Friday, April 29, 2011

Fit for Royalty

Who was up at 3:00am this morning to watch the Royal Wedding?!?  Not I.  I looked over all the pictures and articles on E!Online this morning.  Beautiful dress, Sarah Burton, you sly dog!  And Harry-- oh, boy! did he look mighty fine in all his regalia.  I've never been a big fan of the princes, but I sure am coming around.  (btw, please, please get rid of Chelsy Davy...)


Anyhoo, congrats to the wonderful, seemingly undeniably in-love pair!  Here's to a great future for William and Kate!



So, in more boring personal news, I've had just about the worst week dealing with allergies, and all around general sickness/illness.  I got a migraine (with aura, if you've ever heard of it) last night, and ended up calling my mom to inquire as to the symptoms of stroke.  Now, I've gotten these horrible migraines in the past, complete with persistent sun-spot-like visual impairment, and speech-slurring.  So, I knew, or should have known that I was not having a stroke.  But I think I wanted some attention.  Here's hoping the weekend proves more relaxing and less stress-filled!


Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

Do you still call your mom (or dad) when you're sick?

Monday, April 25, 2011

I Think I Might Go Crazy

I want one of these shirts.



Sometimes, just sometimes I actually watch those annoying infomercials that are on tv on the weekends.  And sometimes I actually want the product being advertised.  Case in point, The Insanity Workout DVD (program?).  This thing looks fierce.  And real.  Like, as in it actually has real results.  And I am actually tempted to buy said fitness program.  I want to "earn" one of those Insanity t-shirts getting in the "greatest shape of [my] life in 60 days."

Should I?  Would you?

I'm one of those people who likes encouragement while I'm exercising, and who doesn't particularly like traditional modes of fitness; I do love cycling, and weightlifting is awesome but running is not for me (or my knees) and I would much rather be outside hiking, walking, biking, whatever than in a gym or my living room.  Maybe it's the illusion that I'm not actually working out.  Correction, maybe it's because I'm not dwelling on the fact that I'm working out, and that I'm just having fun (and outside, which is always a plus).  I don't know.  Either way, I don't want to be painfully (pun intended) bored during a workout.

There are some indoor workouts I enjoy.  Particularly there are some workout DVDs that I enjoy, and it's mostly because I like and can easily follow the trainer and/or their directions.




Could Shaun T be one of those trainers?  Could Insanity be one of those DVDs?  I'm tempted to find out.  And I'm curious to know if any of you have taken the Insanity challenge.  Weigh in below.


What's your favorite way to workout?  If you watch DVDs, what is your favorite training program or trainer and what it is about their product that motivates you or keeps you interested?
I love my bike.  Nothing beats a five-mile ride taking in great scenery while getting a killer workout in the process!  I love trainers who work at a steady, even pace, and who build on routines step by step to give watchers enough time to learn/pick up on them.

Oh, yeah: it's Easter!

Hope everyone had a very Happy Easter!  Mine was spent pretty lazily in my apartment, misguided by the sun shining through my patio door that it was hot outside.  Apparently, just because it is 84 degrees inside, does not mean that it isn't cool, breezy and otherwise awesome outside.  Who knew?


[My cute-as-awww-get-out...and seriously evil devilish niece at last year's Easter egg hunt]


Anyhow... I have given notice to my fiance that I am going to kill fed up with our dogs.  They finished off my last decent pair of shoes while I was sleeping (Friday night?  Saturday morning?!) this weekend.  I threatened them all day, with all kinds of nasty, cruel punishments (that I would never really inflict upon them); and I even evicted Zanders (the younger, smaller, stupider, I-think-I'm-super-adorable-so-you-can't-punish-me-for-anything dog) last week, putting him out the patio door and shutting the blinds-- for all of two minutes. 

Well, Sunday came around, and they were awesome.  So well behaved.... ok, as well behaved as they were going to be.  And then comes today.  And a phonecall from my roommate who returned home from work to find that my new wall ornaments loooooovely dogs had ripped up more of the carpetting in front of my bedroom door. 
@$%*!#^^$%^!@#$%^$%@$%@#!$%#$%#@$%#%#$%@#^!#%*(#$@~#$@&%$%*%$%!@#$%$&$%*&#%^@!%^#%^*#%^*@$^$%@^$%&$^*@&$^&$%^*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I don't feel at all better after typing that, either.  I feel like going home and spraying some of the nasty "bitter/sour apple" training spray -- that I had to purchase over the weekend for $10 -- in their face.  At least I would find some temporary satisfaction in their whining and discomfort.


[My (not) Hero]

... Accept that I would then feel super bad for them... because I, too, know what it is like to have that terrible, awful, disgusting, horrible, yucky, indescribable (yes, I can go on with these adjectives all day!) taste in my mouth.

... Because I was curious the other day to know "just how does 'bitter/sour apple' training spray taste, exactly?"  Oh boy!  Yes, my dumb rear end picked up bottle, held it to my mouth and put my tongue up to the spray-hole.  I didn't even spray it in my mouth; I licked residue of "bitter/sour apple" training spray!  And it was horrible.  It was, by far, the worst experience of my life.  Yes, it was that bad.  Worse.

I drank water.  Ewwww!   Ewww!  Get it out.  OMGEEEE this is awful!  But the water made it stronger.  It spread...no, no...it diffused the stuff evenly over each and every taste-bud in my mouth.
Have you ever wanted to burn the taste-buds out of your mouth?  No, really.
I drank milk.  I held the milk in my mouth hoping that it would have the same effect on this stuff that it has on... whatever that spicy chemical is capsaicin.  I gargled the milk to make sure it got to every taste-bud.  No go.  Ahhhhhh!  Move, move!  I need to get in the bathroom.  Must.  Brush.  Teeth.  Ohhhhh, this is the worst thing ever!

... To round things up: I had to brush my teeth 3 times...and I still had a slightly yucky taste in my mouth the rest of the night.  My fiance thought it was hilarious.  I should have just believed him when he told me it was super-ultra-mad-concentrated stuff.

Moral of the story: Don't lick stuff that is meant to train puppies and other animals not to chew on furniture and what not.  Oh, what the hell -- don't lick any foreign thing, just to be on the safe side.  Because I probably need someone to smack me upside the head and tell me "DUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Have a great week, everyone!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Fourth Seat Back...

In lieu of the postings that I have missed over the past - what is it? - two weeks I felt I just had to post something.

So, here goes:
  1. What was the last thing you bought?
  2. How much did it cost?
  3. How much do you have in your Emergency Fund right now?
  4. How much will you spend this Easter Weekend?
  5. How many pairs of underpants do you own?
  6. *EXTRA CREDIT: What seat should you take?
I blatantly stole borrowed this from Budgets Are Sexy but only because it's awesome!

My answers...
1. Let’s see…my last purchase: *sigh* a pack of cigarettes
2. Wait for it……….. $8.15. Because Washington, DC is awesome that way – being on the expensive side, and all.
3. I do have an Emergency Fund. Unfortunately it only has a few dollars at the moment. I have been funnelling small sums of money to it each paycheck, but my #1 priority right now is cutting down debt. I know, I know, my Emergency Fund is just as important as reducing debt, but it just has not happened yet.
4. I will spend nothing this Easter Weekend as I have plenty of time to do AFTER-Easter shopping for the children (my fiance’s 2 children, and my 2 nieces) I will (thankfully) see AFTER-Easter. Plus, we spent nothing on the Easter egg and craft-making we did with my fiance’s 2 kids last weekend!
5. No idea? Most likely 20-30 pairs
*Extra Credit* I like the fourth seat from the front, by the window. If you’ve ever ridden in a Coach bus (Grey Hound, etc.) you’ll know why!

I'd love to see some of your responses in my comments!

Oh, and btw...I promise I'll post some goodness soon.  I've had a few posts in the works while MIA!

Friday, April 15, 2011

If you whistle, I will come...

I have a post on the way.  I totally promise.



You see, it's all just a matter of getting some pictures/photos together.  I love photography, yet I haven't posted even one thing of my own!  So, I've vowed decided that I'm going to make sure I include at least something of my own from now on!  ...don't want you to get bored of me, afterall!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Preoccupied...

Well, I did have a post in the works yesterday; however, with Government Shutdown 2011 looming in my future as a Federal government contractor...I'm just not up to finishing it.




I'll be back, hopefully in a short while (come on, Congress!!!), when I have more drive, and more pleasant topics to sound off on.

Thanks for reading (briefly).

Love,
Jess

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Over-indulgence

Buffets are bad.  Not so much in the sense that the food is bad -- though, some of it, to be sure, is bad.  Yet, at the same time it's so hard (for me, at least?) to resist sampling all the different fare offered.  I'll admit, my sweetie and I have a little problem with buffets.  We're addicted.

I was pleasantly surprised last night though, when we stopped in a buffet that I had never been to before.  The seafood array was impressive: grilled salmon, steamed shrimp, flounder, even octopus and oysters.  To be honest, there were some other, not so healthy dishes, such as Maryland crab cakes (nom nom nom), fried shrimp, and stuffed crabs; but I loved every minute of it.  My only comment: coulda had more veggies.  Just saying.  I love my veggies, and, besides the lack of a frozen yogurt machine -- because, come on, all buffets are supposed to have an ice cream or frozen yogurt machine -- I think this was the only disappointment of the whole affair.



You may be thinking, "they went to a buffet...for their anniversary?"  The answer is yes.  Now, if you'll take some time out from cringing over all the greasy food-possibilities running through you mind, let me explain.  When we met we were both always pretty low on cash; buffets were, at the time, our only option if we wanted to go out and get a semi quality meal at any affordable price.  Since, then, though, we've just found that the time we spend eating (plate after plate) gives us a great chance to talk and reconnect; to see what's going on in each other's life.  To focus on us.

So, yes, I still feel felt like a stuffed pig.  Yes, buffets are bad, especially if you're trying to eat and live healthier.  But for us, it's ok; for us buffets are just so darn good.


How do you reconnect with friends and family in this fast-paced, ever-stressful world?

Monday, April 4, 2011

A Mess of Mayonnaise

I had such great plans for this morning: wake up at 4:30 to sneak in a quick workout and straighten my hair, and then to make breakfast and lunches for me and the sweetie.


[Know the source?]

And then 5:30 came and I was just rolling out of bed.  I attempted to straighten my hair, for all of five minutes, when I decided that I just was not going to have time to get that and everything else accomplished.  So I threw my hair back in a half-pony, painted my face with some makeup, and headed downstairs for breakfast.  Boy!  Did that ever turn out fun.

I went through 3 pans until I finally found one that cooked pancakes properly without turning off (the skillet), or burning them (the little black aluminum frying pan).  Got the eggs scrambled just fine, albeit without milk because I forgot to mix it in; and had water boiling for coffee to feed my sweetie and our roommate.  I think, off of my plate, I ate maybe 3 bites, finishing off my eggs and a portion of my pancakes.  I'm kinda missing those pancakes right now, though.  I bet they were good!

So then I had to rush around and grab lunchmeat and bread and mayonnaise and mustard out of the fridge for sandwiches for the sweetie.  Threw all that together and added some snacks to the mix with just this much time left to spare.  Oh no!  I didn't make anything for me to eat for lunch.

And that is how I ended up with 2 oranges, a Go-Gurt (I have never eaten one of those things before...and, um, they're not that great), a hot dog--yes, just one--and 3 slices of bread.  Yep, I finished off the rest of the bread; I didn't eat all 3 slices, but I didn't have time to open the bag and grab a slice out before we had to rush out the door to get me to the bus stop.  Not to mention by that time I was freaking out because I had probably 5-7 minutes to get to the bus stop!!




Lucky for me my sweetie was kind enough to take me to the stop before he even sat down to eat.  By the way, wish us luck-- it's our 2-year Anniversary!

The adventure begins...

Welcome to my new home on the web Adventures in...Life, Love, and Health.  I love to write, and I've attempted blogging in the past, but sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day to devote to such things.  Well, I've vowed to make a committment to better health, and writing contributes (immensely) to the state of my mental and spritual health (please see link above :] ), so here goes.  Of course, my newfound addiction to love for reading blogs and connecting with other people through their writing has helped to fuel this desire to blog again.

I'll be writing (well, attempting anyway) about my daily adventures...and disasters, exciting outings with the hubs future Mister, my road to better physical health through exercise, and of course...food!  Sound like your cup o' tea?  Stick around and maybe we can grow together!




So, where to begin?  Ah, yes, I know...
Moved out of parents and into my very own place.  Check. 
One more item I can mark off the list of goals.  So many new adventures to experience-- and obstacles to overcome.  It's empowering, but at the same time I was so nervous, right up until I had those precious keys in my hand!  (Alright, just between you and me, I'll let you in on a little secret: I'm still really nervous that something BIG will go wrong...just the craziness talking?)  It's (seriously) only been a week since we moved in, and being working-folk, we're not completely settled in, yet.  But pictures will be on their way soon!

How do you do to nourish your mind and soul?