Energy. And Lack Thereof.

Today I learned a valuable lesson: no Shredding before coffee.  Actually, that should be no anything before coffee.

I'm committed to getting this 30 Day Shred done in a reasonable amount of time (roughly 34 days, as I'm taking Thursdays off).  For the past three weeks, I've kept my date with Jillian Michaels every single day except Thursdays.  Today is Level 2, Day 8 . . . two more days of this and onto the last 10 days.  The home stretch is calling!  


On Tuesdays I can go into work a little bit late, because I don't have a morning class.  I slept in a little bit today and then tried to hop right out of bed and into the Shred . . . and I just couldn't.  I got a little bit into circuit one and I turned it off.  Couldn't do it!  I thought, "I'm going to do this tonight when I get home, when I'll have so much more energy."  And it's true, I will.  I'm such a night person.  And by then I will have had my coffee.


So instead, I put on my work clothes and made a Berry Green Monster smoothie.  I think this is a much better choice.  I'll tackle Jillian tonight, cause who can look at this face before having at least had a cup of coffee?

"Don't phone it in!"

I think it's also the time of year.  May is rough for teachers.  Not to sound all "woe is me," but damn, it's when everything is culminating, and seniors are on the verge of failing and there isn't much more you can do, and final exams are within our reach, and there's the rush of semester grades due, plus packing up our offices/classrooms . . . it's exhausting.  Visions of lying on a beach with a (30 Day) shredded tummy enchant me. ;)

If you have energy secrets, tell me.  I'll take anything I can get!  

p.s. you should see what I'm wearing.  It's hilarious.  Clearly my fatigue has spread to my fashion sense, as well.  My current philosophy: grab from the top of the clean laundry pile & go! Hopefully no one will notice my polka dotted skirt, floral tank top, and cardigan with holes in it.  Ha!

Wine & Love!

I'm not one for excessive linkups but this one was too hard to pass up.  I spotted it today on my friend Meredith's blog, Thank You Ma'am (do you read her blog?  If not, you should hop on over there and follow her.  We were paired as swap partners and now her blog is one of my favorites.  She's finishing law school and getting married all in the next four months, and she's a southern girl, too!).  So link up with Nora if you want to play along and tell us what has you reachin' for the wine bottle & what you're loving!

from / I really want a set of the glasses on the right--pretty!

What's Got Me Reachin' for the Bottle:

*The punk kid who said "that's hella gay" in my 2nd period class and then when I reprimanded him, replied "you're hella f---ed up."  Level 3 referral before I'm done with coffee = no good.

*Final exams for seniors next week.  I haven't written my finals.  That's all.

*Needing a job and a roommate by July 1st.  Just a lil too much pressure for this girl.  Ohhhhh Saturn Returns, you're killin' me.  

*My apartment looks like it has been ransacked by burglars (incidentally, "burglar" is one of the funniest words in the English language).

*Jillian Michaels and Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred.  And every time she says "Don't phone it in."

*My mama's turning 50 in a couple weeks and she lives all the way across the country.  Would that I had the time (off) and money to go home to Georgia and celebrate with her!

from Philip Hazard

What I'm Loving:

*Balboa's graduation is May 26th.  The freedom of summer is a'callin.

*Summer, my cousin Jennifer, Micaela, Marianne, and Jessie are all coming to visit in the next month and a half!

*I recently got a necklace in the mail from a Love & Victory giveaway that I won on Cup of Jo!  Can you believe I won a Cup of Jo giveaway??  It's basically impossible!  This is the necklace:

(it's the LOVE one.  Thank you Love & Victory and Joanna!)

*Speaking of giveaways, I am loving Bianca of justbedesigns and the giveaway she is sponsoring on my blog!  If you haven't entered yet, please do so here.  The choices are incredible!

*The show Parenthood.  I'm totally hooked.  Have any of you seen it?

Let me know if you link up so I can check out your post.  In any case, I hope your "loving" list is longer than your "reaching for the wine bottle" list!  Happy almost-Friday. :)

Lend me your brains and your recipes

So, I've been on an eating healthy kick ever since bathing suits started appearing in stores (and Cadbury eggs disappeared).  Fortunately, I like healthy food (I've been a vegetarian for 15 years and I do love veggies), but I also love bread/pasta/chocolate/cheese/butter/etc.  Lately, I've been keepin' it clean, although I'm getting bored with what I'm eating!

Today's lunch (I'm eating it right now!):

mixed veggies & quinoa with Bragg's aminos

Here are some other things I've been eating lately:

kale chips! (kale, olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, s&p, bake 20 mins)

low carb tortilla, one Morningstar black bean patty (crumbled), 

reduced fat cheddar, Greek yogurt, hot sauce

my new favorite thing: Quorn garlic & herb cutlet

plus broccoli and quinoa with Bragg's aminos

roasted yukon gold potatoes, baby carrots, and onions

(pre-oven here; I bake at 400 for about an hour and 15 mins)

There's an emphasis on quinoa because it is a complete protein (supplies all 9 essential amino acids), which is particularly good for those of us who don't eat meat.  I've also been eating sliced apples, cheese sticks, and trying to stomach eggs (though honestly, I think they're gross).  

And by the way, all the blogger hype about the My Fitness Pal app is totally merited.  That thing is amazing and has totally kept me on track for a week now!  It's free (!!), and it allows you to enter everything you eat (it knows 'em all and can tell you the calories, etc.), how much water you drink, which types of exercise you do/how much, etc.  I love it.

So here's where you come in: I need more healthy food ideas!  I'm getting bored with my routines and I think the key to being successful with this is shaking it up some.  I can modify almost any chicken recipe (using my beloved Quorn "chicken").  Help!  Tell me what you eat when you're being good!

Maybe if we share tips we can all look like this by summer:

Right??? :)

Sorry but I'm not in love.

It's Friday and I'm grateful that it's Friday but other than that, not in love!  Mostly because of the atrocity that happened on American Idol last night.  Lord knows I get too invested in these things, but WTF is wrong with the American public?  Casey Abrams has more talent in his pinky finger than any of those fools combined.  He is musically brilliant--knows music history, technique, and can play multiple instruments.  He chooses quality songs and does magical things with his voice.  I'm pissed at all the voting tweens!

from

Maybe I won't miss you as much as the girl on the right will, but I sure am sad!

Poor Jessie had to endure my late-night foul-mouth texts after Casey got kicked off.  Not sure I got them all out.  There may be more coming.

*Also annoyed that my rent's going up $100/month.

*Also annoyed about the monster headache that has invaded my dome.

*Also annoyed that I'm trying to do the 30 Day Shred daily, but yesterday I worked ALL DANG DAY and was gone from 7:20 am till 11 pm and ladies & gents, it just didn't happen.

*Also annoyed that I'm in this mood and bein' all !@#%!y because I like my usual cheerful self better.

Sooooooo . . . cheer me up?  Tell me a joke?  Send me a picture of a cute celebrity baby or a smokin' hot athlete?  I'm just sayin, it might help. ;)

A Slow Weekend is Good for the Soul

It's quite rare that I get to enjoy a laid-back weekend.  But it's so nourishing, and I'm ever grateful when it happens.  Here's what I did:

Friday night:
My friend Anna came over with take-out Thai, and we chatted on my couch over wine and delicious food.  It was great catching up with her, and it was also great being in bed by midnight. ;)

Saturday:
I slept late!  Then read some of this:

which I love so far, and then eventually moseyed on out of the house, and hit up the Jeremys 60% off sale!  Bought this little dress and this robe:

Goodness I think that robe is pretty.  And both for a grand total of less than $30, thanks to the megasale. It was worth wading through the crowded aisles of women clamoring at designer deals!  Although my heart is crushed that I missed the 60% off SHOE sale the weekend prior.  People, Jeremys carries Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Prada, etc. etc. . . what did I do to piss off the gods enough to miss the 60% off shoe sale?!  Then again, had I known about it, I very well might have emptied my bank account, so perhaps it's a blessing in disguise.

After shopping, a bunch of errands, and darting around dodging raindrops all afternoon, I came home and stayed in by myself Saturday night, wearing slippers that Summer sent me and watching a movie that Micaela sent me.  So cozy!

Sunday:
Despite wanting to sleep in, I woke up early and ate some yogurt, granola, & raspberries so I'd be energized for yoga with my friend Audrey.  We went to the Berkeley lululemon's free Sunday morning class, which was mellow and energizing at the same time--just what I needed.  I managed to hold my crow pose for about 2.2 seconds, but then toppled over and twisted my wrist.  Eh, no pain no gain, right?

crow pose, from

Can y'all do crow pose?  I can get there, usually, but I can't hold it for long.  Something to work on, I suppose.  My favorite pose is pigeon, cause it stretches my hips so gooooooood . . . 

Audrey and I walked across the street for coffee after class, and sat for an hour chatting about boys and work and all those kinds of things.  I love girlfriends, seriously.  They make life infinitely better.  Female solidarity--can't get enough.

I got home a little after noon, cooked up some delicious veggie curry, and worked on my San Quentin lesson plans/critiqued last week's homework before heading to babysit Freeman in San Francisco at 5:30.  Slow weekends with free afternoons make me so happy.  It makes a world of difference in my energy level.  If I had time for yoga, savoring coffee, and reading every morning, I'd be a much more balanced person.

Butttttt . . . here's to Monday!

My Health Buddy

This was my lunch yesterday:

broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with Bragg's aminos

Quorn fake chicken cutlet

UNINTERESTING!  A far cry from my delicious homemade pasta the other day.  

Some of you read Summer's post yesterday about getting back on track health-wise.  Well, I am right on board with her!  Enough with waiting till late May to panic about bathing suit season . . . it's time to take the bull by the horns.

My general philosophy is that December is for baking.  And really just eating in general, what with all the holiday parties and festivities.  Which means I guess that January should be for cleansing, but I've had one experience with the Master Cleanse and while it was a worthwhile rendezvous, I'm pretty sure we'll never meet again.

And sooooooo, with my health buddy Summer, I'm committed to super healthy cooking and exercise.  I've even started hanging out with this freak again:

shudder

Summer is weighing herself but I am not because, well, I woke up the other morning feeling brave and ready to weigh myself . . . only to realize I don't have a scale.  But I guess the whole point of this thing is being really smart about what I eat and exercising as much as possible, and when you feel good & strong, you just feel it.  Without a scale.  

When my dear friend Amanda and I went on our date last week, she told me about one of her favorite recipes and emailed it to me that evening.  

Chickpea Potato Curry

from

(Ingredients)

*2.5 cups vegetable broth

*2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

*1 14-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes with chilis (Muir Glen has a good one)

*6 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

*1 medium onion, diced

*1 tbsp unsalted butter

*2 tsp minced ginger

*1-2 tsp salt

*1 tsp ground cumin

*1 tsp ground coriander

*1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

(Instructions)

1. In a large pot, combine all ingredients.  Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.  

2. Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat, and simmer for about 35 minutes (or until the potatoes are tender).  Serve the curry in bowls over jasmine rice.

(Modifications I made cause I can't for the life of me leave a recipe untouched)

*I eliminated ginger cause I don't like it

*I added 1 tsp curry powder

*I boiled veg broth first (I used water & 2 cubes Knorr vegetable bouillon) and then added other ingredients, and I cooked it covered

*I didn't use butter cause I'm trying to be healthy and frankly, I see no use for unsalted butter (bring on the salt!)

*I ate it sans rice, and it was so good.

So here is my plea for more healthy recipes from y'all!  What do you make when you're trying to be super health-conscious?  I have about three restrictions:

1. I'm vegetarian

2. I hate mushrooms

3. I HATE mayonnaise

Otherwise, bring it on!  

Yay Creuset!

So, I don't necessarily win a lot of giveaways, but the ones I do win sure are awesome.  The first one I ever won (way before I had a blog) was an adorable, small, framed print from my "real life" friend Christina at Down & Out Chic (it hangs in my bathroom now!).  Many months later came a beautiful handmade copper necklace that says "I change the world" from the lovely Jeanette at Everton Terrace.  A few months after that, I scored big with a Hana flat iron from Erika at Cafe Fashionista (how excited was I for that?).

And guess what I won just after Christmas?  A 6 qt. Le Creuset stock pot from Aimee at Chic & Cheap Living!  I have been so incredibly obsessed with all things Le Creuset lately that I've been stalking Amazon, Williams Sonoma, etc. for reasonable deals.  So you can only imagine my delight when she emailed me saying I'd won her giveaway and that I got to pick a color for the stock pot.

It just came in the mail and has me grinning from ear to ear:

I chose "Dijon"

and how cute does it look on my stove??

I made my delicious vegetable minestrone last night, and I think it even tastes better thanks to my happy new Le Creuset stock pot!  Thank you so much, Aimee!

And now I'm off to do something grungy like go to a thrift store or drink a cheap beer, cause the past 24 hours have been a little too bougie for me:  I cooked in a Le Creuset pot, went to a Dailey Method workout, and bought 2 pairs of (sale) lululemon pants.  Yikes!

p.s. Dailey Method is HARD!  Serious strength workout.  Try it!

p.p.s. GEAUX SAINTS!  WHO DAT!

Mass Uncertainty

I've had pretty serious anxiety my entire life. This anxiety is exacerbated when there is serious uncertainty in:

a) MY JOB

We still don't know whether or not my job is being funded for next year, and by "next year," I mean next month! I spoke to someone in one of the San Francisco city supervisors' offices today, and she basically said that it was hopeful--that funding was more promising than they'd originally thought--but that there wouldn't be a final answer for a while. I can hardly bring myself to search for jobs when I want so badly to keep my current job, especially when I think there's a decent chance. So stressful. :(

b) MY LIVING SITUATION

My roommate is moving out at the end of the month, and I have to find a new one pronto. My apartment is way too awesome to leave.

c) ETC.

(Let's just leave it at that). :)

But here are some things I'm happy about:

1. These notecards I got in the mail from sweet Tillie:

Aren't they amazing? Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get one from me. :)

2. My marathon phone conversation with Micaela this evening. Seriously, we talked on the phone for over two hours--till her phone died--and then for another hour on g-chat. I LOVE THAT GIRL! I'm so grateful for our friendship. Micaela and I understand each other implicitly . . . without explanation, without justification, without any hesitation. Every time I talk to her, I feel like I'm experiencing a full-body sigh of relief--like I'm releasing everything I'm thinking and feeling to someone who totally understands every bit of it.

3. Skype. Today I video-chatted with my dear cousin (basically: sister) Jennifer and my auntie Pat via Skype, and I felt so close to my Georgia home. It was my first time using skype! I love it, and am so grateful for modern technology.

And here is that which I'm just not so sure about:

I always thought work out videos were for wusses . . . until The 30 Day Shred. Jillian Michaels inspires fear, loathing, disgust, and excitement within me--all at the same time! Every time she calls Anita or Natalie "buddy" in her gross, smarmy voice, I want to throw my hand weight at the television screen. But at the same time, she gives me a delicious workout in 30 minutes within the cool comfort of my own home. It's your classic love/hate relationship.