So you know how this summer was supposed to be "The Summer Of Fitness"?
Yeah, didn't happen.
I guess I just have to figure out what exercise I enjoy enough, or at least get enough out of, that I'm able to overcome the dread that I have every time it's time for me to go do it.
The month or so before I went to Australia my junior year of college I was living at home, since school in Australia goes March-November, as their summer is flipped from the US's. While I was living at home, my mom made me go to Jazzercise with her regularly, which I originally hated her for, but then, in spite of myself, ended up actually enjoying a bit. Which begs the question:
Is Jazzercise the only kind of exercise I will ever enjoy?
At one point I looked up nearby Jazzercise places, and one of them had a picture of women all excited to be doing Jazzercise.
Old women.
Not old like you, mom. Like, really old. Maybe in their 70s.
Am I too young for the only kind of exercise I will ever enjoy?
I suppose I should look at other options. There are exercise classes here on campus that I could look at. Each semester they also have the Try-Athalon, where you (and a buddy or two, if you want) have 3 weeks to do the equivalent to an Iron Man. I mean, between Will and I, we can totally swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles in 3 weeks. Right?
I think we're going to give it a shot. And actually do it this year, rather than just say we're going to do it and then fail to darken the door of the gym for the entire time that the Try-Athalon is happening.
So we're going to do it.
For reals.
Stop rolling your eyes.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
My blog
When I told Will I was joining NaBloPoMo, after he checked to make sure I wasn't having a stroke or something, since saying that outloud sounds pretty odd, his next question was "who reads that blog anways?" Well, according to Google Reader there are 6 people using GR on it. My guess is that I have myself, Will, Mom, Dad, and Dani, which makes me wonder who the 6th person is. Unless it's myself, but under my old gmail address before I switched from my maiden name to my married name.
My LJ was totally public for a really long time, and then it went mostly-private and now I don't use it at all (just ignore the fact that it says it was recently updated - that's an automated thingie). Part of it is that I know I ought to watch what I say in case some student I work with or potential future supervisor or someone else comes across it. My facebook is pretty guarded for the same reason - I occasionally have to unlink myself in pictures or delete the posts of friends or random JCers that I think may be inappropriate. So part of it is the question of what I need to do in order to keep it job-friendly, especially since sometimes I think that things that are job-friendly don't appear to be in hindsight. I tried the whole 365 Recipies thing since food is generally generic enough to not be troublesome, but that failed miserably. My hope is that, at one point, possibly years from now, there will be 365 recipes on it.
I've considered snarky book reviews, like BSC Revisited or Sheep Are In. But then I need the time to both read a book AND review it. Food obviously loses my interest. I can't write about entertaining student stories (or, at least, I can't publicly post them) because of FERPA and privacy and whatnot. And my life in general isn't all that entertaining, though Will and I are trying to work on living it up a bit while we're living in SoCal, since we don't know how much longer we'll live here.
So my guess is that this blog will be a bit of a combination of everything. Some cooking, when I get around to it. Snarky reviews of books (and, apparently, movies based on Disney television shows). A dash of work, when appropriate. And a smattering of my life, when it's been entertaining enough to merit it.
My LJ was totally public for a really long time, and then it went mostly-private and now I don't use it at all (just ignore the fact that it says it was recently updated - that's an automated thingie). Part of it is that I know I ought to watch what I say in case some student I work with or potential future supervisor or someone else comes across it. My facebook is pretty guarded for the same reason - I occasionally have to unlink myself in pictures or delete the posts of friends or random JCers that I think may be inappropriate. So part of it is the question of what I need to do in order to keep it job-friendly, especially since sometimes I think that things that are job-friendly don't appear to be in hindsight. I tried the whole 365 Recipies thing since food is generally generic enough to not be troublesome, but that failed miserably. My hope is that, at one point, possibly years from now, there will be 365 recipes on it.
I've considered snarky book reviews, like BSC Revisited or Sheep Are In. But then I need the time to both read a book AND review it. Food obviously loses my interest. I can't write about entertaining student stories (or, at least, I can't publicly post them) because of FERPA and privacy and whatnot. And my life in general isn't all that entertaining, though Will and I are trying to work on living it up a bit while we're living in SoCal, since we don't know how much longer we'll live here.
So my guess is that this blog will be a bit of a combination of everything. Some cooking, when I get around to it. Snarky reviews of books (and, apparently, movies based on Disney television shows). A dash of work, when appropriate. And a smattering of my life, when it's been entertaining enough to merit it.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
NaBloPoMo
So I am nowhere near the writer to consider doing NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month, where people try to write a 50,000 novel in the month of November. Nor do I particularly have the desire to. However, I've been doing this blogging/journaling/whatnot thing on and off since 2000 when I discovered livejournal as a wee little freshman in college. And lately it's been more off than on. One of the blogs that I follow said that they'd be participating in NaBloPoMo which is a totally ridiculous shorthand name for National Blog Posting Month. Ridiculous name aside, I'm going to give this thingie a shot.
I don't know that I really have enough to say to post every day for the month of November, and this may prove a bit difficult on my busier weeks or weekends, and when I'm out of town, but I'll give it a shot anyways. So, let's see if this lasts a day, a week, or I actually make it through the month!
I don't know that I really have enough to say to post every day for the month of November, and this may prove a bit difficult on my busier weeks or weekends, and when I'm out of town, but I'll give it a shot anyways. So, let's see if this lasts a day, a week, or I actually make it through the month!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
So I've been sick for the past few days and after watching countless episodes of Charmed (which apparently I watch now) and playing hours upon hours of Farmville on facebook (come be my neighbor!) I've started watching movies we have around the house.
It started with The Thomas Crowne Affair, which is always fun. Then Will went off to watch some deeply disturbing movie that he didn't invite me to because he knew I'd probably never recover from, and I decided to go the opposite route and watch Center Stage. Which is always a fun dance feel-good movie. Then I discovered that I also own The Baby-sitters Club movie, which, who knew? Also, did you know that they have episodes of the tv-show on YouTube? Now I know what I'll be watching tomorrow!
I'm currently watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which I also didn't realize I had. This movie? Is kind of ridiculous.
So Lizzie graduates from the eighth grade (which, am I the only one who went to a school that didn't have an actual graduation for the 8th grade? The first time I got to wear those fashionable gowns and flat caps was when I finished high school) and then went on a school trip to Rome, with her bff Gordo (who has a crush on her, but she doesn't know it) and her archenemy Kate (who she ends up rooming with, of course). As with most 13 year olds who go on school trips to Rome, it turns out she looks EXACTLY like a Italian signer that's one half of a famous duo, except Lizzie's a blonde and Isabella's a brunette. She meets Paulo, who's all "Hi strange American girl who has never heard of me, let's go around Italy alone together." And Lizzie's all "Sure!" Because she is an idiot. She hops on his little motorcycle thing and goes through the streets of Italy, with a strange boy, basically unsupervised. What are these people thinking? This is a REALLY BAD IDEA. Anyways, Isabella's MIA for some reason I didn't catch, but they're supposed to perform at the The International Music Video Awards so Paulo convinces her to perform with him, saying she can lip sync and they'll play a track in the background.
As a side note, I fail to understand why, if Isabella is such a HUGE musician that she's presenting at the The International Music Video Awards, why no one has told Lizzie that she looks like her. I mean, they may live in middle America, but these people sing English songs, so I don't know why there's not one person who hasn't seen a picture of her before and was like "Hey, Lizzie, here's your double, but with brown hair."
So anyways, Paulo and Lizziebella go around town, because apparently they have lots of free time that they don't need to spend learning the choreography for the awards show, and pose for pictures and sign stuff. At one point, when she's signing some guy's arm she writes Liz, then realizes she's supposed to be Isabella, not Lizzie, and then scratches it out and writes Isabella. Why are these people so stupid? That's totally obvious. I mean, she dyed her hair AND she forgot her name in the same week? Something is up, guys.
They spend an afternoon on the choreography for the show, because apparently that's all they need, and Paulo teaches her that when you lip sync you should sing also, because it looks more real, and the volume on your mike is down anyways. While they're out doing that, the teacher decides to go check on Lizzie and realizes she's not there, and then Gordo said it was all a ruse so that HE could sneak out, and the principal in charge of the trip, instead of being all "Um, that makes no sense, because she's not here, but you are," is all "I KNEW you were trouble!" and sends Gordo home.
Apparently when you send a 13 year old boy home from Rome it consists of buying him a ticket and dropping him off at the gate, without ensuring that he actually gets on the plane. Because, sure enough, he doesn't, because he runs into Isabella who tells him Paulo is trouble - he always lip syncs, but he's not going to put the track for Lizziebella this time, so she will singing for real, sound horrible, and ruin her career. But they find Lizzie in the NICK of time at the concert, and Isabella uses her own voice to cover for Lizzie, and turns down Paulo's track, so the world hears his voice.
And damn is it bad.
How is Paulo SUCH a bad singer? (see 1:15) Like, I could get that he's not amazing or whatever, but this boy sounds like a 13 year old whose voice is in the middle of cracking. It's really, really bad. How did he become a singer in the first place? Of course he gets found out, and then Isabella convinces Lizzie, who as far as I remember has never had any singing training in the series (and I'd know, because I watched this show regularly when I was in college) to sing onstage, sans track, in front of thousands. And sounds good. What? I mean, I get it, Hillary Duff needed to boost her singing career, but can we have a little setup or realism here? Also, Paulo should have probably found out whether or not Lizzie's voice was good, because since she's apparently amazing his plan wouldn't have worked anyways, since Lizzie can actually sing.
After the performance they go back to the hotel, and Lizzie's parents (who flew all the way to Rome because they missed her, which, WHAT? and then managed to get to the performance in the NICK of time and see it) tell her she's grounded for the rest of the summer and she kisses Gordo on top of the hotel looking over Rome. And then there are fireworks, which I'm not sure if they're meant to be metaphorical or if that was just really good timing for the kiss. Aaaaaand, credits.
This movie is completely ridiculous. And I own it. And will watch it again. Go figure.
It started with The Thomas Crowne Affair, which is always fun. Then Will went off to watch some deeply disturbing movie that he didn't invite me to because he knew I'd probably never recover from, and I decided to go the opposite route and watch Center Stage. Which is always a fun dance feel-good movie. Then I discovered that I also own The Baby-sitters Club movie, which, who knew? Also, did you know that they have episodes of the tv-show on YouTube? Now I know what I'll be watching tomorrow!
I'm currently watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which I also didn't realize I had. This movie? Is kind of ridiculous.
So Lizzie graduates from the eighth grade (which, am I the only one who went to a school that didn't have an actual graduation for the 8th grade? The first time I got to wear those fashionable gowns and flat caps was when I finished high school) and then went on a school trip to Rome, with her bff Gordo (who has a crush on her, but she doesn't know it) and her archenemy Kate (who she ends up rooming with, of course). As with most 13 year olds who go on school trips to Rome, it turns out she looks EXACTLY like a Italian signer that's one half of a famous duo, except Lizzie's a blonde and Isabella's a brunette. She meets Paulo, who's all "Hi strange American girl who has never heard of me, let's go around Italy alone together." And Lizzie's all "Sure!" Because she is an idiot. She hops on his little motorcycle thing and goes through the streets of Italy, with a strange boy, basically unsupervised. What are these people thinking? This is a REALLY BAD IDEA. Anyways, Isabella's MIA for some reason I didn't catch, but they're supposed to perform at the The International Music Video Awards so Paulo convinces her to perform with him, saying she can lip sync and they'll play a track in the background.
As a side note, I fail to understand why, if Isabella is such a HUGE musician that she's presenting at the The International Music Video Awards, why no one has told Lizzie that she looks like her. I mean, they may live in middle America, but these people sing English songs, so I don't know why there's not one person who hasn't seen a picture of her before and was like "Hey, Lizzie, here's your double, but with brown hair."
So anyways, Paulo and Lizziebella go around town, because apparently they have lots of free time that they don't need to spend learning the choreography for the awards show, and pose for pictures and sign stuff. At one point, when she's signing some guy's arm she writes Liz, then realizes she's supposed to be Isabella, not Lizzie, and then scratches it out and writes Isabella. Why are these people so stupid? That's totally obvious. I mean, she dyed her hair AND she forgot her name in the same week? Something is up, guys.
They spend an afternoon on the choreography for the show, because apparently that's all they need, and Paulo teaches her that when you lip sync you should sing also, because it looks more real, and the volume on your mike is down anyways. While they're out doing that, the teacher decides to go check on Lizzie and realizes she's not there, and then Gordo said it was all a ruse so that HE could sneak out, and the principal in charge of the trip, instead of being all "Um, that makes no sense, because she's not here, but you are," is all "I KNEW you were trouble!" and sends Gordo home.
Apparently when you send a 13 year old boy home from Rome it consists of buying him a ticket and dropping him off at the gate, without ensuring that he actually gets on the plane. Because, sure enough, he doesn't, because he runs into Isabella who tells him Paulo is trouble - he always lip syncs, but he's not going to put the track for Lizziebella this time, so she will singing for real, sound horrible, and ruin her career. But they find Lizzie in the NICK of time at the concert, and Isabella uses her own voice to cover for Lizzie, and turns down Paulo's track, so the world hears his voice.
And damn is it bad.
How is Paulo SUCH a bad singer? (see 1:15) Like, I could get that he's not amazing or whatever, but this boy sounds like a 13 year old whose voice is in the middle of cracking. It's really, really bad. How did he become a singer in the first place? Of course he gets found out, and then Isabella convinces Lizzie, who as far as I remember has never had any singing training in the series (and I'd know, because I watched this show regularly when I was in college) to sing onstage, sans track, in front of thousands. And sounds good. What? I mean, I get it, Hillary Duff needed to boost her singing career, but can we have a little setup or realism here? Also, Paulo should have probably found out whether or not Lizzie's voice was good, because since she's apparently amazing his plan wouldn't have worked anyways, since Lizzie can actually sing.
After the performance they go back to the hotel, and Lizzie's parents (who flew all the way to Rome because they missed her, which, WHAT? and then managed to get to the performance in the NICK of time and see it) tell her she's grounded for the rest of the summer and she kisses Gordo on top of the hotel looking over Rome. And then there are fireworks, which I'm not sure if they're meant to be metaphorical or if that was just really good timing for the kiss. Aaaaaand, credits.
This movie is completely ridiculous. And I own it. And will watch it again. Go figure.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Discoveries in LA
Yesterday on our way to dinner with some friends at Umamai Burger (omg, I love this place) Will and I passed through the Byzantine Latino Quarter. I didn't know such a place even existed!
And it smelled really good.
We have decided that we ought to explore later, during the day.
And it smelled really good.
We have decided that we ought to explore later, during the day.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
I run now!
I ran the Disneyland 5k today! Well, I walked/ran it, with my goal to be under 45 minutes, and ended at 43. My coworker Jen and I had been talking about it for months, so I'm glad that we finally did it! She ended in 38 minutes, and Will ended in 34.
Will and me before
Jen and me after
Of course now I'm all sore and wishing I'd signed up for a massage or something tomorrow, but I should be fine by Monday, when I'm going back to Disneyland (this time the park itself) for my birthday.
Because I turn 28. And feel oooooold.
Will and me before
Jen and me afterOf course now I'm all sore and wishing I'd signed up for a massage or something tomorrow, but I should be fine by Monday, when I'm going back to Disneyland (this time the park itself) for my birthday.
Because I turn 28. And feel oooooold.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Overheard at the campus convenience store today:
five guys, huddled in a corner, right by the plastic cups
guy 1: Is this enough?
guy 2: Dude, you totally need more than one pack to play beer pong
guy 3: Sh*t! There's the RD!
guy 2: Just buy the one, let's go before she hears us.
(she heard them)
They live in my building, but I don't know faces to names yet, so I couldn't track them down. Let my RAs know, though.
five guys, huddled in a corner, right by the plastic cups
guy 1: Is this enough?
guy 2: Dude, you totally need more than one pack to play beer pong
guy 3: Sh*t! There's the RD!
guy 2: Just buy the one, let's go before she hears us.
(she heard them)
They live in my building, but I don't know faces to names yet, so I couldn't track them down. Let my RAs know, though.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Library Fun
So I've been going to the library with some regularity over the summer to borrow books as opposed to buying them, reading them once, and then letting them gather dust on the shelf. Since the way the books are set up is kind of annoying to me as far as browsing is concerned, I've been just putting books I've found in their catalog on hold, and then coming to pick them up when they're ready.
I noticed today, that I've been a little thematic with my books. Last time, I picked up three books: Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, and Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite.
Today I picked up 2 more books that were thematic, but were a completely different theme: Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, and Wishful Drinking.
So either they think I'm a fundamentalist evangelical with a drinking problem, or an alcoholic who is trying to find God.
I noticed today, that I've been a little thematic with my books. Last time, I picked up three books: Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, and Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite.
Today I picked up 2 more books that were thematic, but were a completely different theme: Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, and Wishful Drinking.
So either they think I'm a fundamentalist evangelical with a drinking problem, or an alcoholic who is trying to find God.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Pictures!
Pictures from our trip have been posted! I'm still working on entries, which I'll backdate, but then post about at the top.
Pictures!
I didn't leave the apartment at all on Tuesday, but was forced out on Wednesday in order to go to the gym (still sore!) and then to dinner at Umami Burger which has risen to the Best Burger In LA According to Carmen (even though their sides leave something to be desired). Really good. In fact, kind of craving one today...
Pictures!
I didn't leave the apartment at all on Tuesday, but was forced out on Wednesday in order to go to the gym (still sore!) and then to dinner at Umami Burger which has risen to the Best Burger In LA According to Carmen (even though their sides leave something to be desired). Really good. In fact, kind of craving one today...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
River Kwai and POW Museum
Showering on a train - not that bad. It helps that there are handrails all over to grab on to when the train jerks to a sudden stop, or moves forward really quickly all of a sudden.
They came over the loudspeaker to tell us to meet at the center of the train to disembark for the River Kwai station. From there, we took a barge down the river to a Chinese temple, and loaded busses to take us to the POW Museum and cemetary.
our train on the bridge over the River Kwai
The river was scenic, and there were all kinds of houses along it. While we were on the barge, one of the founders of the museum spoke to us about the history of the bridge and the events leading up to it. It was pretty fascinating.
The museum was really interesting, but also really depressing. They had displays about the POWs and the situations they lived and worked in. Most were Australian, British, and Dutch, but there were also a few Americans, and a large number of Asian workers that were not POWs but lived in similar (and often worse, because they didn't have a military hierarchy to help develop a structure) conditions.
The cemetary was huge, and, of course, a bit depressing. There were flowers that had been placed in our room the night before, and we brought them with us to place on the graves.
POW Cemetary
After the cemetary we boarded the train again, and finished up our Malaysia and Singapore paperwork so that we could pass them and our passports to our Steward for border issues. I'm apparently a bit of a control freak, because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of giving the passports to someone else, but we went ahead and did it. And then I napped, as it is a favorite passtime of mine.
Lunch, again, was amazing, and then we went to the bar car for a tropical fruit exhibition. I always thought I wasn't a big fruit person, but apparently I make exceptions for South East Asian fruit, because it was all pretty amazing.
lunch menu
We got afternoon tea served in our cabin, and are now just lounging around, reading and typing up entries on Defiant (the name of our laptop, which I have nicknamed Little D), while observing the awesome Thai countryside. Will's doing his nap now, since we have another 9:15 call time for dinner, and have been told that this meal we'll be seated with another couple (we were alone again for lunch), so we need to make sure we're awake enough to be *on*!
They came over the loudspeaker to tell us to meet at the center of the train to disembark for the River Kwai station. From there, we took a barge down the river to a Chinese temple, and loaded busses to take us to the POW Museum and cemetary.
our train on the bridge over the River Kwai
The river was scenic, and there were all kinds of houses along it. While we were on the barge, one of the founders of the museum spoke to us about the history of the bridge and the events leading up to it. It was pretty fascinating.
The museum was really interesting, but also really depressing. They had displays about the POWs and the situations they lived and worked in. Most were Australian, British, and Dutch, but there were also a few Americans, and a large number of Asian workers that were not POWs but lived in similar (and often worse, because they didn't have a military hierarchy to help develop a structure) conditions.
The cemetary was huge, and, of course, a bit depressing. There were flowers that had been placed in our room the night before, and we brought them with us to place on the graves.
POW Cemetary
After the cemetary we boarded the train again, and finished up our Malaysia and Singapore paperwork so that we could pass them and our passports to our Steward for border issues. I'm apparently a bit of a control freak, because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of giving the passports to someone else, but we went ahead and did it. And then I napped, as it is a favorite passtime of mine.
Lunch, again, was amazing, and then we went to the bar car for a tropical fruit exhibition. I always thought I wasn't a big fruit person, but apparently I make exceptions for South East Asian fruit, because it was all pretty amazing.
lunch menu
We got afternoon tea served in our cabin, and are now just lounging around, reading and typing up entries on Defiant (the name of our laptop, which I have nicknamed Little D), while observing the awesome Thai countryside. Will's doing his nap now, since we have another 9:15 call time for dinner, and have been told that this meal we'll be seated with another couple (we were alone again for lunch), so we need to make sure we're awake enough to be *on*!
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