend off - and got lots done around the house and did crazy things like get to know our next door neighbor a little better (we have only been in the house for almost 4 years, we rare getting much better!).  Then last weekend we went up to Kingston Springs to spend the weekend with my Godmother.  Taking both dogs and the kid.  We left our house at about 6:15 and it took until almost 8 before we were clear of traffic and into Tennessee.  Thankfully the kid slept almost the entire way, and the dogs settled down nicely.  We made very good time, and once we cleared a very surreal Chattanooga we had smooth sailing all the way to Cindy's house.  The dogs got along great with hers (POSH and Rudy) and Polly the cat even got into the spirit and teased Maggie . We had a fantastic visit, Goosy got to play outside as much as she wanted and she became best friends with Rudy.  And even though her sleep got all messed up (hello 4:30 am) she went to bed nice and early Saturday.  I spent Friday evening getting kicked by a toddler and shoved by a Moose.  Not my best sleep.  Chris took Freya when she woke up Ungodly:30 and I was able to get some sleep.  Which was great because we got to go to a lovely Farmers Market - that had several grass fed beef vendors (and there are like none at our Farmers Market) and we just had fun looking at everything. We ended up getting some kale, goat cheese, tangerines and apples, to go with the chili that was waiting for our dinner.  Then it was back to the house for some lunch and wine in the back yard.  (The weather was just perfect - warm and sunny.)  The dogs played and played and played and the kid played and played and played with them.  We had a bonfire that Freya collected the sticks for and it was just a great evening telling tall tales and drinking. Sunday we went to the dog park in the morning and then drove home that afternoon.  I really didn't want to come home.  Took lots of great pictures and I have totally fallen in love with the little hunting lodge and the city of Nashville.

Then - Thanksgiving was last week.  We stuffed ourselves silly over at The Jones' and a lovely time was had by all.  We provided the Sangria and Tammy's cousin made the greens and Tammy made the rest of it.  And oh boy! It was soooo good.  I broke Paleo and had some bread - which I regretted the next day, but it was totally worth it at the time. Sunday we put the tree up and Freya has been going full on Christmas since. 

This weekend, we have "off" and then my parents are coming in for a visit - so we get to have Christmas twice.  Woohoo!  And Sally is going to be here for Christmas, and the week after, when Freya's school is closed.  Grr. (on the closed school, not Sally).  Thank god I have paid vacation this year.  And... that's all for now.  I'll post some more exciting scatterbrained rambling later.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

How Come?

When the crazies start talking about their “spirit guide” and the like it is always something cool like an Otter, a Cat or (the always popular) Wolf... it's never anything like a goat or cow or duck.   Not sexy and romantic enough I guess.  I am pretty sure that there are Spirit Guides, but they are a part of a more pagan religion; like Native American, African Tribes or South American indigenous people practiced.  Not so much a Catholic or Church of England thing.  And most surly nothing like a spirit guide would come within 100 meters of the Puritans.

I guess it’s funny to me… because I have night terrors, and I have hallucinations at night when I wake up from a particularly vivid dream (my favorite is when I read the Great Gatsby in high school, after reading a party scene and going to bed… now every time I have to go to the loo at night in my folks house, I see a 1920’s party going on in the living room) that all these people talking about seeing “ghosts” and “demons” when what it most likely a sleep disorder (and I have it but can’t remember what it’s called and am too lazy to look it up). Wow. That was quite a sentence.  And, now that I'm thinking about it, I have a tendency to see things that aren't there all the time, not just at night.  I remember seeing  the movie A Beautiful Mind, and thinking: holy shit I have schizophrenia! (Schizophrenia can present in early stages as auditory and visual hallucinations; of course that is dumbing it down a lot; but the gist of why it freaked me out.) It does make for interesting walks to the loo in the middle of the night.  It also means that I have at least two people (Husband and Brother) that will see movies like Blair Witch and that Paranormal State and tell me that I am under no circumstances allowed to watch said movie.  This is after they have both had to deal with a Sivy post creepy movie. 

Don't get me wrong - I totally believe in ghosts. I have lived in a house that had a ghost cat living in the basement; a little black and white fella that would play with Misha and Sassy.  And I will swear that for years after she died, I could feel my cat Sabrina jump onto my bed.  Most people I know have at least one story of unexplained phenomena.  Perhaps at this point, I should also state, that I really find myself agreeing with the premise of Gods and so forth from the novel American Gods.  Yes, I am aware that we are talking fiction here, but there is a rather sound bit of reasoning in there.  As this is a country made up of immigrants, having shoved the native peoples as far away as possible, the people that then settled the country brought their gods and belief systems with them. Think about it... all those little bits and pieces of folk lore, or even that Oden would be here because the Vikings settled Greenland and Iceland.  All the little imps, demons and creatures from the African folk tales would have found their way over from the slave trade; and all the pixies and other bits and pieces that would have shuffled on over with the highly superstitious people immigrating from Eastern Europe. So they would all mix up together with the native religions and Viola! You get ghost stories.  Or something like that. 
 
Now, the creepiest and also saddest thing that I have ever had happen to me was when I was in high school.  There was this big white abandon farm house where my friends and I would go and hang out because we were all cool and goth and shit.  Well, before we started hanging out there someone had painted a pentagram on the floor of one room, and there was the typical "satanic" gibberish on the walls.  (I have a feeling that if met by a true Satanist these suburban weenies would have wet themselves, but I digress).  Eventually, I got more hours at work and daylight savings ended, and generally I just didn't have time to go and hang out at the house.  I really liked the house, it had a fantastic layout, and this super little room on the second floor, that had only a bathtub sitting in it. I used to talk to the house when I would hang out there, telling it how pretty I thought it was; and then one night, I had this very vivid dream that there was blood running down the walls, like the walls were bleeding, and blood covering that silly pentagram on the floor.  And I had the oddest feeling, like the house was in trouble and very cold.  The next day, I drove out to where the house was, and discovered that it was being torn down.  The property had been sold and house was about half demolished when I saw it that day.  And I just burst into tears.  I remember telling the house that I was so sorry, but there was nothing that I could do; and to date, I have not had any more dreams about the house. Where the house stood is now as gas station.

Paleo Challenge, Benchmarks, and Other Goings On

The Paleo Challenge has officially ended, and we are now doing the benchmarks to gauge performance.  So - that is three different things - the one rep max of power clean, deadlift, bench press and back squat; the Benchmark: 500M row, 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups and 10 pull-ups; and "Hugo". Hugo has been this nasty looming thing for the entire challenge for me.  It is 5 rounds for time of: 400M run, 21 box jumps, 21 kettle-bell and 21 pull-ups.  I am pretty sure that it almost killed me doing Hugo in August.  (I had brilliantly donated blood the day before, having no idea what Hugo was.)  But as we are doing these with the same modifications as at the beginning, I am hoping for a sub-45 min Hugo.  So far, my "benchmark" was 6:06, down from 7:49 and my deadlift has gone up to 190 (from 185).  My back squat is 145 up from 105! WOOO!  That leaves the power clean and bench press for after Urbanna, as Hugo is tomorrow.  And I'm sure I posted this already - but going from 160 to 146 was pretty cool too.  And, at 146 I am officially weighing less than when I got pregnant. I still have about 6 pounds of fat to go - my target is 139.  OH!  And my face is like 90% better, still get some flushing from nerves and heat but the painful puffy zit infested red flushing is gone.  The best part: no more medicine! 

Now, for the other goings on.... Grandma is arriving today to stay with Freya for Oyster Festival.  It is no kid this year, and we are really looking forward to this vacation.  It will be the second time I have been away from her overnight.  I am a little nervous, but we both really need this break.  I have been looking forward to  and planning my wardrobe for this trip for the last 2 months!  Surprisingly the wardrobe hasn't altered much at all.  Atypical of me, usually I've overhauled the planned wardrobe at least 3 times!  But - can't go wrong with jeans, t-shirts and sweaters.  Biggest issues have become: which shoes and jacket or puffer vest?? We aren't checking luggage and it will all have to fit in the massive NRA backpack (that thing is a pocket universe) but boots take up a lot of room!  And do I really want a coat? Decisions, decisions!  Oh, my bag - do I carry a tote, my purse, which purse.... oh heavens to Betsy! That whoosh you just heard? That was Chris rolling his eyes.  But if I am focusing on this, then I am not freaking out about leaving Freya.  So it's all good.  Besides the most important things on the what to pack list are: camera, "ears", cords for the phones and the iPod.  Because everything else can be obtained once we are there if we have forgotten anything.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Halloween

I was a little worried about Halloween this year. With the not wanting to wear her Witch Dress at the birthday party about 2 weeks ago and working on "trick or treat" and saying thank you .... that is a lot! But, magically she wanted to wear her witch dress (that daddy fixed the itchy arms of) and she NAILED the trick or treat.  She went around our end of the street, Chris was also dressed up (in his Kendo gear) and I stayed home to dish out "treats".  They were gone for just about an hour (had to take puppy meeting breaks) and when they got back, she helped me hand out candy to the last 3 or 4 groups to hit the house. 

All our Trick or Treater's said trick or treat and they all also said thank you.  Which is huge as many people I have talked to the kids just stuck out their bags, not saying anything and then turning around and going.  The candy is OK - but the fun part is getting to say Trick or Treat!!  This is the first year since we had Freya that we participated in Trick or Treating, and we sure made up for lost time!

No Time to Sit Still! ~ a fragment

It is finally fall! The weather is chilly in the morning (46 degrees) and just a little warmer than I would like in the afternoons but still cooler that it has been! Woot Woot! We have a super busy couple of weekends coming up.  Next weekend we have Barbells for Boobs, Nocturnal Nature Walk, and our body fat dunk tank tests.  Sometime in there we want to go talk a little hike and see the fall foliage and get some Dutch Monkey donuts*.  The following weekend is Halloween and we have a party to go to! As well as taking Goosy our for the first time. Oh - and I'm starting school!  Whew. 

This past weekend Freya attended her first birthday party that wasn't for her.  It was a dress up party and she was all excited to wear her little punk witch costume.... well that lasted for all of 5 or 6 minutes then it was full on melt down and "I want it offffff" so (thanks to Grandma) we had a substitute Elmo dress up costume and she wore that instead.  She was so damn cute. We got there and we had a great time painting mini pumpkins, eating all the marshmallow's out of the snack mix and having cake with ice cream.  After what might have been the longest two hours of my life (we are full on potty training and are going without pull-ups these days) we made it home without having an accident took the shortest nap on record and then went out for dinner.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

huh.

It is totally fascinating to me when I think about my self image.  Before I had Freya, I would have told you that I was "athletic".  I worked out, and I also drank A LOT of beer and wine, so while I had a flat stomach - I also had some pretty impressive fat pockets on my hips. Because I like numbers: I weighed 147 when I got pregnant, wearing a size 8/10.  I gained A LOT of weight when I was pregnant, I was 215 on their scale two days before I gave birth.  Almost a year later, I was holding at 164 and wearing a size 12.  I felt like shit.  To me - I was fat.  I had this huge saggy and distorted stomach and a huge ass.  And lets not forget the chins! So it was that in the summer of 2009 I did a fantastic Carb Cycling diet.  And I lost the weight.  I was 147 for like a day.  The problem with the Carb Cycling diet, was that I just didn't have the time to prepare food and have it ready to go for lunch at work.  I ended up eating so much chicken and steamed veggies that the second I hit my target weight, I went back to "normal"eating.  And, we can see where this is going can't we??? Well as well as going back to my bad eating habits, I also got a new job that had mandatory overtime.  So not only was I eating bad, but I was super stressed out as well. And: Hello 20 pounds! 

By now, I am back in my fat clothing, feeling miserable. I couldn't see going to the gym doing the treadmill at all at this point.  I was so tired, I missed my family.  I was doing a lot of complaining. Then, right around my birthday this year, I started to do Cross-Fit.   And along with Cross-Fit came the "Paleo Challenge". Now, I knew about Paleo already, had the book and everything.  But, we had never put it into place.  Just seemed to hard. Now, I was ready. And as of this past Saturday, the challenge end date: I am 145 pounds, and my body fat went from 32% to 26%.  I have about 6 more pounds of fat to get to my "optimum" range.  And I will get there because, as I have said here before, we are staying Paleo.  And I love Cross-Fit.  It really did save me (and my 6 am class means that I can still work out when the overtime kicks up again).

So, I am now "skinner" than I was before I got pregnant.  Except - the jeans that I have been wanting to get into - will never fit.  Becasue now I have muscles where I had fat.  And I am so much happier - I feel good and have an outlet for that aggression that is always just under the serface for me.

And in totally Piffle news - no hair cut yet.... will trim and change the color instead.  I have realized that I really love my hair long. Just without the split ends.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

I Need New Hair

And it want it to look roughly like this:


The red will be a little darker (since I dye it anyway - I sorta get skeeved by the idea of dying it the same color as the husband and kid have naturally).  I am currently sporting a long, unshaped beast of chocolate brown that hangs in a knotted wad down around my shoulder blades.  Can you say "hair up in a knot on the top of my head!"?

This cut has the look of something that I can (gasp) blow dry and go. And one day, when I am a big girl, I will actually curl the ends.  You would think, as much time as I spend longing for pretty hair that I would actually, I don't know, DO SOMETHING with my hair.  Hmm.  Perhaps it is time to put on the big girl knickers and schedule an appointment, procure a curling iron and finally just get into the habit of doing my hair.  God lord.  After all - I can get out of bed at 5:15 AM to go to CrossFit and I changed my diet to Paleo, this is easy after that!

Friday, September 24, 2010

My Brain is Weird

There are certain songs that every time I hear them I link it to the book that I am reading at the time – and then it seems the two are forever linked in my brain. For example: I was reading the Sandman comic by Neil Gaiman, and the next morning as I was driving to work I was listening to Empires by VNV Nation – and now every time I hear a song from Empires, one of the story lines from the Sandman will pop into my head. Some of them are pretty intense like the Great Below by Nine Inch Nails will generate images similar to Simon floating out to sea from the Lord of the Flies. No idea how that linked up in my head as I haven’t read that book in ages – like High School? And Pioneer to the Fall’s by Interpol always makes me think of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books.

It is actually sort of nice – when I get stuck in traffic (a daily occurrence in Atlanta) I can just select a song and let my mind wonder its own little story line. And then I’m not cursing a blue steak down I-85 because my mind is nicely occupied.

As and obligatory Paleo/Crossfit update: diet going well and today I did an unassisted Kipping Pull-Up. GO ME! And my clean has gone up 5 pounds from my one rep max so there you go. I can also do 55 sit-ups in 2 minuets, hold plank for 1:14 and I almost did a hand stand! Except that I got dizzy on the way up and went splat. The Challenge ends on our anniversary and I hope that they have the body fat emersion truck dude there on that same Saturday so that we can get our measurement done that day. Then we can enjoy our anniversary dinner without thought to the salt content and so on and so forth of the meal. Because I have a feeling that meal will be a doozey. I know I am planning on some wine and more that a little chocolate. But – oddly – I don’t want to break Paleo (too much) because with so much going well I don’t want to wake up the next morning with full on rosacea flushing and belly issues. What started as a we can go get Italian is slowly morphing into a Mexican feast.

And as for exciting plans for the weekend: Papa Jacks for breakfast (most likely on Sunday) and I’m gonna dye my hair Dark Chocolate Brown. There is also the possibility that we might swing out to watch Fight Gone Bad at the AFB in Smyrna, but I have a feeling that might not happen. As it will be hot as hell Saturday…. but things look like they will be cooling off and there should only be a high of like 75 on Monday.

In wardrobe news: I also got the zipper on a little size 8 brown cord skirt fixed and viola! I have the skirt to go with the sweater I got a couple weeks ago. And I am totally stoked that I can get my no longer such a fat ass in a size 8 skirt. I also scored a lovely gold nylon bag - which will make a lovely tote for weekends till someone is totally potty-trained and it will also be a great travel bag. Between that and our huge NRA backpack we shouldn’t need any other bags when we fly up for Oyster Festival this year. And that will be an oddity – because Freya is going to stay at home with Grandma. Hopefully she will go easy on Grandma! It will mark the second time since she was born that I have been away from her for more than a day. I am really looking forward to not having a bedtime fight and getting to sleep in! I am still looking for a long cardigan/sweater coat in a dark sage or brown (preferably) cashmere… there is on a the T.J. Maxx that I just might have to scoop up! It has a hood – but I can work with that. I think that I have shrunk enough that my fabulous red trench is going to need to be replaced. Sigh. I love that coat – but I can get two of me in there now so I think that it needs replacing….with a sweater coat! Ha!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Sick of the heat

I am so tired of 90+ days. Like pondering a move to the Arctic sick of it. It does have a plus side, I can still wear my flip's and tank tops. And I'm not cold all the time. But dammit! I am ready to wear sweaters, fall dresses, tights and my new kick ass boots! Waaa!
Perhaps - I'll do it anyway... the first day of Autumn is Thursday - I shall celebrate by dressing like it is Autumn and then sweating to death. But! I have gluten free beer now. Silver lining and all that.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Paleo/Crossfit Baby

Freya is doing the Paleo Challenge by default, as both her mother and father are eating Paleo these days. I just found a last lone hold out bag of Cheezits in the cupboard last night, which tossed out (read: stale). So far eating Paleo with the little one has been pretty easy she likes fruit and veggies and is getting a handle on meat. At this point, I am not packing her lunch for school because they make very good food for her at the daycare, but that will probably change come Kindergarten in 3 years. (eek!) Then it's: Hello Bento box! They are cute and interesting and super inexpensive and will hold all the food we eat very well. They also make a little press thingy that when you put a freshly boiled and peeled egg in it it will make it into a little cat face. Nothing says You need me! to a mother of a little girl than the ability to make her boiled eggs into a cat face.

Last week we had a Cross-Fit gym group picture with as many members of No Excuses as could get there. Freya loves to go to the gym because we let her play with the equipment after the folks there are done with their workouts. She was also cheering for the guys that were finishing up a particularly evil WOD. Nothing cuter than a little voice going WOOHOO! We were posed and our pictures taken - Freya was better behaved than some of the adults there. She sat still, and was totally awe struck by John and his freshly worked on tattoo.
After the posed picture we just sort of milled around, and some random candid pictures were taken including one of the Crossfit baby:


Flipping a tire. She actually did better than I did the first time I ever flipped a tire! (The picture in the middle also made it onto the gym web page for today's WOD.) Momma and Daddy are so proud.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Autumn?

I think that we might actually be getting closer to Autumn! There is a nice coolness to the morning air, even if the afternoon highs are in the upper 80's!

Autumn is my favorite season and it has been for as far back as I can remember. I love the crisp air and the shorter days and the general feeling of being lighter. The oppressive heat of summer (especially down here in Atlanta) has wained and the mosquito's have died back and it is suddenly pleasant to be outside. And the new sweaters don't hurt either. And (no surprise here) I love my sweaters. I have made acquiring sweaters an art form. I have cardigans in just about every useful color (for me) and even some that aren't so useful (read: pink). I have a pile of "work sweaters" and a smaller pile of "play sweaters" they each need some updating this year. Very exciting, I know. Not as exciting as trying to find a pair of gold heels. Woo!

The other thing I need to update this year is my coat. I have this super fantastic awesome royal blue wool coat from the 1960's and it needs new buttons. Thinking large plastic - in white or purple or kelly green. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, I also need to clean out the dry-rotted liner and do some hem work. Which is the best about living in Atlanta, I don't have to worry about re-lining the damn thing because just the wool will be enough to keep me warm!

Dammit - come on cooler weather! I am tired of all this sweating just walking down to get the mail. I also need to air out the house some more - it still has that funky to much air conditioning smell.


I think that I shall go back to my favorite fantasy for the rest of my afternoon: cocktail party, fabulous dress, gold heels, drinking pink champagne, eating fancy chocolate and having my house EXACTLY the way I like it. The table set with the fancy china, and magically I have all the Kate Spade fancy china odds and ends (the ones with the gold and silver bugs, because the china is a floral). Maybe for Thanksgiving! OOH. Better get to planning! I have gold shoes and hopefully a dress to go and get!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I Love Paleo

Paleo has been this catalyst… and I know that I will probably be eating like this for the rest of my life. There are several things that assist in keeping the decision solid: my skin clearing up, and that the weight is coming off to name the big ones. But, it is also how I feel. Even when I am starving hungry, it is a different hungry than when I was eating all that crap. This is more of a "Hello, this is your stomach, please eat something" rather than the "HARVEY NEED FOOD NOW -GRRRRRR". Harvey being the name I gave that very nasty mood that took over when my blood sugar would drop when I got hungry, usually the shakes and nausea would follow. This usually resulted in my consuming a huge amount of pasta, or french fries. And, as I have been typing this out, it has just occurred to me that I haven't gotten the shakes from being hungry since starting Paleo. Like it wasn't hunger that gave me the shakes, it wasn't having sugar and/or glutton. That is kind of scary, now that I think about it.

There is something infinitely more satisfying about life when I know that what I’m putting into my body is good for it and also that the work-outs I am doing at CrossFit give me a much greater since of accomplishment. I mean – it is so much better for the psyche than the endless hamster wheel that is the elliptical machine at the gym. I also have camaraderie while working out and have made new friends. After a particularly difficult WOD (workout of the day) we talk and joke while regaining the use of our appendages. I have never thought that I would be one of those people that willingly gets up at 5:15 to go work out. But I am, and I love it. Also, my coffee drinking is way down, because after CrossFit - I don't need any caffeine.

And the most interesting thing that has changed, is the Internet searches that I do. It used to be that I would start obsessing about something or the other, and trying to locate it (never mind that I didn't need a new coat, purse, pair of boots, the epic 7 month search for the "perfect white bag") and actually get into a world class bad mood if I couldn't locate it! These days, I hunt down Paleo recipes and read my Nigella Lawson cookbooks for meal ideas, (altering the Nigella to Paleo when needed). And I am having so much fun doing it.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Grouchy

Need more snacks. I can't seem to loose this nagging hungry feeling and it is making me grouchy because, I end up grazing all afternoon.... and craving a block of cheddar cheese.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Fall Clothing - Post of Twee-ness

It is time for the thrilling and exciting time of fall shopping. For the first time in YEARS there are only a couple of things that I "need" for my wardrobe and they are mostly for work. This is because I am shrinking out of all my current fall/winter wardrobe. Boo-Hoo. And I have decided to finally get the damn things that I have been wanting for several years. Like a chocolate brown elbow sleeve cashmere turtleneck. (currently watching one on eBay - bitch will be mine!!!! if all goes well in like 13 hours.) Wait... where was I? Right! So the rest of things I "need" that aren't for work? A pair of yellow corduroy's and a sweater coat. I know. Y'all are just RIVETED. Now... for finding that pair of caramel colored knee-ish high boots. Those bitches are being elusive. Because I need to try them on with my mega-calves - apparently athletic legs don't want boots? I don't get it. I would really rather not have them shipped only to have to send them back. Total bummer. So - DSW better get some this year.

Of course living in Atlanta, I can wear tee-shirts and tank tops almost all year long. And doing CrossFit means that I am going to have to get more work out clothing. Honesty it's about time that I get some nice work out stuff. I might even get a new gym bag. The excitement!

Stay tuned to see if I win the sweater!

ETA: BOO-YA! I won the sweater! WOOOOOO!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Heart Breaking - But Not So Much Now That I Think About It

So - Paleo is going well! Very well - in fact 10 pounds in 2 weeks well. That first week - dropped like 6 pounds - they were called: Beer, Goldfish Crackers, Cheezit's, Doritos's and Pop-Tarts. Slowed down to 4 pounds last week, which is better actually because this is a 3 month challenge and I don't want to plateau too early. The only heartbreaking part, when I think about it, is that I no longer can have beer. Because by removing all the gluten from my diet has done such wonders in for my skin, my digestion and my energy levels in just 2 weeks, I don't want to screw that up. I will miss beer, I really will, but not enough to dwell upon because for the first time in almost 6 years my face has cleared up and for the first time since I started to pay attention, my "belly issues" have gone away. Just like that! Poof! On the bright side: Wine and dark chocolate are still in the mix! And after the Paleo Challenge is over a move to the Primal Blueprint (basically the same thing except for the addtion of dairy).

This past weekend I competed in the Garage Games: Survival of the Fittest. A little CrossFit competition that was a lot of fun. I have only been doing CrossFit for like 2 months, so I think that I was the least experienced competitor there, by at least 6 months. But! I finished the first WOD and wasn't eliminated which was what I was shooting for. The first lift in the second WOD was my 1 rep max weight and I managed to crank out 6 before I saw stars and my knees buckled. I am very proud of myself. And look out because next year I'm gonna totally KICK SOME ASS! Here is a picture of Freya getting ready to do a dead lift (using the bar that I used for some cleans):



The best part of the entire day was getting to watch Goosey play around with the pull-up bar's and the dead lift. Sadly I was still competing when she did her pull-ups (w/ Daddy assistance) and there was no camera at hand. She also walked up to the dead lift station (185lbs) and pulled on the bar with her Daddy behind her cheering her on. Making sure we weren't in the way of competitors, I noticed there were about 5 or 6 guys all heavily tattooed, and about 215lbs looking over at her and they just had the goofiest grins on their faces. I am still giggling about it now, 4 days later!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Like a ton of Bricks

There I was... having a nice Sunday afternoon. The kid is finally starting to play on her own (granted in fits and spurts) but she was playing in her "fort" and I watched two episodes of Gilmore Girls. I loved that show. I still watched through the contrived temper-tantrum the creator/writer threw and the shitty non-ending we got as a series finale but... I really liked the characters. Mostly I loved Lorelei, and her wardrobe. Especially her wardrobe.

I have gotten pretty hippie-dippie of late... ill-fitting skirts, sport bra's, wallabies.... I"m suddenly starting to feel very sorry for my husband.... Anyway! I am now winding my way back to the land of the stylish (this is becoming a joke in our house) more to the Lorelei inside as I like to put it. Think: jeans that fit well, dresses, a handbag that isn't a nasty canvas tote... BOOM! I want to be a pretty girl. Just like that! It makes me really wonder about myself sometimes.

And I discovered: when I don't feel good (in this case being about 30lbs over my usual weight) I take it out on myself by dressing in things that will accent the part that is bothering me and then focusing on it. Totally a good productive way to go about solving a problem. Hey! Go out of your way to make sure you continue to feel like shit! Thanks to CrossFit and the Paleo diet I am comfortable in my skin again... like I am worth the nice things I look at online.

This year my goal is to go with my off-beat style, have fun and mostly remember it's not what the "in" article of clothing, accessory, shoe is - but how does it fit? that should matter. That might be the suckiest sentence ever... screw it, I don't feel like fixing it.

Now... if I can just win that Marc Jacob's bag on eBay for like $35 I will be over the moon! And it will become the SQUEEE heard around the world. Now - to make that list of for my fall wardrobe search. And now that I think about it... start looking into Christmas ideas also.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Cross-Fit and Paleo

So - Sunday we started the "Paleo Challenge" at our Cross-Fit gym. The Paleo Challenge is pretty simple actually - follow the Paleo diet, before and after pictures, body fat percentage and training improvement from 8/9 to 10/30. The Football totals were pretty intense, I am still pretty sure that Hugo is the most difficult thing I have ever done (5 rounds for time of: 400 m. run, 21 pull-ups, 21 kettle bell swings, 21 box jumps, it took me 46:07. The other is called the baseline and it's a 500 m. row, 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups and 10 pull-ups - did it in 7:18.


I am very excited about this challenge because the Paleo diet is something that we have been talking about doing for several years - basically eating lean meats, veggies, fruit, nuts and eggs. NO GLUTEN and very little dairy. I made a smoothie yesterday as a snack for after the dentist (because I was still numb and didn't want to risk chewing food) and it was egg white protein powder, cup of frozen berries, ice and water. It was so good that I had to fight Freya to get it back when I gave her a sip. She will be getting her own little smoothie now after she ran off with the one I made for breakfast this morning.


Sunday was the hardest day by FAR. All either of us wanted to eat was carbs! I was cranky and hungry feeling even after I had eaten. But on Monday, the very next day I was feeling so much better, my energy was up and I noticed that I'm drinking way less coffee! So much so that I have put away the coffee maker and am using the French Press - so better coffee to boot.

I can't wait to see how much I improve - both physically and mentally on this challenge. I am willing to bet that my face will clear up and that my rosacea flair -ups will almost completely go away. And for the girl that always had belly issues: haven't had any since Sunday. Yay!!

Monday, June 28, 2010

So Cute I Got Cavities

So, I made chocolate croissants for Sunday breakfast. Very exciting for me as they came out very very yummy. The next time I make them, a smidge lower on the heat and I'll let them bake a bit longer, and use a touch more chocolate... I needed to get a guage on how much chocolate to use, as nothing would be more tragic than having all the chocolate ooze out and end up on the baking sheet. But, I digress. As we were getting ready to eat our yummy chocolate croissants, Freya started to sing the Chocolate Song from Dora. Which is a fantastic song... because it is all about mixing chocolate. Mmmmm... So she would sing the chocolate song and take a big bite of her croissant, and giggle. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Until the BOTH of her croissants were eaten. That's my girl.

Friday, June 25, 2010

30 Questions - totally borrowed from Zoot

1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:
Stuck in traffic on 85

2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?
Cross-Fit "fundamentals" course

3. What do your bank checks look like?
Halloween

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?
Old Navy

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:
new vacuum cleaner (electrolux baby!!)

6. What color is your toothbrush?
mostly white

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.
Martini glasses - because there are so many really pretty ones

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?
The Mexican place down the road, with the family, it was fantastic (as always)

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?
My mother

10. What is your worst bad habit?
picking at my lips

11. Name a magazine to which you subscribe?
This Old House

12. Your favorite pizza toppings?
cheese and veggies

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?
law offices in Buford. When I got laid off a couple years ago, I was looking for offices to send a resume to.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?
Tammy

15. What is the last thing you cooked?
Fillet Mignon w/ sweet potato fries

16. Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?
anything hygiene related

17. Which shoe do you put on first?
the left

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?
my mind

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?
this big old purple chair, which is just a fancy Moose bed now.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?
skirt from H&M, because I don't try things on when I shop with the kid.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?
Egyptian Musk

22. Your favorite board game?
Clue

23. What was the last board game you played?
does Jenga count?

24. Where did your vehicle come from?
Mall of GA, Toyota

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?
Oh my... um... Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)

26. You’re sad, who can cheer you up easily?
Toss up - Freya or Moose

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?
Burgundy, maybe? It was about 4 years ago...

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?
Vacuuming when the dog's are in the house... the Lab just walks by and there are piles of fur! My god how that dog sheds!

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
Buffalo style with blue cheese

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?
Red velvet cup-cakes.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Things That Inspire Me

Folks - I have been in a major big time required medicating other than booze depression. Mostly, I think that it was just a case of I got my head stuck up my ass. But ya know something? When you get PMDD - AFTER the kid when you go BACK on the pill it really really sucks. I was either depressed or an evil evil bitch. Fun!!

But.

I have pulled myself together. My lovely girlie doctor and I have gotten things all sorted out. So while that part is in the back burner lets just make that job permanent (yay!) and heap the largest amount of work stress ever. Serve with a side of "areyoufuckingkiddingme?" childish antics in the work place and there you go. Oh and then I went and got Mono. At 35, for the second time. But! I think that I am kicking its' ass this time. Except for the hives. BOOOO! Hives really really suck.

So here is a list of things that have inspired me to get my head out of my ass:

1) Freya and her Dr. Seuss - nothing is cuter than the freshly bathed two year old carrying her book to me and opening it to the Whump part and informing me that: "Mama, wanna Whump". Well, keeping up with Freya in general, because she is so much fun now! With all the running and getting into shit and wanting to be outside. LOVE IT.

2) Perfecting my Strawberry Margarita.

3) Need mint. Need mint. Need mint. Tis getting to be julep and mojito time, yo.

4) Purging all the crap that I have been holding onto because, well I might need or want it when really all it is doing is keeping me back.

5) Finally (after almost 3 years) starting to get the inside of the house as nice as the outside.

6) My iPhone.

7) The 10 Cent Diet. (http://the10centdiet.blogspot.com/)

8) The colors white, orange, green and blue.

9) Liberty of London at Target. If I'm not careful my entire house will be covered in these fantastic prints.

10) Red velvet cupcakes.

11) And coming soon - my garden! There is some magic and shrub removal that must take place first, but soon I shall have pretty planters on my patio and some veggies...

12) And finally, there is an awesome yoga studio that opened not too far from the house, and she does Hot yoga! And she works with athletic types that may or may not have really hurt themselves playing soccer 15 years ago. Arthritic knee, anyone??


Interestingly, I have found that when I get into the type of funk/depression as I mentioned above, I create this monochromatic shell (think lots of black and white) and I know that I am starting to feel better when I want to look like a Kate Spade advertisement. Yet it is when I blend all my different personalities that I know the equilibrium has been restored. I have sorta of out grown wearing all black (and lets face it - I live in Atlanta it is hotter than the sun down here) and way extreme color can make me feel like I am trying too hard. So, when I remember who I am, when I resurface from the protective black cocoon, I realize that I am sunshine, I am a rainbow, and I am a rock. Also, a stubborn ass. That really needs a drink.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

ooooooo

Meet the next thing that I am going to get for myself, once I get my first check from my new job. Sort of my way of marking the occasion.


This is the Kate Spade Westbury Drawstring Opus, and there is no other more perfect orange bag out there. And I have been about half-heartedly looking for one for the last 4 or 5 years.

I am just daydreaming along, having a lovely time. Planning outfits... pondering the purchase of a new trench coat (as the current one - perfect as it is is about 2 sizes too big) with yellow stripes.

I think my favorite season is shifting... to Spring! I used to love fall the mostest. I love the crisp weather, the sweaters that it is cool enough to wear getting to wear coats and jackets again. But now, living in Georgia, the fall is pretty warm, and the spring is just perfect! And I have discovered as much as I love me a funky winter coat, nothing compares to the perfection that is a new springtime trench coat.

And wanting the yellow striped trench coat would have nothing at all to do with having a perfect pair of yellow suede ballet flats to pair it with. Not that I have thought this out our anything.. nope, not me! I wouldn't do anything like that!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Interesting

I just had several revelations:
Even though texting takes a while (read FOREVER) – I really like my Razor.
Even though I like the concept of my Outback – I think I really would rather the Corolla – until we move nearer the Mini dealer. Best yet- give me a smaller town to live in and I'll take a Volvo 122.
Even though I like to think that I am a fashion plate (ha!) – I am happiest and look the best when I focus on what I like to call “dressy art fag”.

I really need a new pair of Doc's - and every time that I try to acquire something else.. i just don't like it. SO. Get the Milly boots already!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

A Very Late Posting of My Trip to Boston - IN JULY!

These are in no particular order... as this first one is from the day I got home and hadn't had enough Lemoncello. This is my modified lemon drop - a good lemoncello and vodka. The best for a hot summer evening. (As far as I am concerned it is spelled lemoncello. It is probably incorrect, but I don't give a crap tonight, so there neener neener.)

And here we have my feet while checking out MIT (also known as Matty's former digs) with the light fading and I used the flash.
This is at Trinity Episcopal church in Boston. I love the vein's! There were so many little details like this all over the church. When we visited, we couldn't go in because there was a wedding. But the outside was so lovely that it didn't matter; besides who could get angry that they couldn't go inside a church because of a wedding?


This might be one of my favorites: Matt and I outside Trinity reflected in the Hancock building. The juxtaposition of the two styles is really interesting. On one side of the street you have your Gothic and on the other you have your modern. The only thing I wish I had done was bring the messenger bag instead of the purse du jour...


And then across the street from Matt's apartment is the most lovely church garden... The pictures of Mary with the dove on her head all came out blurred, but this one is perfect. What's not to love - St. Francis and roses!

Rather embarrassing that it took so damn long to post these bad boys. And the part that I am most proud to say is that this trip was in the middle of my get rid of the baby weight so help me god diet and I didn't' deviate too far. The beer and pizza were totally negated by the 10 to 15 miles we walked that day. I can't wait to go back! Next time we are totally gonna hit Salem and hopefully a haunted Boston tour.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

tax season!

hello blog that i keep forgetting to post to! doesn't look like i'll have too much time to come up with much of anything... yay for tax season keeping me super busy! First deadline: January 30th. i'm looking at you North Carolina.