Music Monday- Menomena

So, the band that I really love right now is Menomena. Check out there Myspace and give them a listen. Wet and Rusting is one of my favs. I tried to find a Youtube, but their sound is very hard to duplicate (or so I have heard) live, and there just weren't many great videos.

Today I slept in, went to the gym, and met a friend for lunch at Tossed. I had never been and it was near her work. It was ok, nothing amazing. I got this Tossed Signature salad with chicken, goat cheese, toasted almonds, mango, and crasins. Hit up target, rei, and tj maxx and picked up some needed items. When I got home I started assembly a care package for a friend in Afghanistan. I also made my famous spicy almonds. My roommate asked if I would go to the gym with her, and of course since I have nothing else going on I went.

Nashville has such a nice Y system. The Y I go to all the time has really new equipment and lots of it. They just finished a remodel a few weeks ago and it was worth the inconvenience of the closure. Now when I was home in Charleston I went to the Y. They have not purchased new equipment in 5 years. And it is rusty. It was horrible. I couldn't imagine paying for that. I am so glad my parents switch gyms to the one that I lovr.

Dinner was the greek salad plate I had last night.

I have been writing down what I have been eating which I have found very helpful. I also have been drinking plenty of water. I have found that when I keep myself busy I have less time to think about food and don't really snack at all. I think one of the reasons I tend to eat is out of boredom. There are many more, but I know that is one.

Tomorrow will be more of the same except I won't be having lunch with a friend and shopping. I am going to *try* to paint my end tables.

Here's to Tuesday! It's almost 2009!

The Way To My Heart...

is through my stomach...and also through music.

On Monday I received the best gift. A mix CD. In this case a mix DVD with about 4 gigs of music from the boy that I have been e-mailing for a month now. The only musical references he really had for me were DMB, Soulive, and John Mayer. He did meet me at Iron and Wine. And we had a very, very, very brief encounter at the Swell Season. All I have to say is he did a great job with his selections. He later told me he was a bit nervous and didn't want to scare me too much. Some highlights include in alphabetical order: The Black Keys, Bon Iver, Calexico, Fleet Foxes, M. Ward, Menomena (he put MENOMENA on the CD!!!!!), and so many more. Basically it is awesome and I am going to enjoy listening to all the new music I am not familiar with.

The holidays were nice. It took almost 10 hours (normal drive time is 6) to get home due to a bunch of accidents around Lexington and black ice. Wednesday I went to the gym with my brother. I ate entirely way too much on Christmas and had a bunch of sugar cookies and butter cream frosting. Friday my eating was much better and I went to the gym again in the morning. Saturday my eating was descent during the day. I made it to the gym. However, my parents had people over. Wile I didn't drink I did eat. I had some pie and pizza in addition to what I would have normally eaten. Today's eating has been pretty good considering I drove for half the day and usually eat crappy foods. I hit up trader joes and made a most delicious greek type salad with olives, peppered salami, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, french bread, and fage yogurt. Yum!

I am looking forward to having tomorrow and Tuesday off. I will go to the gym, just not at 5 AM ;)

I hope you all had a enjoyable holiday with your families!

Hitting Rock Bottom

I think I have done it. I have hit rock bottom and things have to change. December has been a rough month. 2008 has been a rough year. It’s hard to even say that considering all the places I have traveled, friends I have visited, and accomplishments I have made. Don’t get me wrong I had some really good times this year, but I also had some horrible times that I don’t want to experience again. I am fighting the tears right now thinking about it all. I know some of this is partly hormonal, but nonetheless I need to say it.

I don’t think I have fully grasped the emotional ramifications of a stranger breaking into my apartment. It’s hard for me to comprehend someone having to steal from others because it is just something I wouldn’t do. I feel violated especially since my laptop was stolen. Who knows if they even looked at what was on it. But just knowing that someone had access to huge chunk of my life is scary. An uninvited person was in my bedroom. Nothing of my roommates was stolen so I lam left with lots of questions about it being targeted. Was it someone I knew? Was it a stranger? Why didn’t they steal more? Etc, etc. Now anytime I hear a noise or voice I am instantly on guard. And I have taken a whole lot more security measures now that this has happened. It wasn’t like I was unsafe before. So I am sure this whole things has created some stress.
I really need to take a step back and analyze why I drink (and eat). I drank entirely way too much yesterday and lost my cell phone. To be quite honest I am really surprised I haven’t died of alcohol poisoning or stupidity. I mean I don’t drink and drive at all, but I did fall last night. I think I was drinking to numb the pain and hurt. I don’t think I have mentioned this, but my ex is engaged. When I found out I wasn’t sad, but a little shocked at how quickly it all happened.

The last six months of 2008 have been like none other of my adult life. It’s the first time really as an adult that I have had disposable income and no constraints on time. I finished school and was freeeeeeeeeee. However, my workout routine struggled greatly. Dessert is an everyday kind of thing now. I have a social life. I am having a very hard time finding balance.
So 2009, is going to be the year of me. I am going to focus on me and if that means being less social, I am ok with it. Oh and it’s not starting on January 1, it’s starting today. While my food choices today were less than stellar, I am ok with it. I didn’t eat all the food that was on my plate at 2 of my 3 meals. That’s a start right? I also made it to the gym. Let me tell you. That was a struggle. I really didn’t want to go, plus I feel like I look horrible and shouldn’t be seen at the gym. Where is the logic in that one? I was on the arc trainer for 60 minutes and the treadmill for 7 minutes, 5 of which I ran.

So as not to end this post on a complete downer, I have some rather exciting news. Remember this post? Well I got a call from her this week and I have been asked to speak on a panel at this conference. So I feel completely unqualified, but this is an opportunity I can’t pass up. So, LA here I come in January!

Happy Holidays to you all! I am off to spend the holiday with my family in WV. Thank you all for your support and I look forward to ringing in 2009 with you all!

Since You All Asked...

"santa rampage saturday night downtown - m4w - 28

you walked around with the santa rampage through several bars. you were a little taller then most girls, but not that tall. absolutely beautiful. you had brownish hair with maybe some blonde highlights. multi colored sweater. i noticed you at every bar. of course i had a santa suit on, so this is a shot in the dark. but i know we made a lot of eye contact. at the last bar you were at, you were out dancing by the band, and i was standing off talking and chilling out. then i noticed you outside leaving. i really wanted to talk to you, but i started getting pretty drunk, and didn't want to make an ass out of myself. obviously, that got me absolutely nowhere, unless you reply. i would say tell me what i was wearing, but there were 178 other people wearing the same thing that night. great times though. i hope to hear from you!"

I did e-mail him and I got confirmation that I was indeed his missed connection. Now, I did make eye contact with a lot of the Santas because there were so interesting to look out. I saw this guy and while I don't particularly remember making "a lot of eye contact" I do remember him. SO with all of the being said, he asked me out and we might go out when I get back from the holidays.

So Much To Say

Didn't go to the gym today and I am ok with that. I did go yesterday after work and did about 20 minutes of weights and I ran intervals on the treadmill on cross country and I thought I was going to die. I however didn't and I will be going to the gym tomorrow after work though. My eating hasn't been great, but I am ok with it. I have never gone to WW meetings and I am seriously considering doing it. The scale was 205 on Monday. Clothes still aren't fitting right because I have lost muscle and gained fat...

So do you all know what Missed Connections are on Craigslist? Well, I secretly read them in hopes of finding one for a friend or about myself. Today someone posted one about me from the Santa event this past weekend. My roommate confirmed it was indeed about me. Kind of flattering. I can now check that wish off my list. Also, today I was presented with the possible opportunity to present at a conference in LA by my mentor. This opportunity would be HUGE. Like I would be mingling with the industry big wigs. It is something I am still trying to grasp my head around. If work doesn't pay for it, it might be one of those opportunities I can't pass up and will pay for myself...

I also got a giant gummy bear on a stick. This things weighs over 8 oz. and is pure awesomeness. At first I wasn't too excited about it, but it has brought me great joy.

Slow but Speeding...

Slowly I am getting back on track. Gym Thursday night. Walked on the treadmill during lunch on Friday. Gym on Saturday. And Gym today. Eating has been progressing nicely as well. When trying to get back on track I have found it best to limit my alcohol intake. Last night I volunteered to be the DD for Santa rampage. I had 2 drinks of the course of the night and lots of diet coke/pepsi. It was such a blast. I wore my ugly Christmas sweater and my rockin' new PINK COWBOY BOOTS! Ahh yeah. Also, I don't think I have been hit on as much as I was last night in my entire life. I think it was the sweater. Here we are at the 11th and last bar:


Here is the link to the entire album.

I just ordered my new camera on Friday so I was using my friends which I am not completely familiar with.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!

Motivation

So what motivates you to lose weight? I need something, anything right now. I have just lost all self control in terms of eating and lack of exercise. I am trying to think about what has worked in the past and how I can get back there.

I just looked at pictures from the past 8 years and I am struggling with a wave of emotions. I am proud of how far I have come, but disappointed with how I have back slid over the past few months. I need to be selfish and focus on myself. And dessert is no longer a 4th meal. When did I think it was perfectly acceptable to eat dessert after almost every meal and as a late night snack?

To end on a good note, I made it to the gym tonight. 45 minutes of weights. It's a start right?

Maybe it's the Weather?

Maybe it's the weather? At least that's what I keep telling myself. I am having a tough week and it's only Tuesday. I am having difficulty eating well and exercising. I am going to the gym for at least an hour tonight even if all I do is cardio. I mean my clothes aren't fitting right. That should be motivation enough to put the cookie(s) down. I am starting to feel like a giant blob and I don't like it.

I can't find my planner and it is stressing me out. I had it on Thursday before I left for LA. I didn't take it with me and I couldn't find it last night in my room. Oh, and I have been dealing with computer crap for the past day. Apple has some of the worst hold music. I think I finally got it squared away.

Happy Tuesday?

Another Quickie...

So on Wednesday night my apartment was robbed. Thank God my roommate and I were not home. Things were stolen, but everyone is ok. There were some many things that usually happen on Wednesdays that didn't and it really make me think someone was looking out for me.

I still went to LA on Thursday after work. I got about about 3 hours ago and now I am headed out to see Matisyahu. Should be interesting. I don't think I know any of his stuff except for King Without a Crown.

Tomorrow will be busy of course. I need to buy a new laptop and digital camera...

LA was fabulous. I am so lucky that I have such amazing friends. I will update more about the trip this week.

A Good Night Sleep

Sometimes a good night of sleep is all it takes to feel better. I woke up feeling so much better yesterday morning. I think I was having one of those "Woe is Me" moment on Monday night.

I still am not going to the gym this week, but I did a good job of paying attention to the foods I ate and when I was actually hungry. It has been really cold here in Nashville this past week. I made my favorite comfort meal during cold weather. A grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. I changed it up a bit and added green salsa to the soup while it cooked and it was a yummy kick of flavor. No late night snacking either!

I also got my signature manicure and saw Milk. I highly suggest seeing it when it comes out. It is really hard to believe that so much discrimination and hate takes place in in the world.

"There is a reason strong move slow..."

Ugh

So I am not even sure where to start with how the day has gone. It started off well. I made it to the gym and then it went downhill from there. The upper part of the gym (i.e. where the MAJORITY of the cardio machines are) is closed this entire week because of the remodel. I know I should be happy that we will eventually be getting more space, but it wasn't really what I needed this week. The downstairs was PACKED. I did my weights and left. I wasn't going to wait around for one of the few cardio machines. I did however have plenty of time to get ready for work.

I ate a huge burrito and chips for dinner. Oh and some red velvet truffles and english toffee to top it off.

I am not going to the gym in the morning. I just can't deal with the crowd. I need to keep telling myself it is only for this week.

I am just starting to feel really disgusted with myself. LIke I am not really sure what has happened over the past 3 months since I got back from Seattle. I don't know where my motivation went. I don't know where my self control went either.

Oh and I think I totally read too much into things regarding everything. Maybe this is a character flaw? Ugh.

I am excited about LA on Thursday, but scared about the food.

15 pounds can you just fall off please?

So not end this post on a downer here are some of my stats from the gym:

max squat: 200 lbs.
max dead lift: 230 lbs.
max leg press: 560 lbs.

Music Monday- Kings of Leon

I love this song. It's just so different from anything out there. I had a bunch of fun last Tuesday at work before I left for my drive home singing the lyrics and making up my own...I think my co-worker was ready to kill me though ;)

"Born in West Virginia...."

"Charmer"- Kings of Leon

Enough is Enough

My pants don't fit right. I now have a muffin top. Barf.

So, I am going to do something about it starting tomorrow.

The gym and eating well are my plan of action. I have done it before and I can do it again.

Oh and water. Lots and lots of water.

I am back in Nashville and I have missed it so.

P.S. I have a slight crush on a boy who I have been e-mailing with since Tuesday. Too bad he doesn't live in TN, but it probably won't turn into anything more than friends or business... Oh and I didn't meet him on the internetz!

I am in Love....

with this Jacket:



Let's just hope it will fit after all my Thanksgiving yummies...I tried it on in the store, but I wanted to order the tall...and I have been eating lots-o-food while I have been at home. I am however working out with my trainer tomorrow, so that should offset at least one turkey sandwich right?

Giving Thanks

I made the drive home to WV yesterday afternoon. I got off work early and was able to make it home right around 10 PM. I also stopped in Lexington for Chipotle which I had not had in a long time. Yum!

I worked out with my trainer today. He said my haircut looked great! I am working out with him again on Saturday! Yeah!

So there are so many things I am thankful for. Family, friends, health, my job, and the list goes on and on.

One thing over the past two weeks or so I have realized I am extremely thankful for is my confidence. I mean I still have my days where I question everything I do and feel down in the dumps, but those days are few and far between. While I may have gained a few pounds this year, my confidences is high. And you know what? I am ok with few pond gain because I know that can be easily remedied, but confidence (at least in my case) is something that I can't measure in gains or losses each week. It just happens.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Music Monday- Iron and Wine

Since I had such a good time at the show last night I thought I would share and Iron and Wine song: Flightless Bird, American Mouth. This song also happens to be on the Twilight soundtrack...Some other good ones by him include Boy With a Coin and his cover of the Postal Services Such Great Heights.

Enjoy!

Iron and Wine

So yesterday afternoon I get a text from a friend asking me if I wanted a free ticket to Iron and Wine. I made sure that I would actually get to sit with the friend and it wasn't some random single. I would, so I was in. He calls me about 30 minutes later to let me know that his boss wants to meet us and his co-worker for drinks and apps at the Palm. Meh. I had never been there before. Maybe it would be different if I had a gotten an entree. Calamari, lobster nachos, and asparagus rolled in steak oh my! We head over to the Ryman for the show. How could I pass up a show at the Ryman??? I LOVR the Ryman. We get our tickets and they are literally in my favorite spot. Pretty much the same spot I have sat for Swell Season, Smashing Pumpkins, and a whole slew of other shows. The opener was Blitzen Trapper- An Oregon band who I probably need to give another listen to. My friend's co-worker comes back to our seats and hands us backstage passes. Really? What have I done to deserve all this good fortune. So normally things like passes aren't too terribly exciting because it can be super awkward back there. But this was the Ryman and I was just the slightest bit curious to see it. It was cool, kind of small. I had a beer. Met Samuel Bean. The band manager was from WV and we bonded over Jesco White. A little bit later we all headed to a bar where we met more people and drank more beer. So with all that said I got home at 2 AM and the gym was not in my future. But I am ok, with skipping this morning ;)

A Little of This, A Little of That

So I made it to the gym yesterday morning, but my eating was out of control all day long. I had a run in with some warm blueberry scones that literally melt in your mouth. Oh and I just remembered those Goo Goo Clusters I ate as well... I went out to lunch with some friends and I got the same meal I usually get- A BBQ Chicken Quesadilla. I usually only eat half. I ate the whole thing.

Before the Kings of Leon show I had 1 beer and 1.5 margaritas and I was well on my way to tipsy. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't eaten dinner or I hadn't had any alcohol in a while. But I have not felt remotely drunk in a while. But then I saw this guy that I was seriously in like with from this summer. Like I had it bad. We went out this summer and talked a few times after, but nothing ever came of it. Then out of the blue he comments on my facebook status saying he was also going to be at Voodoo. I saw him there. We chatted for like 15 minutes and that was it. The guy is so damn elusive. I also know he is probably bad, bad, bad for me but I can't help wanting to know more. Most of the guys I have gone on dates with I am ok if I never see them again. This guy not so much. Anyway I sent him a text he replied. End of story. So yeah I probably just need to forget about him.

The KOL show was AWESOME! It was GA, which I am not a fan of at all. They had an open floor which was way to crowded for my liking so we found some seats. They were further back, but provided plenty of room to dance. Krissie as I was walking out, your man Matt Wertz walked right by me.

Twilight tonight! I am SO excited!

The Game

So my plans didn't go quite as I had expected. I was planning on leaving work at 4:30, but I had to wait around until 5:30 to get the tickets. I rushed home, met my friends, and headed to the showcase. Perfect timing for the showcase and walked in right before they started playing. Stayed for everything but the encore. But with all of that I had no time to eat.

For the game we had a parking pass and we got to use the secret (or what is also known as the season ticket holder entrance) and we missed the announcing of the starting line ups, but we were in our seats before the start of the game. So you all might know I can be a seat snob when it comes to concerts, sporting events are a completely different animal. I have fun no matter where I sit. But let me just say OH. MY. GOD. I had the best seats I will probably ever have for a hockey game in my life. We were on the freaking glass, front row. Not only that, but we were RIGHT next to the Pred's penalty box. And when I say right next to, I mean right next to. Every time there was a shot of a Pred in the penalty box I was in the shot on the jumbotron. I kid you not. Had I been some crazed hockey fan I could have stuck my arm in between the plexi glass barrier and touched the players when they were in there. At this point I was hungry and paid $16.50 for a grilled chicken sandwich, fries, and a diet coke. (I am not really sure what I was planning on eating, but I probably could have done without the fries...) But I am completely ok with price because I got 4! $175 dollar front row hockey tickets for free. There was a fight right in front of us and I got to bang on the glass and it was AWESOME! Oh and the non-skating official gave me 2 hockey pucks, so Jenny and I both got one.

Yeah it was awesome. It was fun. And I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have been given the tickets.

P.S. I made it to the gym this morning :)

Planning

So you all should know by now I like to plan. I like to plan even if it is a week in advance.

This week is turning into a jam packed week.

Today: Going to a showcase at 6 PM. Predators Hockey Game at 7 PM. I got 4 free tickets AND a parking pass. Woot! Woot! I think the tickets should be in the 100 level and of course I don't have my camera :(

Tomorrow: I am participating in a market research study on the subject of TV. 2 hours. $100. Yes please!

Wednesday: Hair cut and then I am taking my fabulous self to the KINGS OF LEON. For free! My friends have got the hook ups!

Thursday: TWILIGHT. Yes, even though I will technically be seeing it on Friday at 12:01 AM, it is my Thursday evening activity. I am SO excited for this movie. AND part of it was filmed at the school in OR where my cousin is the principal.

Friday: Movie date with the guy from Facebook....

Saturday: Babysitting in the AM

Sunday: NOTHING :) but of course that could change as the week goes on.

I also have a couple of lunch plans thrown in there as well as going to the gym in the mornings. The only morning I am really worried about is Friday morning. That is going to be a really late night on Thursday. I will probably take a really long nap that evening.

Do you have anything fun planned for the week?

Nothing too major to report from the weekend. Some highlights include:

A guy asking me at the gym how long I had been squatting. My response "About 4 years." He then says, "You are one of the few girls I have seen do a squat properly." Umm go me! My mom was more surprised that a guy would actually watch me squat than the fact that I was doing a squat properly.

You know those Cadbury Easter eggs I LOVR? Well, they arre back. Only now they are more round (which I like a lot better) and they are red, green, and white. I am in trouble.

That is all.

Rough Day (days)

I really have no room to complain. I have been getting back into the gym and working with weights (Monday-Saturday) last week and I am on track for the same this week. However, my eating has been like poo. I just can't stop eating candy, oh and the sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies I made for some friends in Afghanistan, I had a few (or a lot) of those too. If I don't get my eating in check soon clothes are not going to be fitting and that is not going to be good.

Some random tidbits:
I went to the CMA awards last night. It was ok. I guess I am just slightly jaded about the whole thing. Who would pay a minimum of $112/ticket or a maximum of $450/ticket? umm, not me. Thank god my $450 ticket was free...

I LOVE Taylor Swift. She doesn't have the greatest voice, but man can she write.

I think I was asked out via facebook by a stranger. Well, we do have a mutual friend. But I have never met the guy so he is still a stranger. At least he didn't poke me...

I know some of you have been reading the Twilight series. I am on book 4 and more than 3/4 of the way done. Wouldn't life be so much easier if we could imprint? Maybe the feeling of imprinting and true love (well what I imagine true love to be like) are the same thing or very similar?

Music Monday- Trisha Yearwood

So Friday night I joined my roommate and we attend a writer's round here in Nashville. We went to see Greg Barnhill who is her officemate (and also hooked us up with our Voodoo Fest tickets). Now, I knew he had had some pretty big cuts and was pretty successful. I think at one time I had found out some songs he had written and was pretty awestruck. So he is is on his second song and he starts talking about how this song had been on hold for Wynonona and then she ended up not recording it. Trisha ended up picking it up and felt like it was such a pivotal point in his career because the song was really more adult contemporary then Country at the time. I get jaded sometimes about my work, the music/entertainment industry, and Nashville. But all it takes to love everything about this place is one really good songwriting round. And I got it on Friday.

Here is Trisha Yearwood Performing Walkaway Joe

So yeah, I am addicted to food...

I went to Trader Joe's this morning. You know why I picked this morning? Well, it's the South and it's Church today. However, the parking lot was still packed. I braved the crowd and it was all worth it because I found STROOPWAFEL!!!! And they taste just like the ones Esther has purchased for me in the Netherlands. Now the ones TJ's had were bite size, but taste exactly the same. They are one point a piece which is awesome. Two are completely satisfying as well.

Next I met up with a friend for brunch on the east side. I completely splurge on 2 blood orange mimosas and a yummy artisan cheese plate. I probably should have stopped there but I ordered an egg scramble entree and had some of my friends ginger pancakes with lemon sauce. YUM!

No gym today. I have gone every day for the past 6 days. My body needs a rest.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

You know you have a problem with food when...

You seriously considered coming in late to work to attend the grand opening of Trader Joes. Yes, the thought seriously crossed my mind and stayed there for about 30 minutes. But then reality set in, and I knew I had a bunch of work today and being late to work today just wasn't an option. But, Nashville now has a Trader Joes and I am SUPER excited. For those of you who have one of these stores in your city, do you shop there and if so what are some of your favorites?

Weight

So a couple weeks ago my roomie and I were watching The Biggest Loser. She was pretty amazed that someone could lose 5+ pounds a week sometimes. I told her if she really watched what she ate and worked out at the gym, she would be surprised and might be able to do it too. (I also told her that since she doesn't really need to lose weight, this might not happen either...) I know that after a period of time where I eat whatever I want and don't exercise regularly and then start doing it, there is usually a pretty big loss on my scale the next week. And I also told her that your weight can fluctuate a lot over the course of a day. She tells me that the last time she weighed herself was at the doctors. I was completely shocked by this because, well, there have been days when I have weighed myself MULTIPLE times a day. I was also a little jealous that her weight is seriously like the last thing she thinks about. And she never really monitors her food portions either or anything diet related. She just eats what she wants when she wants. But she never overeats. She stops when she is full.

So we decided we were going to have a Biggest Loser: Roomie Edition and see what would happen. Wednesday was supposed to be our weigh day. I was 208 and she was 147 and about 5'8". I think at one point I had some delusions that I one day could weigh 150lbs. Umm, no freaking way. There is no way my frame could handle that weight. I know women like Diet Coke and Zingers can totally rock the amazing height and lower number, but I am just not sure it is in the cards for me.

***We ended up having to postpone the competition...if you could even call it that...we (she) were (was) only going to watch what we ate for a week.***

So I am back. Back to weight training (squats, dead lifts, pressed) and cardio. Back to monitoring my food intake. Back to gaining muscle. And hopefully back to losing some weight. I mean 208, is just not acceptable.

A Month From Tomorrow...

I WILL BE IN LA attending this concert:


How I manage to swing these things is beyond me.

Have a Cute Day: Election Edition

I voted AND looked cute doing it! Layered t-s, my new favorite necklace, and my new favorite cardigan thing.

I like black a lot.



I also tied the belt thingy from my favorite gap blouse around my waist. The tie part was more on the side and I moved it over so you all could actually see.



I slept in this morning and didn't make it to the gym. Since I left work early to vote and had NO WAIT! (what? what?), I headed to the gym for an hour.

Music Monday

One of my BFF's in LA is a music supervisor and she turned me on to this band Low vs. Diamond. I guess one of the guys from the band was an intern for her boss. Anyway she got me tickets for the show tonight. I need to load this song on my ipod because it is a great workout song. I haven't listened to anything else they have done, so I could hate everything else they do...

On the Road...

Today I ventured from Charleston, WV back to Nashville, TN. I stopped halfway in Lexington, KY and had lunch with Krissie and her husband Nathan and a yummy little place called Ramsey's. Like always, we had a great time. I am lucky that I got to spend Krissie's birthday eve with her. Happy early birthday girl! And Krissie and Nathan are one of the cutest couples ever! Please come to Nashville soon!

Current Music Obsessions

1. Taylor Swift. I am slightly embarrassed about this one. But yeah I am excited for her new album.

2. Panic at the Disco. They were born in the late 80's and make me feel old, but there were such a fund band to see live. Northern Downpour is one of my current favs.

3. Emerson Hart. Oh. My. God. You might remember him from his days as the front man for Tonic. He released an album last year, Cigarettes and Gasoline. I have listened to the entire album at least 10 times at home and numerous times at the gym. My favorites include If You're Gonna Leave, I Wish the Best for You, and Green Hills Race for California. Oh yeah and he lives in Nashville (Even if he lives on the East Side...). Another reason why Nashville Rocks!

I Wish the Best For You:


So what are you listening to????

Cute Day Outfits NOLA Style

So I really need to do a better job of taking full length pictures. I have let you all down. I think my favorite outfit was the one I wore the first day:


Full length:


It was a little colder and overcast during the day, so I kept the jeans on. I was going to switch to leggings later on, but decided not to. Had a navy cashmere sweater I put on a night.

Saturday:
No full body shots...


Umm, my boobs look huge in this picture. I paired the simple t-shirt with an awesome dark denim skirt I got from target and my Teva flip flops. I also am wearing my Prada sunglasses which I LUVR. They have stars on the side and were truly a fashion splurge a few years ago.

Sunday:
No full body shots again...


I wore a black t-shirt with a pink corduroy skirt that I LOVR because the back pockets are in the shape of hearts. I am also wearing one of my new favorite fashion finds a black long cardigan that wraps, but not really and doesn't have any buttons. Rocking the side pony as well...

Monday:
Probably my second favorite outfit...I love this purple blouse. What you can't see is that I had on a thick brown belt around the blouse and dark denim cuffed jeans.



While in NOLA, I definitely paid more attention to what others were wearing. Umm can you say Ed Hardy and running shorts with boots?!? I have decided that having a cute day is not so much about the clothes you wear, but the feeling you get from wearing the clothes. I don't think my outfits were anything spectacular, but I did put some thought into them and I was comfortable wearing them. In the end I think that's all that matters.

Working Out in The Evening

The thing about working out in the evening is there is always the possibility of not doing it. Like skipping to watch TV, eat dinner, with friends, clean, etc. Sure there is that same possibility in the morning, but there are few reason to skip (the main one being more sleep). So this evening I had plans to go to the gym and then I seriously considered not going. Have no fear I am going. I am armed with my iPod, US Weekly, and Breaking Dawn.

So when do you like to work out? Morning or night?

I'm Back!

I am Back and NOLA was awesome.

I ate really well, and by "well" I mean I had a lot of the local specialties.

I saw some good shows.

I had a GREAT time with my friends.

I want to go to back to NOLA ASAP.

A more detailed update to come soon!

But for now a pic of my BFF and I watching Charles Walker and the Dynamites (Charles Walker sat next to my friend Danny on the flight down to NOLA. How cool is that?)

Upcoming Trip and Cute Days

So normally when I pack for a trip I don't put a whole lot of thought into my outfits. However, since launch of Have A Cute a Day I have put a little bit more thought into my outfits (love ya Anna and Kjrsten!). While I can't claim that have all been successes, there have been some good ones. And I was even featured on there site today! So last night I asked my roomie if she was checking a bag or just packing a carry on for our 4 day trip to New Orleans. She said if I checked my bag, she would check hers. I was ecstatic about this because it means I can take lots of clothes and told her I was going to look cute this whole weekend and plan out outfits, because well you never know. I could meet my future rock star husband this weekend ;) So hopefully I will have more success and have a little fun putting some outfits together too.

Oh so that "Sieze the Day" shirt in a size L I bought from J Crew? It fits! I am not even sure why I doubted it would fit or why I seem surprised that it fits, but it does! I plan to rock that this weekend too.

Eating has been great and I went to the gym last night. I am going to the gym again tonight too :)

Have a CUTE day!!!

A Whole Lot of Nothing

My life hasn't been incredibly exciting over the past few days. I did buy a lot of clothes this weekend! And I am starting to eat solid foods again! Yeah!

One exciting thing that happened is I went on a date last night. A third date to be exact. So you know, a third date is kind of a big deal. Especially since up until this point the previous two dates ended with a hug. So yesterday afternoon I was explaining the situation to my BFF in LA. Basically it's the third date and there should be some sort of lip action. Right? Throw in the fact that I just had dental surgery and it gets a little tricky. Also throw in the fact that I really wanted a good make out session and it is really tricky. She said something about needing to make eyes at him. Umm, do women consciously do this? The dinner location was decided on (my bar!) and we had a lovely 2.5 hour dinner of pizza and a beer (or 4). Let me tell you, diet friendly! There was left over pizza, which I made him take. And then I realized he was holding a box of pizza. It was going to be one of us and it was him. If there was going to be any sort of lip action this could get awkward. So we started walking towards my car and we stopped on the sidewalk and were saying goodbyes. He pulled out his phone and was looking at his schedule and said something about going out again when I got back from New Orleans. I am not really sure what else was said, but I could totally tell he was going in for the kiss while holding the pizza box and his phone. Oh yeah and we were on a pretty public street corner and there was a taxi driver within view. SO no makeout session for me, but a nice kiss good night.

Tonight I have a date with the gym.

Little Victories

Not much exciting to report. Mouth is still feeling weird, so no really solid foods for me. I had a dinner of ice cream on Friday (regular size better batter, no mix in). Last night dinner was french onion soup and cauliflower mashed potatoes. I am going to Red Robin for lunch today and I think I will get some fries, but there is no way I can get a burger...

The Matt Nathanson show last night was awesome and it made me realize (again) how much I like him.

Little Victories- Matt Nathanson

This time, I'll be sailing
No more bailing boats for me
I'll be out there on the sea
Just my confidence and me

And I'll be awful sometimes
Weakened to my knees
But I'll learn to get by
On little victories

This time, I'll have no fear
I'll be standing strong and tall
Turn my back towards them all

And I'll be awful sometimes
Weakened to my knees
And I'll learn to get by
On the little victories
And if the world decides to catch up with me
Still little victories

So what are your little victories???

Rainy Days

Today was one of those rainy days you long for to sit around and do nothing. I however did manage to do a few things though. I slept in and threw some clothes on to go sit with my little sistah while she ate lunch. I haven't been able to go the past 2 weeks, so even though I couldn't eat anything, I went. I am glad I went.

I also went to the gym for 50 minutes and worked out on the elliptical. Not the crazy arc trainer, but the plain ol' elliptical with no moving arms. I swung by McDonald's and bought a large diet coke. Next I went to Panera and bought tomato soup and white sourdough bread. I have been CRAVING this stuff. Of course I had to let the bread soak so it was soft enough to eat. Breakfast was 1/2 of a pumpkin skinny chip muffin which I might attempt to make tonight.

By the time I got home, my mouth was in pain and I popped a pain pill. Now, these things make me tired and dizzy, so it was soon nap time for me.

Somewhere in between all of that, I did a little online shopping and picked up this awesome T (and a dress) on sale of course from J Crew:


Hope it fits, because there are no returns on sale items...

Success!

The surgery was a success! They ended up having to do a bone graft above my two front teeth to get some extra bone. From what I understand the bone graft can cause more pain then the surgery itself. I am still a little groggy and ready to take a nap. Yeah for being done! I had some yummy tomato soup from Panera and am pretty much on a liquid soft foods diet for the next few days.

HELP!

If you were going to name a school program that educated students, cooks, parents, etc. about healthier food and actually made it in the school (and you would actually want to come to the school to eat when you had other options), what would you call it?

If I use your suggestion or a variation of your suggestion, I will send a prize. I am not sure yet what it will be, but let's hear your em!

Let Go

So today started out well and got progressively worse. I just let it all out to my mom in the form of bitching and crying to her on the phone. I realize I can bitch about it or actually do something about. I am choosing the later. I just need to figure out what it is I actually want to do.

A few things.
I did not go to the gym today.
I ate brown lunch- fried chicken, french fries, and texas toast for lunch.
Don't even get me started on my job.
All of the sudden I am really nervous about my dental surgery tomorrow.

Some of the better things:
I was having a cute today. I wasn't going to post the picture, but I think I owe it to myself:



I heard Cameron Sinclair speak this evening. I introduced myself to him, he had commented on my facebook status last week and he told me he was hoping he would get to meet me. Here is a guy who is doing something he loves. His passion is evident. I want and need that passion in my life. I heart Cameron and the work he is doing.

Remember the 81 year old lady I had dinner with on Saturday? And drank old fashioneds with? She left me a voice mail to tell me she is thinking about me and hope my surgery goes well tomorrow.

Ok, so while I was talking to my mom she said I need to find 5 things each day that I am thankful/grateful for. I have 3 and now I need to come up with two more...

My mom. I have no clue what I would do without her.

And you all. You guys rock. Thank you for being there and thank you for coming back!

"I wanna let go and know I'll that all be all right, all right." Matt Nathanson how I love you. And a sixth thing I am thankful for: I get to see him on Saturday night!

Cute Day!

I am having a cute day! I am having a cute day! I am having a cute day!

I need to get a co-worker to take a picture.

I went to my football game last night and had a wonderful time. I had not one, but two interceptions! Too bad it is my last game of the season, because I am having surgery tomorrow. Dental surgery. I am getting a dental implant and the doctor suggested I take the rest of the season off. I am also taking two days off from work. From the number of pain meds I was prescribed I am thinking I am going to be in some serious pain. Oh, and I probably won't be able to eat solids for at least a few days.

No gym this morning. I did stop at my favorite coffee shop and buy a bran muffin. They were out of the pumpkin skinny chip muffin :(

Did I mention I look cute? ;)

A Good Thing

The only good thing about today was I made it to the gym. My workout wasn't anything fancy. Arc trainer for 35 minutes and stair climber for 30. I realized how much more I like working out in the morning too.

Work sucked.
Eating was meh.

This website rocks my world. I will be cute one of these days...

I have flag football tonight and I don't want to go...

A friend just texted me that he saw Jack White near his work.

And I really just want to make out with a boy.

Tomorrow can get better right?

Mentors

How many of you actually feel like you have a mentor in your current work situation? You know, someone you can talk to, who has been what you are going through, and someone who generally just wants to see you succeed? I am guessing not very many of us. I think if more of us had mentors we might be happy in our jobs. I know the entertainment and music industry is primarily male dominated, but there are some amazingly successful women out there. Last night I was lucky enough to have dinner with one of them. I met this lady over 5 years ago when she spoke at the Priceless Edge Music Business internship program I won. There were 50 of us eating lunch the day she came a talked to us and she decided to sit by me and one other girl. I am not really sure what we talked about, but that didn't matter, it was that she chose to sit by US. It might have been random or it might have been luck, but she sat by us.

My path has crossed a few times with her in the past 5 years, most recently while I was in LA for a conference. I knew she would be in Nashville for a conference this fall. I e-mailed her and she got right back to me and we set up dinner plans. We had dinner last night and it was one of the best dinners I had in a while. I told her about my longing for a mentor and she was so willing to help me out. She told me I need to get to NYC in November for a conference. And I feel I need to get there too. In fact I have the flier on my desk. She treated me to dinner because she could and she wanted to. We drank old fashioneds. I mean this lady loves Jack Daniels. What's not to like about her. She asked me a bunch of questions and basically I have a lot of work to do on Monday. She could tell I was passionate about my job and the industry. She said she doesn't take everyone out to dinner. She also said she was a firm believer when one door shuts another one opens. She believes in me.

2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate

So I am staff in the building where this debate was held. It seemed like it would never get here and now it is already over. I was charged with helping coordinate volunteers, primarily those in parking lots and those who provided information to others. I pretty much worked for a week straight. It was tiring, but it was also a great experience. My credential allowed me debate hall access so I was able to check things out the day before the debate and saw Tom Brokaw in the flesh.

Tuesday was pretty crazy. To get inside the perimeter I had to go through a metal detector and then to get into the building I had to go through another one. During the morning I was busy dealing with transportation issues, concerning shuttles, volunteers, and airport transports. It rained a lot and while we were prepared, some other groups weren't. I spent some time in the media tent in the afternoon where I met David Axelrod. I had a special assignment that night, since I was the only member of the transportation team with debate hall access I had to escort one of the participants to an alternate form of transportation since he had to get to work immediately after it was over. I was all prepared to sit in a room and watch the debate on TV, but then at the last minute I got a ticket! There were just about 1,000 seats in the arena and they were split between the Republican and Democratic parties and the Commission on Presidential Debates. Belmont ended up getting some tickets from the the CPD and most of them went to students. Some students didn't pick their tickets up and I was a lucky recipient!I would say about 30 staff were able to get in. Lots of celebrities and political big whigs in the house. The debate itself was pretty boring, but it was really cool to see how it was all put together.

If you haven't seen this skit and you watched the debate, it is great. The building in the opening shot is the one I book.


Some pictures:
The Ticket


The Program


The Media bag


Food from the Media bag. I mean this is a weight loss blog, so of course I have to highlight the food


Detail view of snack. Moon Pies = gross


Hatch Show Picture from the Debate




I love posters and LOVR hatch show prints. There is an exhibit at EMP that has just opened that people need to go to if they are in the Seattle area :)

Birthday Recap in Pictures

Dinner on Saturday night with Jenny and Jenn


Trees at Radnor Lake on my morning hike


Roses from my mom, dad, and brother


My birthday "cake"

Welcome!

So I have been getting quite a few hits from this link as of late. I just want to welcome all the new readers! You can find a little bit more about my journey at this post. However, I should probably update as I wrote that almost 4 years ago and quite a lot has changed. I originally had 2 blogs, but I have since combined them into this one. So, you will not only be hearing about my journey on this healthy lifestyle, but you might also get a rant about my job or life or a concert review. FYI, I like music a lot.

So thank for stopping by and I would love to hear from you so leave me a comment. I am always looking for new blogs to read as well!

Huge Update Coming

I am tired.
I am getting sick.

I need to post an update.

Oh.
And I was in the debate hall last night :)

Goals....

Yeah so they didn't happen at all. I ate dessert at lunch AND dinner. But I didn't snack as much as the day before. I did talk smack. In fact I snapped at her. I think she was surprised by that. Also, numerous people have said to me "I am not sure how you have handled her" and "Bless your heart" (in this case, Southern speak for you are putting up with some serious crapola).

Just a few more days.

I am leaving early today to go to the Taylor Swift/Def Leppard Crossroads taping tonight. Hopefully I will last the whole taping. It is standing room only and I have been going non stop since Thursday...

No weigh today. I need to get back to normal on Wednesday...

Goals

The debate is in 3 days and I can't wait until it is over.

My goals for today are to not snack, drink more water, not eat dessert with every meal, and the hard one is to not talk smack about one of the ladies who I am working with over the next few days. This lady has to have her nose in EVERYTHING and has to put her 2 cents in all the time as well. Sooooooooo not my style. I usually do a good job of knowing what is going on, and just know what is going on and let others do their job. She makes it difficult for others to do their job. Oh and I have a higher credential level then her. So there! So yeah, hopefully I will make it through this...

Quick Update

So my eating hasn't been horrible over the past few days, but it hasn't been ideal either. I am not eating unhealthy foods, it's just my portion sizes have increased slightly. Oh and I haven't been to the gym since Monday. Once this Debate is over with I will be back in the gym. I was about to type I would be back in the gym on Wednesday, but then I just looked at my calendar and I am going to the Black Keys show at the Ryman with West Virginia's own Jesco White as one of the opening acts. If you don't know who Jesco White is check out his myspace. You can also find him and his family in all their glory on YouTube. If you don't know who he is and need some entertainment, check him out. Also, maybe you listen to country music, maybe you don't, but Big & Rich have a song called "Coming to Your City". One of the cities they go to is Charleston and they run into Jesco White. That was my contribution to the song, seriously it was :)

So I am back on my Pumpkin Skinny Chip Muffin craze. I think it is the fall weather. Well I really need to try to get in the kitchen and attempt to make them again. The ingredients are: flour, sugar, egg substitute, fat free margarine, pumpkin, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips. It is a really dense muffin, but is SO good warmed up. Any bakers out there want to try to re-create this? I have been trying, and I just don't have it.

Oh, so in my attempt to satisfy my craving I swung by a local coffee shop and I am pretty sure I saw Matt Wertz there.

Hope you all are well!

Birthday Weekend Recap

Friday: I went to an evening reception at my professor/mentor's house to celebrate this accomplishment! A 23rd raking in only 5 years as director of the program is amazing. Note to self: Need to work on "working a room". I really wish I was more charismatic or had more confidence in my networking skillz.

Saturday: I started the morning off splitting a warm pumpkin skinny chip muffin. Then it was flag football practice. Followed by lunch at a sports bar to watch the Ole Miss/Florida game with some friends. I hit the gym after. My parents and brother sent me some gorgeous pink roses for my birthday and they were waiting for me when I got home. Home to get ready for dinner with my current roomie and another old roomie. Had a fabulous pineapple margarita, gauc, and french dip sammie with asparagus instead of fries. They surprised me and got me dessert and sang happy birthday to me. Home to play the we with another friend.

Sunday: Up early to head to the lake. I had an amazing 85 minute walk/hike by myself. Quite peaceful and listened to some DMB and I suddenly remember why I love that band so much. Home to shower and then I hot the mall. Bought about $100 in new clothes at the gap. 1 dress, 5 shirts, and 1 sweater. Mani (signature black of course) and pedi. Then I swung by Las Paletas for one of the best treats ever- a chocolate mint popsicle. Headed to a going away party for a friend and then hit my bar for dinner. Had a great time with my friends and ate too much pizza, well I wasn't feeling sick or anything but it was more than I should have eaten. Only 3 drinks. And no dessert! My friend did get me a cupcake, but I didn't eat it until Monday. It was a great birthday and it is SO hard to believe I am 26.

The Raconteurs at the Ryman was amazing. A very short set though and a pretty diverse crowd. I got the Hatch show after waiting in line for 45+ minutes. Only my second time sitting in the balcony though...I have become quite spoiled by really good floor seats.

Pictures of most events to follow!

Still no update, but things went well yesterday (or at least they seemed to go well) so hopefully I should know by the end of the week.

Monday Weigh

203. I'll take it. That is down 7 lbs since last Monday. Friday I was down to 199, but I ate quite well this weekend including pizza and Jack and Diane's last night.

This morning was my last day of boot camp. I enjoyed it, but my workout needs a change so it is back to the weight room for me.

I will post a birthday update, but probably not until Wednesday. I just don't see getting to it at all tomorrow and tomorrow night is the Raconteurs at the Ryman!

Remember those good thoughts I asked for last Tuesday? Well they worked! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! But I am being greedy here and asking for some more around 10 AM tomorrow. No matter what happens tomorrow I promise to let you all know what has been going on :)

I am off to flag football!

Thursday Recap

So after work I was planning on going to the gym at work. However, due to the debate the gym is closed. So at 5:40 I went back and forth between wanting to workout vs. battling the traffic on the road and at the gym. You will all be happy to know I ended up winning, and went to the gym for an hour where I did the arc trainer :)

Came home and got ready to go out. I had 2 jack and diet cokes. I had the bartender make them tall, so my friends started calling them double diets. I did have some fries last night as well, but nothing horrible. A guy I know is one of the DJ's. I don't know him that well, but I know him enough to know he is pretty cool. I don't think he recognized me at first when he saw me. We chatted for a bit and he said to be sure to say goodbye before I left, if I was leaving early. So when I got up to leave, I looked for him and saw he was outside. I went outside to say goodbye and he seemed really surprised that I came outside to say goodbye to him. We chatted for a few minutes and we might hang out next week. I didn't get home until about 12:30.

I thought since I got home late it would be hard to get up at 4:40. I was able to get out of bed surprisingly easily and hit the gym. Boot camp class for an hour and the arc trainer for 45 minutes. We ran a fair distance about halfway through the class. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others, but I passed not one, but TWO guys and I was the first girl to finish!

In other news, I am still waiting to find out, but keep the good thoughts coming.

Also, I found out yesterday I will be going to Voodoo Fest this year! I am super excited because I will have an ALL ACCESS pass and be able to watch a lot of the shows from the stage :) Plus, I have never been to New Orleans. The plan is to fly in early Friday morning and leave Monday afternoon to spend a little time in the city.

Have a wonderful weekend! I know I will!

Chugging Right Along

Thank you all for the good thoughts. Keep them coming! Hopefully, I will be able to share something with you all early next week.

So points and working out have been going quite splendidly. When I actually watch what I eat, I have realized I can eat a good bit of food and I am not ravenous. I have been eating lots of fruits and veggies!

I saw the Swell Season last night at the Ryman. I love this band, but I didn't think this show was as good as the one I saw in Louisville in May.

I didn't go to the gym this morning...I slept in. So I am going to go after work today. Home to shower. And then to my favorite bar around 10 for Funky Good Time which is this amazing DJ collective who spin old school records from way back, no 80's and 90's here!

Tomorrow night I have a Entrepreneurship Grad School event at my professor/mentor's house. I am taking his son as my guest. How funny is that? There is supposed to be some big announcement. It should be a good time. Oh, did I mention that the case I helped write this past spring is finished and being used in the classroom and was submitted for award consideration!?!? Oh yeah, it is.

Saturday I plan on being a primarily lazy day. Flag football practice in the morning. Possibly going to the gym.

Sunday I want to get up early and go for a walk at the lake. I want to eat breakfast at my favorite breakfast place (possibly alone). I want to get a manicure and a pedicure. I want to go to the gym. Pizza and beers with my friends in the evening. I think that sounds like a good day to me!

Good Thoughts!

If there ever was a day that I needed them, it is today! Specifically around 11:30 AM cst. So remember that change I was taking about? Hmm, I don't recall if I mentioned it here. Well, things are slowly coming together. Sorry for being so vague, I just don't want to jinx things!

Yesterday was a great day. I stayed within my point total and had no crazy snacking. My football game was supposed to start at 9:30 and didn't start until 10. We had a horrible loss, the mercy rule went into affect...I had to take my friend home because he had no gas (have you heard? There has been a gas shortage in Nashville). So I didn't get home until 11:30 or so. No gym for me this morning, I was just too tired. I will be going this evening though.

Remember, good thoughts! :)

Monday Weigh

For various reasons yesterday was slightly difficult. I didn't do much and I didn't feel like doing much either. I did watch the Biggest Loser: Families. One thing I noticed right off the bat was that all of the families selected were from the Easter half of the United States. Hmmm, I know people applied from all over the US, but I think it is pretty representative of the US when you look at which states are the healthiest.

Anyway I didn't go to the gym yesterday, but I ate reasonable well with no overdoing it on the snacking. My dinner was slightly higher in points than I would have liked, but it was not bad by any means.

So this morning at my boot camp class I gave it my all. I was running hard and doing the exercises. I realized that over the past few months I have lost my intensity at the gym. While I have been going pretty consistently I have definitely been slacking. After class I went into the gym and got on the arc trainer for 45 minutes and finished up with stretching.

My weight this week: 210

My goals for this week are to bring my lunch every day this week and eat healthy dinners at home.

Flag football game tonight!

So I missed the sign up for Biggest Loser: Blog Edition, but I am so excited to watch everyones progress as well as keep up with my own personal goals. I have never been one to do well at online weight loss challenges with others, so maybe this is for the best.

In other news I turn 26 a week from today. As it was pointed out to me by two recently turned 18 girls who were still seniors in high school one of whom was dating a 27 year old guy. 27 is old and well I will be one year away from 27, so I guess that means I am getting older ;)

I would not classify 25 as one of my better years, but it has certainly been an enjoyable year in which I learned a lot about myself. I have been able to travel a lot, enjoy music, spend time with great family and friends, and work on being a better person. I accomplished a lot and for that I am grateful. I still have confidence issues, but I think the confidence I gained this year has been one of my main accomplishments.

I am excited to see what the next year has in store for me!

I Still Hurt

Yes, my muscles are still sore from my 5 AM workout that was on MONDAY morning. I told one of the trainers there was a nice place for him and he just smiled back and asked where. I even got a little snarky with him when we were doing an exercise too. That is so not me. I was just hurting from my waist down. I will probably be hurting from the waist up because we did arms today. Oh joy.

I did pretty well eating yesterday. My only slip up was the second serving (or 2) of Doritos I had last night when I should have just gone to bed.

Oh and my but and thighs hurt so bad I thought I was going to throw up at work yesterday. Pleasant I know ;)

I Didn't Say it Was Going to be Easy...

or that I was going to be perfect either about this whole getting back on track thing.

My workout yesterday was really hard, it wasn't just in my head. I was pretty sore all afternoon (I am usually not sore until the next day). I feel even more sore today.

Last night Mexican food was my downfall. I ate TOO many chips, taco, burrito, and some rice and beans. No alcohol! It could have been worse. We lost our football game, but it was a great showing by our team.

I went to bed late last night. When the alarm went off at 4:30 I did not want to get up. I seriously considered skipping the gym. I finally got out of bed around 4:45 and was at the gym just after 5. I hopped on my beloved arctrainer and read New Moon. I am almost done :) Then I got on the treadmill for about 40 minutes and upped my speed to 3.5 mph. I had slipped into a habit of a leisurely walk at 3.0 mph and I know I can do better than that. Stretched for a good 20 minutes.

I have got my lunch in the fridge at work and I am going to make something healthy for dinner.

Have a great Tuesday!

The Details

I weighed this morning... 213.

Wow. I knew it would be above 200, but I assumed it would be in the 205-210 range.

I have got my work cut out for me.

By the way, my workout this morning was crazy hard. I wonder if it was actually harder, or if my mind just thought it was harder because I weighed before working out??

So I am going to start journal my points again and write down how much I exercise.

This week like all weeks is going to be challenging. Here are the activities I have this week:

Monday: Flag Football Doubleheader with happy hour prior to the games (we have to play 2 games tonight) at a Mexican restaurant.

Tuesday: No activities! Yeah!...strike that, I just remembered I am meeting a guy for a drink.

Wednesday: Lunch with an old co-worker at Olive Garden (not my choice, I think the last time I went there was when I was a freshman in college which was almost 8 years ago). Dinner with a friend who is moving to Seattle in a month. I am slightly jealous. It is restaurant week here in Nashville and I am at eating at one of my favorite places in town, Jackson's. They have specials this week. I am not quite sure what I will be getting, but I know it will be good.

Thursday: Lunch with my little sister. I am bringing my lunch, because the state of school lunches is pretty pitiful. I am speaking at a grad school panel in the evening and there will be appetizers. But I don't need to eat any because I will be going out on a date at a TBD location after.

Friday: Plans TBD

Saturday: Plans TBD

Happy Monday!

Getting Back on Track

Slightly nervous about my weigh tomorrow considering it has almost been a month since I last weighed.

Somehow I don't think the 1.5 bottles of wine I drank on Friday, 3 beers, and 2 jager shots are helping my cause here. Also, the pizza, oatmeal cookies bars, and chips weren't the best choices after all. I tried to justify it by saying I don't normally drink that much and then I remembered Louisville where I drank A LOT and that was just about a month ago.

I did go to the gym yesterday (I thought I was going to die). Today however, the gym wasn't so bad. I also had flag football practice this afternoon. I hate the fact that this one guy assumes that since I am tall I am going to be good. So what, maybe I can catch the ball. But this is one sport I don't really know much about. Plus, I want it to be fun and the last thing I need is pressure.

Maybe my mom was right when she told me I just needed to stop drinking and I would probably lose all the weight I wanted to. But seriously, what's the fun in that?

Facebook and Myspace

I have both a Facebook and a Myspace account. These social networks keep me in touch with close friends who I would have normally kept in touch with either through social events, work, DMB, blogs, etc., but the other people just sort of collect.

In October of 2006 I had a huge falling out with a friend. It was horrible. I was crying (remember I don't like to cry). And I was just made to feel really crappy. I haven't talked to her on the phone or in person since that the weekend This person is still one of my myspace friends, but she recently joined facebook and added me as a friend as well as a slew of other mutual friends. I haven't added her yet. Yeah it's been almost 2 years later and I still am hurt over the whole thing.

What am I doing?

What am I doing is a great question. I haven't really been paying attention to my food AND I didn't make it to the gym this morning. I also haven't weighed myself in over 2 weeks. The good news is my clothes still fit with no noticeable change. The bad news, I can't fit into my dark rinse jeans that are hott (it's been since before my LA trip that I have worn them). I also had a dream (err nightmare) last night that I woke up and had gained like 30 lbs and it was completely noticeable in my face.

So with all that going on, what am I doing tomorrow night? I am going to a wine tasting class and then I am going to a party with an open bar from 9 PM- 2 AM. Tickets were $30 and it is for all of Nashville's young music business professionals. The party could completely blow. If that is the case, it is at my favorite bar and I will be the drunk in the corner having a great time with my friends.

Why Not Go All The Way?

Friday's workout worked me a lot hard than I initially thought. I was sore for 2 days after. Usually I am just sore, if at all, for one day. I took Saturday off and ate like crap. Hello donuts, chicken tenders AND fries, mexican food, and beer, oh my!

Sunday I got up early to go hiking with a friend. We headed about 1 hour and 40 minutes east of Nashville to Virgin Falls. A 12 mile strenuous jaunt in the woods. We got off the trail a few times, it wasn't blazed very well. I saw some cool waterfalls and have the pictures to prove them. I was beat and pretty hungry by the time I got home.

I woke up the morning not too incredibly sore, but worried how I would be able to handle class this morning. It wasn't too bad, I went at my own speed. My own speed happen to leave me at a station by myself with one of the trainers. He asked me if I was sore because two others complained that they had not been this sore in a while. I told him I was, but I had also gone on a 12 mile hike yesterday. We had a conversation that went a little bit like this:
Trainer: "You are really improving your endurance and getting in shape."
Me "Yes, but I am not really losing weight."

He then asked me the dreaded food question
Trainer: "well are you eating well?"
Me: it was at this point I stumble and just sort of grumbled
Trainer: "See you are already paying for this class, why not just go all the way and do them both?"

It was at that point that I stopped dead in my V Ups and thought "Why not go all the way? What am I waiting for?"

What are you waiting for?

Purses Rock!

So I finally made the switch to my new purse last night. Technically I should have wait until the 28th, since it was a birthday present. But, I wanted to look stylish for a date last night and I am retiring my Coach bag and giving it to my nail lady who loves it.

Here it is:


But I got it in black patent leather and I am in LUVR. So I could have had a new dresser from Ikea or the purse...I chose the purse :) A big thank you to my mom who bought me the purse when I was in Seattle. She has fabulous taste! She originally wanted to get this purse when we were in Minneapolis, but decided against it. In the meantime I decided I really wanted it :)

Since this is somewhat of a weight loss blog, let me talk about boot camp this morning. First of all the class was HUGE. I was again split into the more "advance" group. We ran A LOT all while caring a 6.5 pound medicine ball. I never thought 6.5 pounds could be so heavy (added motivation when thinking about carrying those 6.5 pounds around on my actual body as fat).

Boot camp guy who wore a "Boot Camp" t-shirt made me laugh. He was trying to keep up with the younger guys and thus he skimped on his own workout. Oh and I lapped him...TWICE!

Date tonight with the guy I really like and went out with last week! Yeah!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Humidity please go away

Today was the first day of training for my 5k. I was split into the more experienced group. Ha! It was also ridiculously humid at 5 AM. The exercises they had us doing weren't anything unbearable, it was just the humidity. Oh. My. God. The humidity. My entire shirt was drenched in sweat. Fall hurry, please get here ASAP.

Yesterday I went out to lunch with my co-workers. I vetoed Mexican flat out. I said I wouldn't go and just stay and eat my salad. It's not that I don't have any self control, it's just I feel sick every time I eat there. So we went to a chicken place instead. I got a salad with grilled chicken. The waitress even commented that I was being "good". Later in the afternoon a co-worker came into my office and cried. She has gained 50 lbs in the past 7 years. She used to be a college athlete, but doesn't exercise and eats crap now. I offered suggestions and support for like the gazillionth time, but I have a feeling it is going to be like all the other times. I am not sure, but something just has to click to make conscious change about diet and exercise. It all clicked for me (but I occasionally still stumble). Weighing 303 at age 21 certainly got me going.

Did any of you guys have an ah ha moment where everything just clicked?

LeRoi Moore Article

Here is a link to the article about LeRoi Moore: "'Tortured,' shining Moore remembered by Dave"

Things To Be Happy About

I am wearing a size 10 Michael Kors white (who says you can't wear white after Labor Day?) eyelet dress that cost me (well my mom) $29.

Networking.

Good early morning workouts.

Training for a 5k. What me? I think I found the perfect first 5k to run: The Christie Cookie 5k. A race that gives away cookies for each kilometer? Sign me up!

A date with a cute boy that could possibly turn into a second date. And having the confidence that if there is no second date I will be ok.

Taylor Swift and Panic at The Disco. I became hooked this weekend.

Wheel--> I Haven't Found What I am Looking For-->Wheel. I have been chasing this song for a while. FINALLY I heard it live on Friday with a 2+ hour show to boot.

Party Planning. Mexican Fiesta in a few weeks at my new place!

Happy Tuesday!

A lot of you know that I am a big Dave Matthews Band fan. I went to my first show in 1996 and have been listening to them since 1995. That's 13 years, half of my adult life. Besides parents and a few close friends, that is one of the longest relationships I've had. I have always had a love of music, but this band has helped me to really appreciate music. I think I probably would not be living and working where I do now if it wasn't because of them. I also have made some amazing friends over the years by attending shows. While I don't know or even pretend to know the band personally, the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore has been shocking.

It wasn't until a few minutes ago, while reading an article about his funeral that took place this week, that I realized he was really gone. I would never see the Dave Matthews Band that has been a part of my life for the past 13 years again. Sure I will see them, but it won't be the same. I am not saying I won't enjoy it, it will just be different.

I have always sort of liked Roi because he played the flute (I played for 3 years in jr. high) and the saxophone among other instruments. But he was also a larger man and for 8 of those 13 years I was large too. I know this might seem like a weird reason to like someone, but for me it symbolized he was like me.

At LeRoi's funeral Dave Matthews said "Roi loved people, but he had the hardest time loving himself, and that was the most difficult thing about being his friend for me, watching him torture himself."

I love people, but I will admit I have a hard time loving myself. I am working on it though. I don't want to torture myself with what I can and can't eat, with my stomach rolls, or worrying if I have exercised enough anymore. I just want to live and love as best as I can.

Recovering Fat Girl

Sometimes I think I will always binge/overeat every once in a while. However, my binge could also be seen as slightly larger than a snack or maybe a large meal out of junk food? Maybe I am just trying to justify what I just ate. Anyway, I just ate some plain and peanut M&M's, and some dry roasted peanuts, because obviously the peanuts in the M&M's weren't enough for me. (oh and I forgot about the mini almond joy! mmmmm coconutty goodness)

What I am now calling a binge is not what I would have called a binge in the past. In the past I would have kept going back for more, unable to stop or realize that I was making myself sick. Also, I didn't even touch all the other crap that was back there which included Krispy Kreme donuts, cinnamon rolls, M&M cookies, chex mix, chips, twinkies, rice krispie treats, and brownies. So that's good, right?

So my eating habits have changed drastically, but man oh man is some of that stuff hard to resist.

Yummy Dinner

I just had a great dinner. I have no clue how many calories or fat grams or carbs were in it and I am ok with that. I had chicken satay with a peanut dipping sauce over a bed of spicy coleslaw, sweet potato fries with wasabi mayonnaise, and wasabi peas. Oh. My. God. Thank goodness I haven't actually realized how good this place was until now. It is literally a 2 minute walk from my office. Thankfully it is a little pricey. While the food is great, my pocket book needs to stay in check.

Weekend Recap

I went to the ATL this weekend. I left Nashville around 6:30 and stopped in Murfreesboro for dinner at Red Robin. Made it to ATL around 12:30 AM. My friend and I also stopped just outside of Chattanooga to go to the bathroom and to get a soda. Despite the time the Wendy's was crowded. Some backwoods church group was dining in. I know they were backwoods because I later looked up the name of the city that was on their church bus, just to figure out where they were from. They were all dressed so strangely (really conservative, like I wouldn't even know where to buy the clothes they had). I said something about how they were dressed to my friend and she pointed out that they probably were saying the same about me. I was showing my knees even though my skirt was long and I had a top on that would be a dress on most, but is too short so I wear it as a long top. It's been a while since I have seen people like that...I almost felt like I was home in WV.

Anyway, on Saturday we got up early and headed to IKEA. I stayed within my created budget (yeah!!!!) and got some really great things for the place. Once I get it all together I will take pictures. After Ikea, lunch at Chipotle. Chicken burrito salad with no rice or chips for me! Headed to Trader Joes to pick up snack items for the dinner we took to Chastain: red wine, french bread, brie, cheddar cheese, salami, almonds, crasins, rasberries, cherries, and blueberries. Yummy! I ate everything but the bread! Why you might ask? I am trying really hard to limit my flour and processed sugar intake. I know there is sugar in the crasins and other stuff I eat, but baby steps here folks and moderation.

I have been eating like that since I got back from Seattle. Last Tuesday I was at 205 and today I was at 196. I know some of that was water weight. Hello cankles from flying. They were horrible! I haven't been snacking as much either. I only went to the gym twice last week, and mainly tried to focus on my eating.

So back to the ATL, the show at Chastain was awesome. It did rain slightly, but thank goodness for rain jackets!. The next morning I slept in and finished Twilight. I have the other books ordered and can't wait to start them. Hit the road around 11:30 and stopped at Panera for lunch. Back in Nashville by about 2:30.

This week has just booked up. I have some activity every night this week. I work a half day on Friday and then it is off to ATL again to see John Mayer!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Trying to Catch Up

I feel so far behind I am not even sure where to start.

Seattle (Olympia) was amazing and everything I hoped it would be. All caution (except for the Chipotle burrito I shared with my mom and the 2 mornings I had oatmeal) was thrown to the wind in regards to food. Hello, rhubarb crisp AND pie, fresh strawberry shortcake, fresh raspberries, smores!, and loads more I can't remember. I did however exercise 5 times while I was there. Nothing crazy like more normal gym routines, but the fact that I exercised is accomplishment enough. I ran over 3 miles on 4 days and walked the 3 miles one of the other days. There is a 3+ mile loop around where I was staying so it was easy just to run that. I ran it in about 27 minutes.

The wedding was on Saturday, the hottest day of course during my entire trip. The dress fit! I think the zipper and cut of the dress just made it tricky to zip because another bridesmaid had a problem as well. The wedding was wonderful.

I am so torn between Nashville and Seattle and my job and my friends. How can I live in both places?? I seriously need to figure some things out.

It's not hard to run, when this is your view for part of the run:


My cousin Diane's daughter Aurora. She is super sweet and I threatened to take her home with me. I have a standing invitation to Portland to visit. I need to save up some vacation days!


My cousin Nicole and I at the Capitol. I can't wait to see the professional pictures. I am not crazy about my smile in this pic, but you get a better idea of the dress.



Crazy busy week. Bruce Springsteen concert Thursday night and I am heading to the ATL to see Sister Hazel and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Chastain on Saturday!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Literally. My flight is about to board to ATL where I will get my connection to Seattle. Yeah!

I went out last night and got 3 hours of sleep. Yeah for fun! Boo for having to get up at 3:30 AM. Good thing I don't have a problem sleeping on planes.

I know I said I would update and I have started, but I just haven't finished the post...

Boot Core and Humidity

I am working on the LA update. It's going to be huge.

But in the mean time I am still doing my boot core classes at 5 AM (had a 1.5 week hiatus due to travel). I have been trying to step up my intensity in class and my individual workouts and make wise eating choices in an effort to make sure my bridesmaid dress fits. I tried it on on Sunday for good measure and it fits, but it is a tight squeeze...I don't want another incident a la the spring wedding I attended in 2007 with my mom and she was telling me to suck it in so my dress would zip. Did you know that ribs are really, really hard to suck in? I might even say impossible.

So yeah, boot core class outside at 5 AM in 80 degree humidity. It is intense. Especially with lots of running. One girl threw up on Friday and I wasn't there to witness it. I will say that I am becoming quite the runner (even though I still hate it). I am not huffing and puffing like some of the new young guys in my class. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others, but the fact that I am in better cardiovascular shape than 2 of the guys in my class brings me the tiniest bit of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Humidity please go away. Seattle on Saturday. Please get here soon! I can't wait to be back in the Pacific Northwest.

Where Will I Be on Saturday?

Major update will be coming later today, but since I am having trouble focusing at work, I thought I would take a break and let you all know that I am super excited for this:



Oh KEXP, how I love thee. I am SO excited to see The Helio Sequence. I am also excited that I get to hang out with my long time friend and fellow blogger Alethea at this show!

P.S. I just ate a small piece of cheesecake and it was definitely worth every calorie.

Quick LA Recap

I totally ate my heart out while I was in LA. I only drank one night, so that's progress. I think one of my favorite meals had to be in Malibu on the water: Fish and Chips, clam chowder, and warm sourdough bread. I got back late Sunday night so I missed the earthquake. One night I got 2 hours of sleep and then had to sit through my conference, talk about a long morning. I got to hang out with some great friends and have lots of laughs. Hopefully I can offer a more detailed run down this weekend. LA I heart you, but I can definitely do without the traffic!

I am off to Louisville tomorrow for 2 nights and to see DMB!

I went on a date last night with a guy I really like. Like I really like him. I was really nervous. Anyway, I think we are going to hang out later this week, but we both are pretty busy... when we parted ways he kissed me on the cheek and talked about planning something for later this week. He called me right after we left to tell me something, so I am taking that as a good sign and then we exchanged a few text messages later that night. Again, I am sorry for the quick overview, hopefully I will have more time to explain it all this weekend.

Tonight I am going to the She and Him show. I am not terribly excited about it, as I have happy hour/dinner obligations beforehand. Plus it is going to be HOT at the venue. Like unbearably hot. Summers in the South are not fun and summer is in full swing.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip:

Not Looking for Sympathy

Ugh. It's been an interesting week. I am chalking it up to the stress of moving/money and impending TOM. So with that being said I haven't exercised regularly since last Friday. I have been to the gym once this week and didn't make it to my class on Monday or today.

So, with that being said I am at a complete loss of what I want to do with my life. I think this happens about every 2 months.

As hard as I try, I still have body image issues.

I LOVR beer and bought a 6 pack of Birra Moretti this week. I miss Italy too.

I don't know if I am cut out for a desk job anymore, or at least the one I have.

I am going to LA this evening. Be back Monday!

PS I am the WORST speller ever!