Housekeeping...

You want fresh towels?

List of things I need to do soon in no particular order...

1. Add all of my new twitter buddies to my blogroll. That way I will actually read everything and not miss stuff.
2. Give Duff a haircut and a bath. Homeboy needs his flea meds next week and is looking pretty scruffy.
3. Get back on a regular gym habit. Between my birthday, the poison oak, and my laziness, I've totally lost all of my cardio shape. Seriously, I almost puked after 13 minutes on the treadmill last night.
4. Go to Sports Chalet for the following: softball glove, cleats, boxing gloves, spin shoes, and a tennis racquet. Since when did I morph into Sporty Spice?
5. Do some research on eating/cooking vegetarian meals. I'm not giving up steak just yet, but I do heart me some beans.
6. Get rid of the gigantic Ikea desk taking up precious space in the living room. In the process of looking for a chair that converts to some type of bed that's not mad expensive. PS this would be for you Byn!
7. Figure out WTF I'm going to do with Jota gone from Sat to Thurs. I'm trying to not watch all of the shows I dvr'ed (Did I really just use that as a verb?) this week.
8. Lay off the booze for a bit to optimize weight loss. Momma comes to town on the 20th, and sadly I need to look as thin as possible. Especially since she's bringing all of my HS homecoming/prom dresses for the girl's party on the 27th.
9. Try not to get so worked up about the election.
10. Remind myself that just because someone doesn't see that my way is the right way, it doesn't mean they're a freaking idiot. Control freak? Yesthankyouverymuch.

PS, I only discuss politics with Jota because he can't get rid of me. But if you want my opinion, check out my girl Kiah. She says everything I want to say without getting in a flustered huff.

Holy Crikey!

LM is going to spin the last bit of fat off me. Spin is fucking hard. Like my thighs are still quaking, and God only knows what I'm going to feel like tomorrow. On a good note, I am a huge fan of the midday workout!

Now if only I'd remembered to keep an extra pair of undies in my bag. Yes, I went there.

Injured Reserves for a Month

Remember the keg curling incident? Yeah, well when I said my arm was going to hurt all week, I wasn't exaggerating. Except it wasn't a week. It's been two months, and I still can't straighten my elbow without going, "ow, ow, oooowwww!"

I finally took myself to the doctor. Of course I didn't tell him I was doing keg curls, because really, I wasn't in the mood for the alcohol talk. Turns out I strained my tendon and bruised the bone. The doc gave me a cortisone shot (owwwie!), as well as some anti-inflammatory meds to take for a week.

Oh, and no lifting, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, NOTHING for a month. What am I supposed to do at the gym now other than running and legs? I tried going to an abs class on Monday, only to find myself trying not to cry during several minutes of plank. Going to try out spin today at lunch, so hopefully that works out.

New Month, New Goal

Just this morning I was lamenting to Jota that I haven't set a goal for myself this month. Debating what I was going to do, I realized I set this goal on April 1st, with a deadline of my birthday, June 17th. I like this idea of goal setting. In the new year, I have reached every goal I've set. Sometimes it's not in the time frame that I would like it to be, but I've still pushed myself to finish.

Example:
On Sunday, I had some serious anxiety about not being able to complete the 5K, but fear of having to run another to meet my goal pushed me not only across the finish line, but also to run an extra 2K because the course wasn't properly marked.

Hmmm, can I do ten pounds in six weeks? Even if I lose a healthy two pounds per week, that's really pushing it. I guess this means less drinking, better eating, and more cardio. Man, I hate cardio.

Oh and PS

Goal #1 of the month...reached! Defintely can rock the sz 28 7 for All Mankind denim skirt that Byn gave me 5 years ago. Woot Woot!

Summer Lovin'

I feel I've proclaimed summer is upon us about five times already this year, but here I am again. The first proclamation happened when a car full of high school stoners got arrested on my stoop for hot boxing their car on Venice Blvd. Smart. The second when Robyn came into town, bringing warm breezes and the return of Sunday Funday. The third, our first trip of '08 to Big Dean's and the return of live music on the pier. I was wrong on all occasions. This past weekend was the official start of summer in Venice.

Why now?

One, I went swimming this weekend. In the ocean. At night. With the dog. Obviously alcohol was involved.

Two, Da planned our first Venice to Santa Monica Bar Cycle of the summer. Started at the Whaler, hit Baja, Bar Jota (potty and beer break), James Beach, then Bitburger, Big Dean's, and King's Head. Please see my twitter for random, drunken updates.

Three, Sunday Funday has returned in full force. Le Deb calls on her way to the beach, "Uh, are you home? (pause) OK, good. Can I stop by to use your bathroom? Yeah, I'm like right outside."

After watching the Wizards lose to the Cavs, Jota and I made our way to the beach (south of the big guard tower). It seemed that every 15 minutes or so, someone new showed up. By the end of the day we had about 10 chairs, and 10 blankets sprawled across the sand along with beach toys and gossip mags.

Four, it was fucking hot out. Like 90 hot. It's April people. Venice only gets two or three super hot days a summer, and that's usually in July or August. Jota came home from band practice last night to me, sprawled on the couch in boy shorts and a tank with the fan on high. Even Duff was too hot to snuggle; he was passed out under the coffee table.

Five, I ate the most disgusting shit all weekend. Quesadilla for lunch on Sat, burger and fries for dinner. At least ten beers, one mojito. Smoothie (yeah!) and a Choco Taco for breakfast Sunday. Another burger and fries for dinner with two beers. At least I did Cindy and pilates this weekend. Officially on a detox this week.

Recovering, Barely

Just dropped Byn off at the airport for her trip back home to Tampa.  Really wish she would just pack her shit up and move out here.  It's great having someone around other than Jota that I can be my 100% obnoxious and bratty self without having to feel apologetic.  I mean, I'm not always super bitchy; it's just nice to be understood and not judged for it sometimes.  

Seriously hurting this afternoon though.  We somehow thought it would be a great idea to sit on the stoop last night with the neighbors and  drink three bottles of champagne, and ten beers.  And that was just for us. Needless to say, but I'm going to say it anyways, I have some serious working out to do this week in order to get myself back on track. 

I didn't set a goal for April, so I will now.  Two goals.  Big time.  One, I want to be able to wear a size 28 pant.  My weight loss is slowing, but I'm definitely losing inches now.  Sweet!  Two, I need to get my ass in gear to train for the Santa Monica Classic that I'm running on May 4th.  I want to run the entire 5k.  It may not sound too hard, but I have serious troubles running a mile on the treadmill.      

Some women can eat all the cake and ice cream they want, and never gain a pound

They are called bitches.

I saw my friend Annie the other night for the first time in ages, and I must say my heart gave a flutter when she said, "You look skinny. How much weight have you lost? How did you do it?"

It's true, I do look skinnier. I am skinnier. I've spent the past two months working my ass off, and it just starting to show that I've dropped almost 20 pounds off my short frame. My goal is another 10 - 15 pounds by my birthday, June 17th...mark that down.

So how have I done it? The hard way. The not so fun way. The old fashioned way. Diet and exercise. Spark People is pretty much the most amazing diet tool ever. DH introduced me to it's online food journal which charts anything you want. I currently track carbs, fat, protein, and fiber. I need to add sodium to that mix, but keep forgetting. Fixing my diet was the first step towards getting healthy. You can't really lose weight when you're chomping down burgers, fries, and quesadillas right? I watch my breads, and always go for the whole grains. The majority of my carbs come from fruits and veggies, because I try to eat the recommended amount everyday. It's harder than you might think.

A typical day's worth of food:

Breakfast

2 eggy cups

1 piece of fruit (ie plum, apple, orange)

Smoothie, made with frozen fruit, diet V8 juice, and fiber powder. I need to find a protein powder that's not all chalky.

Lunch

leftovers from dinner the night before

3 oz (picture a deck of cards) salmon/chicken/beef

1/2 cup roasted asparagus/broccoli/squash

Snacks

2 per day

light string cheese

1 oz almonds (Trader Joe's sells them unsalted, in individual packs)

3 tbs greek yogurt (high in protein, low in fat and sugar) mix approx 1/2 cup of fruit in with yogurt (berries, grapes, pomegranate seeds)

1/2 cup of edamame (good fats, lots of protein and fiber)

Dinner

3 oz salmon/chicken/beef

1/2 cup to a full cup roasted veggies

roasted potatoes/rice (these are for Jota, but I occasionally have some)

Dessert

sugar free popsicles

TCBY or Pinkberry if you're lucky like me!

more fruit (add splenda if necessary)

hot chocolate

tea

sugar free jello pudding cups (not just for Bill Cosby!)

Exercise wise, I'm still a bit lazy. It helps that my gym is in the building I work at, so I don't really have an excuse not to go. If I'm feeling particularly lazy, I force myself to do 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then I can leave. Usually I end up doing a little more, or lifting weights, but there have totally been some days where I counted down the seconds to 20 mins, and then quit. But that's better than nothing!

James' exercise schedule:

Monday/Wed/Fri

20 mins on treadmill

work abs

super sets with arms, shoulders, and squats

stretch

15 mins on bike

Tues/Thurs

30 mins on treadmill/bike/combo

mat pilates

stretch

Sat/Sun

walks with Duff and Jota

Kickball is on either a Tues or Weds, so I usually don't get any workout that day. However, the other night I biked with my flat ass tires to the game, bar, and home again. My thighs were quaking in bed.

Dating Cindy Crawford

Feeling lazy? Need that extra push? Go buy this workout DVD. My arms are so sore, putting on eyeshadow and mascara was a major accomplishment this morning. I'm planning on having a weekly date night with Cindy when Jota is at band practice or has a soccer game. No way I'm letting him see me flopping around the house doing lunges with kicks.

Speaking of the band, the boys played at Rusty's Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier last night. Good times. I'm thinking Sunday Funday this summer is going to start at Big Dean's.

You Can't Drink All Day if You Don't Start in the Morning

Jota and I are old balls. For the first time in all my drinking years, I did nothing for St Patty's Day. Didn't call in sick to work, didn't slam an Irish Car Bomb, didn't chug green beer, and certainly didn't wear my "Irish Whiskey Makes Me Frisky" shirt.

I actually ended up at the gym, worked my tushie off (seriously, it's getting smaller), and then came home to make dinner. Debated meeting up with Kel and Da at Finn McCool's on Main Street, but upon hearing the line was around the block, decided it was not meant to be.

The next time St Patty's Day falls on a weekend is 2012. I will be 30. Yikes.

Kusi is in town again. Why did that kid move to Boulder? He should have stayed here, and commuted there. Just stole your joke J.

It's the gym, not a peep show

I've spent the last two or three weeks working my ass off in the gym trying to reach my end of Feb goal. It's definitely paying off, and starting to show, to me at least. I've graduated to the treadmill, have increased my weights/reps, and oh you know, went down a pant size in a month.

I love the convenience of the gym in my building, not to mention the sweet locker room with amazing showers, a sauna, and whirlpool. 24 Hour Fitness Santa Monica, take note. What I don't love is the nakedness. I'm no prude; hello Big Bear '07 trip, but seriously ladies, put some freaking panties on before you bend over to lotion up your legs. Try a tank top, or at least a bra before you go to blow dry your hair and put your makeup on. Oh, and don't lay on the side of the whirlpool with your feet propped up on the railing so the first thing I see when exiting the shower is your nasty whoo-ha. It's called wax, use it.

And dudes who stand in the corner and actually POINT at my ass while talking to their buddies, fuck off. There are mirrors all the way around the free weight room. You think I can't see you?

With only one week left in the month, and three pounds to go, I think I need to be off the booze for the weekend. Unfortunately I don't think that's going to happen. Juan, aka John Martin, is moving back to New Orleans, and we're having a karaoke blowout at the Prospector in Long Beach tonight. You can't go to the LBC and not drink, or pour a little out for the homies. So I guess it's vodka sodas and lime all night long.

Rain Rain Go Away

Because seriously, I was going to run the stairs today. And tomorrow.

I guess I'll just go to the gym. Maybe try the kickboxing class? Only because I really want the pink wraps and gloves!

Good Idea, Bad Idea

Good Idea: Starting the week off right by hitting the gym.
Bad Idea: Forgetting how grossly out of shape I am, and completely overdoing it. I can't lift my arms over my head.

Good Idea: Making a list for the grocery store.
Bad Idea: Going to the grocery store after the gym when I'm totally starved.

Good Idea: Hitting up the salad bar. Lots of fresh veggies, beans, and chicken...yum!
Bad Idea: Hitting up the last bit of the chips and dip when the salad wasn't enough.

Good Idea: Having friends over for a few beers.
Bad Idea: A whole bottle of wine.
Badder Idea: Riesling, gross.
Worst Idea: Two beers on top of that.
"Hello, gym? I know we had a great thing going earlier tonight, but I'm so over you."

Had a dream about Sprite last night, as in soda. I don't drink soda. Ended up stopping at CVS to picked up a two liter. What my subconscious wants, my subconscious gets.

A River Running Between my Breasts

Yoga last night was quite possibly the most cumbersome exercise I've done in like the past...since I've moved here. Em, Kel, and I started taking classes on Mondays and Fridays at Power Yoga in Santa Monica. There are two studios, and both run on a donation system; which is great because while most yoga classes are $20 a session, I'm paying around $5 - $10.

Our class is with Mister Bryan Kest himself, and a line forms around the corner of the block, filled with people waiting to get in. They pack the old loft with upwards of 50 students, creating a sauna like atmosphere that makes your sweat glands start to work as soon as you ascend the stairs. About 30 minutes into the 90 minute class, you're sweating buckets, and praying that the man next to you doesn't douse you with his nasty, stanky sweat during the next asana (that's pose).

Last night, after 60 minutes of cobra, down dog, and warrior poses, I realize Mister Kest's voice has an uncanny resemblance to Adam Sandler's in Billy Madison. In addition to the Billy impression, he uses fuck and shit more times than I do. Which I mean come on, that's a really fucking difficult thing to do. However, I noticed last night, that in addition to the impersonation, and the cursing, our amazing yogi rhymes EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE for the entire class! It's like taking yoga with a foul mouthed Dr. Seuss.

Love it!

Off the Booze...For Serious

So I may have gained some weight since moving to LA. And maybe by some I mean 20 pounds. Twenty freaking pounds on short little me, does not make a hot James. No, it in fact makes me want to stick my tongue out at cameras because if I'm going to look fat, I might as well look angry too.

Indeed, James has gotten so pudgy that even Grandpa-pa pulled her aside and said, "I think you need to start watching what you eat."

Tangent - Why is James referring to herself in the third person?

Watch what I eat? WATCH WHAT I EAT?

OK, so my jeans are a little tight, my abs aren't flat, and my ass is grande. (Who am I kidding, my ass has always been grande.) I may have fallen off the gym wagon, but seriously it wasn't walking distance once I moved, and I'm not about to pay $3 to park on the Promenade. Yes, I would pay to park there for shopping, but not sweating.

Let's do the math shall we...If I go to the gym 5 days a week (like I should), how much will I spend per week? Per year?
x = $3 for Promenade Parking
y = $$$ that I can spend on more important things, like new jeans.
v = a varied amount of $$$ I may spend per gym visit at Jamba Juice & Anthropologie
y = 52(5x) + v
y = 260x + v (Yeah, distribution property!)
y = 780 + v
Ok, so $780 a year on parking alone...That's like 4.8 pairs of Joe's Jeans, and not even the ones I like with the trouser pockets. That's not even including the cute Ella Moss and Susana Monaco dresses that I adore at Anthropologie, or the Passion Berry Breeze (with Fiber Boost!) that I will most definitely reward myself with for a sweat well done. Plus another $600 for my membership. Essentially, I saved myself over $1400 a year by quitting the gym. Go me!

No booze for serious, at least until J's parents come for Thanksgiving...