I SURVIVED!

I did it!  I really did it! 

And I'm beat!  I had hopes to make it out tonight for a co-worker who is having some people over but my body is physically and mentally exhausted and I'm opting out and heading to bed for a good night's sleep instead.  I work in the morning so I really think it's what is best for all involved parties (mostly me but also all of my co-workers who have to deal with me tomorrow). ;)

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and I'll try to fill you in tomorrow! G'night!

Today is the day!

Well everyone, today is the day, the day of officially moving!  I decided to forego a truck and stuck with a Cargo van instead as I feel more comfortable driving that and hope it will save some of the moving stresses that come up.  Though while maintaining relatively calm on the outside my insides are twisting and turning with all sorts of nervous energy.

I have 2 friends helping me, Blayne and Heather, the others who said they would help are either working or on their way out of town.  Just my luck, huh?  But either way, I’ll be walking to get the truck around 10, driving it back to my apartment and then moving will begin.  It’s a Saturday, I booked last minute and apparently truck rental places want to work super short hours making you rush to move so I’ll have to drop it back off by 2!  Good thing I’ve been moving so much on my own via my car!  (And I’ll be back for the last bits with my car because I ran out of boxes...oops!)

Anyway, if I can and I’m not super busy unpacking, sleeping from exhaustion or just too lazy from the day, I’ll give you and update on how it went later.

For now - wish me luck!

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Fitness Friday - That's a Wrap!

Well another challenge has come to a close and I must deem it a success!

The challenge I just finished up was due to a collaboration between Apple and Nike to promote health and fitness within the company.  I did it last year and I was thrilled when it came back again this year.  Over the last 6 weeks, I challenged myself to run (or walk - but I wanted to run) 75 miles.  I finished with 78.76 miles and #34 in the LA market!  I was afraid for a bit that I wasn’t going to meet my goal but thanks to my run on Saturday, I smashed it!

Speaking of my run on Saturday....I ran 6.5 miles! Say WHAT?!  And the craziest thing was that I felt like I could keep going and only stopped because my Nike+ kept telling me I was over an hour and so I figured I should stop.  My body felt great when I finished, I wasn’t super sore the next day but whew, that evening I crashed and crashed quickly!  Needless to say, it was a great run and a great way to end the 2011 Cardio Challenge!

I think I’m good on the challenges for the time being.  I would like to now spend my time working on the best balance of running, lifting, yoga, biking and other forms of cardio/exercise.  All of the challenges have been fun and lead to great benefits but it’s time to just get in my own groove incorporating all of my favorite things!

Times are a changin

Sometimes working around technology all the time can be dangerous.  It makes you want the most up-to date technology all the time, whether that be software or hardware.  Basically, it makes you always want the best, whenever you can get your hands on it.  For me, this includes blogging.

I knew coming into it that Blogger would probably only be a temporary platform for me to host Talk Less, Say More but I didn’t expect to feel like I was growing out of it so soon.  It’s been good to me but at the same time, I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things.  And I’m ready to have more control over the look and feel of my blog, as well as it’s functionality.  I want there to be more pages and features.  I want there to be more commenting options (and for my poor mom to actually be able to comment when she wants - I still have yet to figure out why Blogger won’t let her suddenly when my preferences show that anyone can).  I want to reply to your comments on occasion (I don’t think Blogger can do this?).  I want to make my blog be a complete reflection of me - not just through my words but through the look and feel.  I want complete control.

I know I have numerous options with Blogger and maybe I’m not playing around enough.  And maybe everything that I want is too much for my blog right now and that’s okay but I want to feel like I’m taking a step in the right direction to achieving that complete (or nearly complete) control.  

So with that, I welcome your thoughts, opinions and advice for a new platform?  I also welcome your experience if you’ve found a way to achieve all of these things (and more!) in Blogger that I have yet to.  Be ready for change everyone!

...speaking of change - I changed the background on my Gmail account to trees and the green-nature just brings a smile to my face.  It’s the little things people...

Foodie for a Day - Farmer's Market!

Better late than never, right?

It’s been a crazy day!  After a crazy busy (but still good) day at work, I hurried home and more moving work immediately ensued.  I had a few minutes before Heather joined me, so I started calling Time Warner, the Gas Co, and the electric company.  All that is done - phew! (And I get to ignore the two bills that showed up this week - yes!)  After that was done, Heather and I took over packing!  Heather started tackling my “odds and ends” then began taking over the kitchen, while I finished up my dresser and then joined her.  We packed until I was out of boxes and it was after 7 so we packed up my car with as much as could fit and moved things into the new apartment!

Then we stopped at the grocery store, jump started Blayne’s old car and made dinner.  Well, Heather made dinner.  And a delicious one at that.  And now that I think about it, I should have taken photos and used her yummy Honey Dijon Salmon w/ Asparagus for this post, but alas, I didn’t.  But it was very delicious!!

Anyway, I live in LA and one of the greatest things about SoCal are the year-round amazing Farmer’s Markets.  One of my favorite things about Wednesdays is that 1- I generally don’t have to work (though I did today) 2- Wednesday Wellness flow w/ Gigi Yogini at The Yoga Collective 3- Shopping the Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market either before or after my yoga class.  The fresh fruits and veggies catch your attention because the colors are so bright and the aromas so enticing!  The colors are also outstanding and my iPhone 3GS camera does no justice, but I thought I’d just share some photos of the Farmer’s Market today.

the hustle and bustle and apparently my finger also made the shot...oops!

Mmmm...

My orange guy...yes, I have an orange guy! (Though I saw some that looked better the other day for cheaper so I may switch orange guys...shh!)

Herbs and mini veggie plants.  I would like to hit this up and start a veggie/herb garden on my new patio!

yum yum! green bean heaven!

...now I just need to work on my “meal planning” so I can stop wandering aimlessly around the Farmer’s Market passing up a lot of the delicious produce only because I don’t know if I would eat it before it went bad.  I’m working on this one. :)

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Holidays in LA just never feel the same, especially since my family likes to gather everyone together for every holiday.  Plus when you add in the lack of weather changing in LA, holidays never seem like they’re falling when you expect them.  But despite that, I do my best to try and make each holiday count and mean something (when I can).

The 4th of July I know, usually takes place the day before the 4th or whenever my town would decide to have the parade and fireworks.  My entire extended family + some family friends would gather at my Grandma and Uncle’s house to watch the parade (it went right past their house) and then we would have a big picnic in the backyard once it ended.  This is a major tradition in my family that’s been going on longer than I’ve been alive (I think).  But it’s fun and brings back great memories!

This year the 4th meant working from 8-5, having my lunch on the bluffs overlooking the ocean and then coming home.  Not really sure if I’ll do anything with my evening except pack up some stuff and study.

I’m currently enjoying an Illuminations Fireworks show from Epcot that was posted on Youtube to get in my fulfillment of holiday fireworks.  And just in case anyone else out there didn’t get their yearly dose, I’m going to share it with you as well.

Happy 4th everyone!

Things are moving

Or more like I am.  My apartment + my body!

I will be hitting the hay probably earlier than I should admit tonight, but I’m tired and so are my feets! (I think I need a new pair of shoes to throw into my regular rotation but those cost money, so my feet will continue to hate me.)

The apartment move is going well so far but I am quickly approaching the time when I need to pick a date to move the furniture and rally my friends for their help and support.  That’s generally the day I dread and stress over, so for now, moving everything else slowly and by myself is working just fine.

Anyway, more music I’m loving right now: Adele’s new album, 21.  Here’s a fun video of “Someone Like You” and boy can I relate..