single? yes, but very happy

i've often been asked why i'm still single.  hmmm kind of a loaded question don't you think?  where shall i begin to even try to answer this.

many of my guy friends preface this question by telling me something along the lines of me being a cool chick with a good head on my shoulders, having a good job blah blah blah.  my usual response…" i don't know, but thank you."

today, someone said something to me that was quite thought provoking...for me at least.  he told me that he didn't think he could keep up with me.  when i asked him to explain, he told me that i had so many events going on in my life.  true.  i do!  i have a huge family and a very active life.

but, my response, was that i fill my life with things that make me happy.  i don't have time to deal with anything that isn't contributing positively to my life.  "ain't nobody got time for that!"  lol but seriously, it's true.  i surround myself with those i love and the things that keep me happy.  b/c honestly, life would be boring otherwise.

my downtime is filled with me working out, family events, supporting my family and friends at their events, etc etc. you get it.  and although, my life is "busy," it's what keeps me happy and makes it all worth it.

now back to the boy aspect of things.  i'm single partly by choice.  am i open to dating?  yes.  but, first of all, rarely do i ever get approached, and when i do it's not normally worth it.  so again i say, if it's not contributing positively to my life, it's not going to be a part of it.

and before you go on and say that i'm just picky, let me just interrupt you with just one word:  reciprocity!  is it so bad to want someone that can meet me half way.  i'm not trying to be the mom of the relationship, and no you don't have to treat me like a princess.  worship me like one, maybe! lol (if you're reading this, and you don't know me, i hope you get my humor.)  but really, i'm not looking for that.

if you can be honest with me, loyal, make me laugh, get my humor b/c i honestly have a problem with sensitive people, and sensitive people will NOT make it in my family...but, that's a-whole-nother subject...hold a conversation…and i guess "keep up," we're good to go.  

so, until i find someone worth adding on to my already busy life…i'm quite happy being single.

and, to those friends out there that feel the NEED to hook up their single friends, like they are just going to get along b/c they are single, please stop.  just b/c someone is single doesn't mean they are miserable and are looking for you to save them from their misery.  stop acting like being single is a disease.  you are not going to cure the world of singles.

#OperationMelanie

A guy friend of mine showed me this inspiring message about fit girls. And, I'd like to think he was speaking to me. lol

But, really, I was never really a "skinny" girl, I always had meat on me. But, I was always pretty fit. That is until I moved to Santa Barbara for college. I didn't move as a Freshman, so I can't say that I gained the "freshman 15," and honestly, I probably gained much more than 15 pounds in that first year. I'm gonna go ahead and call it the "transfer 20" maybe even 30. But, before I moved back home, I got my ass into gear and lost all the weight. I wasn't trying to come back home looking like that. I think it was about this time that Justin Timberlake came out with "Sexy Back," so all me and my girls would talk about "bringing sexy back" and bringing it back to high school and how we looked then. I actually think that when I moved back home I looked better than I did in high school. And we all know I thought I was hot sh*t in high school. Hahahaha!! If you didn't know my back then, my prom dresses were the epitomy of bourgie hood. lol 

Anyway, I got to my goal and got to my ideal body figure before I moved home. Life was great. I just graduated from college, moved back home, and I was feeling great about myself...looks and all. And then, I don't know what happened. I guess I just got comfortable. Got into a relationship, where I moved in with the dude. We ate out a lot, and late, and a lot of times on a really late night tip. To this day I just don't know how I let myself get like that. I'm still not my ideal weight/shape as I type, but I'm working on it and it's coming along. I look at old pictures, and at at first I was in digust, and now I'm just in awe. What the hell happened! 

I'm still quite embarassed as to how the hell I got like that. But, that friend of mine that showed me the message above, told me to be proud. Be proud of what I accomplished. And so I am. I'm not one to put myself on blast with the selfies. And, I know this is a bit different b/c I'm showing my success with fitness. And, I see people do it all the time, and of course I clap it up for them and congratulate them...I just don't know if I'll ever do the famous sports bra and shorts shot. Maybe when I get closer to my goal it'll happen. For now, those have been saved for those closest to me, that I know won't be secretly hating with their snide remarks.

But, I will show you this. 

To the left is a picture of me on October 18, 2009 when I ran my very first Nike Women's Marathon in 02:47:36. To the right, is a picture of me running the Nike Women's Marathon this year, October 20, 2013. I made a PR for this course at 02:37:46. 

#OperationMelanie is in full effect. I'm really on a mission this time. No more being consistantly inconsistant. A little while ago I posted on twitter and facebook a little note to my abs - "Dear Abs, I see you peaking out. It's time to come out and play." Funny, I know. But I'm also being completely serious. I've tasted a sliver of accomplishment and I'm ready for more.

Nike Fuel Band...my POV

I've had my Nike Fuelband for quite some time now.  And I'd say I've gotten the hang of things for myself.  Most people ask me if it's worth the $150?  Or how I like it, what it does?

I guess for someone who's pretty active like me it's some sort of investment.  Like a runner that pays up to $300+ for their Garmin.  For those of you not in the know, a Garmin (yes the same brand that makes navigation systems) is a watch, that can tell you your heart rate, how long you've run, how far, your pace...etc etc etc.  The Fuelband is a bracelet, that lights up with the time, calories burned, how many steps you've taken, and your "fuel."  This is basically your activity level during the day.  And to me, getting to see my activity level day to day is rewarding.  So yes, for me it is worth it.

I can tell you for me, all I really look at, at the end of the day is my activity level, or my "Fuel."  Did I make my goal, and how much further did I pass it.  And, sometimes at what time of the day was I the most active.  And, when you make milestones, like the best Wednesday you've had so far, or hitting your goal 7 days in a row, you earn badges and a little man dances for you.  A cheap thrill to end the night and a cute little pat on the back.

This was the day that I ran a half marathon.  This shows, I was most active in the earlier part of the day, while I was running it.  And not very active afterward. 

This shows me that I went wayyy beyond my goal of 3000.  Here's one of the badges that I've won.

And here is the little man dancing for me.

For those of you that want to know how accurate it is, I'd say for the fuel count it is pretty damn good.  I know that if I have a pretty active day at work, where I was walking a lot and I hit the gym, I'll get around 4500.  By the way, and you can set your own goal.  And I know some people that look at their band throughout the day and see that they are a little behind, so they throw in an extra workout just to hit their goal.

Now, accuracy of the steps and calories...I don't really pay attention to the calorie count on any of devices like this, because although it can track your activity level, it doesn't know that intensity that your are doing it at.

As for the steps, if I'm going for a run I'll track it on my RunMeter App.  That has proven to be pretty darn accurate for me.  The Fuelband however is not.  Because I don't use that feature at all, I don't care.  But, people always ask me so, I decided to see.  One day after an 8.63 mile run I decided to sync my band to see what it said I did.  At that point it said I only accumulated 7.4 miles.  And the night of my last half marathon, it said I only accumulated 12.8 miles for the whole day.  And I know for damn sure I went over 13.1 miles.  Thankfully, when mileage is important to me, I have over avenues to explore.

Below is the RunMeter app I use telling me that I ran 8.63 miles.  Beneath that is the Fuelband app telling me that I've only accumulated 7.4 miles by that time.

Any other negatives?  One big negative for me when I first was researching it was you can't swim with it.  Boo!  Being that I love the water, and if I ever decide to do a triathlon again, I won't be able to track my activity while swimming. 

And, it does have a tendency to break.  I have an idea of what happened the first time.  The second time it just wouldn't charge up again.  So, yes I'm on my third one.  But, the redeeming factor is that it's never been a hassle to exchange.

Like I said, for me and my purposes, I'm very happy with it.

My Prayers to Everyone Affected by the Boston Marathon Bombings

I was on my way home from a weekend vacation when I first heard about the bombings.  Immediately, I was saddened.  But, when I saw the footage and was following the coverage on the plane I was on the verge of tears.  I don't know if it's b/c I'm a runner myself, or that I'm older and I seems like I have a heavier heart.  But, my prayers go out to everyone that has been affected by this.

To be a part of any marathon is such an exciting event, for everyone, the spectators, the runners...really EVERYONE!  The runners train like crazy and race day is the day where you see where your training gets you.  The supporters and volunteers are as much a part of your day as you and the course.  Everyone works together and the camaraderie that everyone has for each other is just beautiful.  As you run, you can hear, "GOOD JOB," "KEEP IT UP," claps, bells, yelling and hooting from everywhere...the spectators, the volunteers, and the runners.  You read motivational sayings, on signs and the backs of shirts and sometimes you just yell it to yourself.  Anything to keep you moving.

And the runner's high you get from crossing the finish line and being adorned by your medal.  It's a high that you won't ever forget.  And really I think that's what gets people hooked.  You're never gonna do just one marathon.

But, to think that was all taken away along the finish shoot.  And seeing the runner go down as the explosion happened just broke my heart.  I will say though, I was elated to hear that, that older gentleman you see go down in the footage got right back up and finished.  Now, that's a runner for you! 

And, I am truly thankful for everyone that didn't hesitate to assist.  Letting people into their homes and using their phones, jumping in and helping anyone they could.  Thank you!

My prayers go out to you Boston.  I think I'll have to wear a Boston shirt during my next run as a tribute to everyone that ran.  Maybe one day I'll be good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  One can only hope!

starting 2012 off right

ever since i got my juicer for christmas (thank you, sister!), i've been able to take in more fruits and veggies. woo hoo! it has always been a constant goal of mine to be more healthy and i loveeee fruits and juice, so this juicer has been perfect. it's given me an easier way get my fruits and veggies in. and the parentals too. lord knows filipino food is NOT the healthiest.

today is my first day back to work and i woke up early enough to make some juice to take to work. i'm gonna have to do this the night before for now on though, b/c i don't like the thought of not cleaning the juicer right away and leaving it in the sink.

and after work i'm gonna try to get a run in at the lake. i need to start running again. and perhaps really train for my marathons this year. lol i'm still contemplating on my workout schedule. but as long as i do SOMETHING at least 3 - 5 times a week i'll be happy. i've been a bit to easy on myself, so i'm gonna have to intensify everything too. 30 is just around the corner, let's see how much i can improve in a month.

Cyber Monday deal

Whenever I need to get hair tools, I always check out folica.com first. They have pretty good deals on products already and their specials make my wallet happy.

I needed to get 2 different irons. One of them is about $60 full price and folica had it on sale for $39.99. The other is about $43 full price and folica had it on sale for $36.95.

I could've paid about $100 for 2 irons. On a regular day folica would have saved me just under $25, but today is Cyber Monday! You save $25 on a $75 purchase plus free shipping.

So my grand total for two irons worth over $100 was only $51.94!!!

If you want to take advantage of this deal too the promo code is NOV25

Happy shopping! When I get home I'll see if there are other Cyber Monday deals worth spending money on!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

deal of the day #2

i had some time after work and needed to pick up a couple of things, and of course some coupons to use. i'm running low on body butters and my favorite hand soap, so i decided to pop into the body shop to see if there were any deals going on.

what do you know, there sure were. buy 3 get 2 free, buy 2 get 1 free or buy 1 get the next 50% off. now ladies and gentlemen, to get the best deal on these promotions, you should always try to get all the items at the same price. b/c the least expensive items will be the ones you get free. so you'll get the most out of the promotions if everything is the same price.

i picked up 2 of my favorite hand soaps, 1 mango scented hand soap for the kitchen (tip: when you buy hand soaps for the kitchen or any scented item for the kitchen it should always be citrusy), and the moisturizing shampoo and conditioner from the rain forest line. i tried a sample of it, and it actually worked quite well (and it doesn't have sulfates, parabens, and no colorants) anyway, all of these items were only $10 each and with the buy 3 get 2 free, the total was only $30. but, of course i had a coupon. save $5 for any purchase over $25. so the total pre-tax was $25 and i basically got all the items for 50% off.

so don't forget when taking advantage of a buy something get something free, always try to keep them at the same price to get the most out of the deal.

deal of the day

as my tweet read yesterday, "I'm quite pleased with myself. I'm getting good at looking for deals and using my coupons. HOLLLERRR!"

i knew i had to go to target to pick up a few little items, so before i went i looked through the new sunday advertisement to see if there were any good deals. and i noticed target is coming out with more and more deals where you can get target gift cards back. lucky for me there were two brands that i needed where i could get gift cards back.

the best deal i got was with aveeno. so, if you brought 3 aveeno products you could get a $5 gift card back. to maximize on this deal, i looked for the cheapest aveeno product, which was a bar of soap for $3.34.

$3.34 x 3 = $10.02 - $5 gift card = $5.01

but i also had some aveeno coupons. i had one for $1.50 off 2 aveeno products and one for $1 off 1 aveeno product, which brings the grand total to $2.52. i only paid 84 cents for each bar of soap.

woo hoo!! i know cheap thrills, but who doesn't like to save money. and you have coupons books that you throw away every sunday, pass them to me. i love saving money.

did i really just kick this cold in 24 hours?!

i've been seriously lacking sleep for the past 2 weeks. last week i worked just about 12 hours each day, monday through thursday. and this past monday and tuesday nights i spent with friends. needless to say, i didn't sleep much either of those nights either.

well lacking all that sleep must have been catching up with me b/c i was NOT feeling good AT ALL yesterday. i was soooo tempted to call my boss to ask her to go home, but i've been so busy at work, i decided to suck it up. and all day long i guzzled down water with emergen-c. and as soon as i got home, i took a dose of dayquil (nature fusion), and guzzled down more emergen-c. and when i got home from dinner, i took a dose of nyquil. this morning, i took another dose of dayquil (nature fusion) and 1 dose of oscillococcinum, a homeopathic medicine.

well it looks as though i kicked my cold. i didn't feel any symptoms all day, expect for feeling a bit tired, but that's expected with the amount of sleep i've been getting. i'm currently contemplating taking some nyquil tonight just in case my sickness isn't fully gone. maybe not. if i have any symptoms in the morning, i'll try the same routine.

loungerie?

so what on earth is loungerie? apparently it stands for lounge wear + lingerie...a lingerie line for girls 4 - 12 years old. when i first read this statement i didn't know what to take from it.

there are so many articles right now about this line. the articles are talking about how it's wrong for girls that age to even know what lingerie is. and that sexualizing these girls is wrong. and yes i agree with both statements. after reading some of the articles, i myself was a bit appalled. so of course, in true nature, i decided to look at the actual pictures. b/c to be honest with you, i didn't really see anything wrong with the picture that was depicted in the original article i read.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2026694/French-label-Jours-Apr-s-Lunes-launch-lingerie-girls-young-FOUR.html#ixzz1VHzOfvgJ

and then i found these...

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2011/08/16/2011-08-16_french_kids_underwear_line_markets_sexy_bras_for_4_yearolds_tot_models_wear_make.html

http://blog.myfdb.com/2011/08/inappropriate-to-put-young-models-in-lingerie/

and my initial reaction was "that's it! that's what they are making a commotion about." i guess i was just expecting a bit more from the emotions that were sparked from the articles i read. but that's why they are writers, and they definitely evoked emotion from me. but i took a little more time and looked at each picture. and i have to admit, some of it is uncomfortable for me.

please feel free to let me know your thoughts, comment below

why that looks familiar

so i received an email today by sanrio, showing me their new collabs and collection pieces. check out what i seen...



well doesn't that look familiar... i actually bought one of those while i was in japan last year and i highly doubt i paid $40. can you see it in the picture below...


yes, i know, the littlest things amuse me.

My name is Melanie and I'm addicted to Toms...

say hello to one of my newest pairs of Toms. if you know me, you know my FAVORITE pattern is houndstooth and like i always say "herringbone is a close second."

and what do you know...i have a herringbone pair at home waiting to be worn.

as of now, my running total is seven pairs. and i'm seriously contemplating on getting the tweed ones too.

i've just admitted to myself that i have an addiction to toms. what can i say, they are sooo comfortable. to me, they feel like nice form fitting socks. and to be honest with you, i haven't seen any kicks lately that have me excited. i think the last pair of kicks that i was really excited about were my stella mccartney adidas shoes that I got in japan.

until i can find some kicks that really get me feeling like "I HAVE TO HAVE THESE!," i'm happy buying my toms and providing shoes to kids in need.

my addiction started in this order:

olive canvas

natural burlap

earthwise slate

pomegranate cord

blue metallic linen

and then the houndstooth and herringbone ones shown in the beginning...

if they keep coming out with designs i love, i'm happy giving shoes to kids in need.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

some body shop product reviews

i just did a video review on some body shop products. i got these products as a result of a shecky's deal that i got. here is a list of the original prices. watch the video for the review.

Original Prices:
vitamin E Body Butter - $18
Travel size Hemp Han Lotion - $10
Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue - $18
Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash - $8

help?

i once took a class where the teacher told a little anecdote about not helping someone until they asked or had that "certain look" where you knew the person needed it. and the way he told it was pretty funny, but i didn't really think anything of it until today.

today, i flew back home from my weekend vacation. and while walking to the back of the plane, to my seat i noticed that all the storage spaces above my actual seat and onward were already full. so, i decided to stop where i was, instead of having to fight traffic backtracking to store my luggage (it was close enough to my seat anyway), and put my luggage up. at that time, a man walking in the opposite direction (the wrong way, i might add) was trying to get to the seat behind me. he was frustrated that he couldn't get through. where was i supposed to go, i couldn't step aside, it's an airplane, the aisle isn't big enough. and i couldn't step back b/c there was a line of other people with their luggages behind me. i'm pretty sure you guys can picture it happening. so i politely explained that i would get my luggage up, so he could get through. he, frustrated, asked, "did you need help with that?," but in such a rude tone as if implying that i couldn't do it myself. i ignored it and said, "no, that's ok. i got it." he then rudely asked, "are you sure?," again implying that i wouldn't be able to do so. i again, politely said, "nope i got it" as i easily put it up and stepped between some seats to let him through. a man sitting in the seat, underneath my luggage, laughed at the guy and stated, "well that looked easy enough." i smiled at him and laughed, "i may be small but i have muscles." we both laughed and the other men who witnessed the whole thing laughed as well.

dear rude man,

first of all, i don't understand why you were so frustrated when, you were the one walking the wrong way. and, maybe you offered your help b/c you thought that you putting up the luggage would've been faster, so you could get back to your seat faster...but did you have to be soooo rude about it? honestly, me putting up the luggage in 2 seconds with such ease made it feel soooo much better only b/c i made YOU look like the ass you are.

hahahaa!!! i know i'm so random. but i just had to share. so lesson to learn, don't help unless asked or if the person actually has that face of frustration where they actually would want the help. and most importantly, when you offer to help be genuine about it, don't be like the ass on the airplane b/c it may just backfire on you too.

well hello there...Melanie, is that you?

while looking in the mirror yesterday, i saw a glimpse of someone i once knew. if you follow my blogs or tweets, you know i've been on an "#OperationMelanie" hype. i'm determined to get back into shape and have come pretty far, but my goal is still a ways away.

having people tell you that you look like you've lost weight or fitting into clothes better has got to be the most rewarding feeling. it only means you are closer to your goal.

yesterday, was the first time that "III" actually looked at myself and was proud of how far i've come and where i'm going.

#OperationMelanie continues...

Thank you!!

I just want to take this time to thank all of you who actually take time out of your lives to read my silly little blog. Whether it be b/c you wanna know where I got my feather extensions or my latest shopping deal or you wanna know about my running and triathlon sessions or maybe you just wanna check up on me...THANK YOU!!

My feather extension blog and my purse blog brought my stats up so much and since then the hits haven't stopped. So, please feel free to subscribe to my blog and let me know what you wanna see. Outfits, makeup, rants and rambles whatever it may be. I'm honestly thinking of blogging a little more of what goes on in that random head of mine, I kindda let it all loose on my twitter page, but I know not all of you can see that. We'll see what happens.

I will be filming my first youtube video this week. For those of you that have been on me...Yes FINALLYYYY!!! I know. For those of you that don't really know me, it's going to be a video on how to curl hair. It's been requested from me for a long time now and FINALLY it's gonna get done. Hopefully, you'll be able to learn a trick or two from me.

So guys, please don't be shy. Comment and request as you please. We'll see where this all goes, but you all have gotten me excited to do more...so again, THANK YOU!

inspired

so i've become quite the youtuber. i haven't really posted any videos until this morning, but i do follow a lot of people. mostly people who i feel are musically talented, like erin paula or alyssa bernal or who can crack me up, like timothydelaghetto. and i am a religious follower of kandee johnson (who i got to meet recently...YEAY!!!), a beautiful make up artist and just a deep down genuine kind and wonderful person. and the person who i have to thank for all of this is charrie, or bebellaartistry. she started a youtube channel with makeup tutorials and of course i followed her to support her and her amazing talent. this then got me venturing off into other youtube lands.

so one day i wondered to myself if i could find any of jeannie mai's makeup tutorials on youtube. i've caught some of her makeup tutorials on my ondemand style channel, so i figured youtube would be the place to find more. instead of finding makeup videos, i found myself being inspired by her and prayer box.

you leave a prayer in there and take a prayer with you. it's at the top of a trail in LA called runyon canyon, so (i imagine from the videos) the hike alone is an inspiring and uplifting one. i know after i finish a tough bike trail or long run or swim how amazing i feel afterward and to add the prayer box to the top of this one just seems to add to the whole experience.

the box has been destroyed a couple of times and each time jeannie has brought it back bigger and better. just to know that people are still out there that still have good faith makes me feel good inside. i don't know how else to describe it. the fact that people from everywhere are "praying it forward" and still have hopes and dreams for our future as a whole community or even world makes me have hope for our future. corny, i know...but really. i get really scared or and amazed at how people act a lot of the time. (check out my "happy father's day" rant) so, this brighten up my day.

and i have a new life goal. i want to hike runyon canyon and find the prayer box and hopefully one day meet jeannie mai! she is a san jose native so her roots aren't very far from mine

here is a news cast from when it first got started:



below is the video of the newest box:

Operation Melanie Comence!

Since my little trip out to New York and the passing of my grandpa, I took a little hiatus from the gym.

Today Operation Melanie commenced! Haha! I signed up for another session of boot camp to jump start my body and try to get back to where I was before.

We had a new instructor today named, Moon. And, she definitely gave me a run for my money. She worked us HARD, especially for an introductory class. There were only two of us, me and this guy Jose, that are gym regulars. You can tell the rest of the girls were not familiar with the gym or expected to work out that hard.

During the session, the girls were taking a half ass approach for all the exercises and rarely finished a whole exercise set.

I, determined to finish every set (and dripping with sweat), was often left at the other end of the gym finishing up my burpies or wall climbs or what ever exercise. I could see them not even attempting the exercises or even finishing to the other end before walking back.

Jose, jokingly said, "What are you trying to prove, let's just go back with the others?". We both chuckled b/c we were the only ones finishing everything. I responded, "I am NOT cheating myself!"

And honestly, why pay for boot camp if you're not even going to try. I understand that these exercises may be new and yes they are extremely difficult. But there is no progress without pain. And you are only cheating yourself by not fully trying. I'm not going to progress by not pushing myself beyond what I think I can do each and every time. And how do you know what you can do without pushing your own boundries?

And although I did feel the effects of not working out for a month, I'm so proud of myself for how I did. I took more breaks than normal but I pushed through every exercise and hustled my way til the end. Yeay me!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Family

I have always been so proud and thought I have been lucky to say that I have met and have a close bond with ALL of my grandparents. I now know that not only have I been lucky, but I have been blessed. There's not many people that I know that can say that. I grew up with all my grandparents.

I have a close bond with ALL my first cousins and we all live within half an hour away from each other with the exception of Michael, who is from Jersey. Each side is big as it is, but what makes me even more blessed is that we ALL grew up together. My grandparents are really good friends, and my mom and dad and all their siblings all grew up together. I can't really separate one side from the other. My cousin from my dad's side will call my cousin from my mom's side, simply their cousin and vice versa. And I often have to answer questions from friends asking "Wait, so which cousins are from which side and which and aunts and uncles are siblings?" If you listen to any of my uncles' stories from their heyday, they always include at least uncle from the other side. This is probably one of the main reasons I LOVE MY FAMILY!

Recently, I lost my Grandpa Gil, my mom's dad. Although since his stroke 7 years ago, he's been somewhat immobile, the initial news that he was "actively dying" was quite a shock. And honestly, even if it's expected, it doesn't mean it hurts any less.

My Grandpa Gil was a strong and stern man. Even after his stroke when he lost most of his speech, you knew when he didn't like something or was mad. He lost most of his speech, but he sure could say, "GOD DAMN!," "UKININAM!" HAHAHAAA! And, with his good side, he even threw his cane at someone! Ha! I remember him pretending to be mad at us when he would babysit us, and chase us around the house, from the kitchen to the living room and back again. We hid in the bathroom behind the door, and thought we were slick b/c he didn't find us. In retrospect, he probably pretended to not know where we were. He had this one made up word that he would call everyone, "hinnekloock." And when you asked him what it meant he would say, "You're hinnekloock." And he always used to have juicy fruit gum and peanutbutters, on the top of his cabinet that he always would give me. A month ago when he was in the hospital for some unknown infection, while lying in his bed he still played with me. I winked at him and he winked back, and this went on, on and off for the rest of the night. I miss you Grandpa Gil.

during the 18 roses ceremony at my cottillion


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's only a workout if...

I always complain about not having a good workout or I rant and rave about how good the workout felt. So here are my signs of a good workout.

It's only a workout if one or more of the following happens:

(in no particular order)
-sweat is dripping down my face or better yet a constant stream
-I have to wipe the salt off my face/body when I'm done
-I'm sore for the next couple of days
-I'm cursing out the instructor or myself in my head
-I hit at least a 8 - 10 rpe (rate of perceived exhaustion <- for an explanation check back on "interval running on the treadmill")
-I'm breathing hard and making weird noises to get the set finished
-I'm saying motivational phrases to myself to get through

Feel free to add your signs of a good workout in the comment section.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone