I know everyone has been saying F 2016... get it out of here, blah blah blah. And when I think of the tough times, I agree. Horrible to lose some important family members of both Sky and I. Sad to see what is happening to America with politics. Difficult times with cancer of loved ones. It's rough to think through all of this. It all makes me feel so helpless as well. I don't want to not mention these hard times as they help shape today but for this post, I want to talk about the great things of 2016 and what tomorrow holds.
Well to start, Sky and I have been having a blast traveling! Ski trips to A-Basin and Taos. A European vaca to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Finland and Iceland. Two trips to Gila for the 4th of July and Thanksgiving. Our annual Glenwood Springs trip with Petey for our birthdays and 3-year anniversary. Great weekends away with our dear friends Kaiti and Stefan to Ruidoso for Oktoberfest and camping in the Rio Grande National Forest. Lots of work trips for me to California, North Carolina, Chicago and my second home, Philadelphia. And finally, Aspen, where we got engaged and Jackson Hole for New Years this week.
I had the pleasure of meeting more of Skyler's family and friends. And under sad circumstances, Skyler got to meet a lot of my Texas family. We hosted our first ever annual Derby party which was the best party I've ever hosted! Despite the weather, the company, booze and food were fabulous! A week after getting engaged, we expanded our family with the addition of Layla, the newfie. She's already more than doubled in size! She's super fun and Petey and her have a blast together. Outside of all the personal stuff, I've had an amazing opportunity with my job. I'm so thankful for such a great job, boss and company.
Next year, we have tons to look forward to... Jackson Hole New Years, Cuba, ski trips to Telluride and Aspen and many more trips to Philly. We will be remodeling part of the house to create a master suite. On top of traveling and remodeling, I go into the new year with a renewed focus on health and fitness (a great excuse as a bride, HA I'm a bride!!). I also continue to have the opportunity to have a great job. I love my boss, my job and my company. I look forward to another year to grow my career. And thanks to my career, I paid off tons of debt in 2016! I go into next year with barely any student loan money left to pay off. I will have paid my loans off a year and half in advance of my goal!
And the best part of next year, Skyler and I will be getting married in Gila! I can't wait to say my forevers to Skyler. He is the best partner, best friend and lover I could ever ask for. We plan to likely celebrate our honeymoon at the end of the year in the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Can't wait to go on another adventure with my honey and my new husband!
2017 should be amazing. Puppy love, lots of travel, health goals and getting married! Life is good. Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Don't be like everyone else. It is overrated.
Everyone has been to Europe. Everyone has been everywhere. Everywhere has done that and this and it was so epic. And didn't you love it as much as they did? And aren't we lucky we can travel the world. And so on and so forth.
My boyfriend and I recently went to Europe about three months. I won't go into every wonderful, excruciating detail of the trip but I do want to give highlights and some recommendations!
Belgium, Amsterdam, northern Germany, Prague, Finland and Iceland. I won't deny, I'm with the masses that Belgium has amazing food, chocolate and beer. The people are not as lovely but they are French so you can't really fault them for not being uber friendly. It's okay not to love everything on your vacation. It's your money! Enjoy it or not!
For some reason, people talk about Amsterdam like it's so liberal. And yes it is! But it's also a wonderfully, friendly International city with tons to offer. It's gorgeous, affordable and the people are fab. You can easily stay in the Museum district and get around town. Bike, foot, tram and even Uber! We had a blast still finding Belgian beer, exploring town and having all sorts of delicious food. Don't miss out on Amsterdam because you are afraid of the drug and prostitution scene. You don't even have to really see it if you don't want to.
Northern Germany. It's beautiful and sad all the at the same time. Hamburg, Schwerin and Berlin. A quick few days and then it was on to Prague.
And this is where everyone joins in and says "Prague! So amazing! Such a great city. Blah blah blah." Then I stop listening. Don't get me wrong, Prague is gorgeous. Who doesn't love another European canal city? Side note, no idea that we basically planned a canal city tour but we did! Maybe that's Europe, any way. Back to Prague. It was charming. We did not love all of the graffiti however. The food was a bit heavy for us and after having Belgian beer, we were left wanting. The clubs. I think we would have had more fun in Prague in our 20s (well Sky is in his 20s but let's just act like he's not). We couldn't stand the smoke inside. Just being around it in Central Europe was making us feel a little sick. Just because everything wasn't perfect doesn't mean we didn't appreciate each and every experience.
Next was the lovely country of Finland. Easy to love Finland with a local guide, one of Skyler's dear friends from college. Joonas made Finland the highlight. We got great food, beer, cider, accommodations, activities and the best company. The cider is REALLY good. I wish I could find cider like this in Denver since we have basically everything else. From a private flight around Helsinki to the summer lake house to literally running off the road to watch a rally car race, everything was lovely. That reminds me, we need to try to cook the Salmon the way they did!
After Finland, we were almost done with our trip, just a few short 1.5 days left. We took a quick flight on Icelandair over to Reykjavik. Again, another destination that that everyone raves about. And it is so beautiful. It is so interesting. And is it SO EXPENSIVE. Lol. Yes, makes sense. It is an island far away from anything else. Let me start by says Icelandair offers a great deal for a stopover and we got a direct flight to Denver. A great deal to go to an expensive place... Our little tiny rental car was $250 or something plus $60 in gas for 1.5 days. The food, well, I don't think we really experienced it cause we are such cheap skates. Don't judge me! I'm not going to throw my money away on vacation if I don't want to. The island is beautiful and looking back at the pictures, the island photographs so well. But do you know what? Colorado is pretty beautiful too! So similar to what we have here and even in New Mexico. Throw in Northern California, Oregon and Washington (and the beaches in Florida) and we have got a lot of amazing stuff! Iceland was pretty and maybe if we were more outdoorsy, we would have had a different time. Maybe if we had hit Iceland first instead of day 20 of 21, we would have felt different. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful place to visit.
Now on to our next adventure... Cuba!
My boyfriend and I recently went to Europe about three months. I won't go into every wonderful, excruciating detail of the trip but I do want to give highlights and some recommendations!
Belgium, Amsterdam, northern Germany, Prague, Finland and Iceland. I won't deny, I'm with the masses that Belgium has amazing food, chocolate and beer. The people are not as lovely but they are French so you can't really fault them for not being uber friendly. It's okay not to love everything on your vacation. It's your money! Enjoy it or not!
For some reason, people talk about Amsterdam like it's so liberal. And yes it is! But it's also a wonderfully, friendly International city with tons to offer. It's gorgeous, affordable and the people are fab. You can easily stay in the Museum district and get around town. Bike, foot, tram and even Uber! We had a blast still finding Belgian beer, exploring town and having all sorts of delicious food. Don't miss out on Amsterdam because you are afraid of the drug and prostitution scene. You don't even have to really see it if you don't want to.
Northern Germany. It's beautiful and sad all the at the same time. Hamburg, Schwerin and Berlin. A quick few days and then it was on to Prague.
And this is where everyone joins in and says "Prague! So amazing! Such a great city. Blah blah blah." Then I stop listening. Don't get me wrong, Prague is gorgeous. Who doesn't love another European canal city? Side note, no idea that we basically planned a canal city tour but we did! Maybe that's Europe, any way. Back to Prague. It was charming. We did not love all of the graffiti however. The food was a bit heavy for us and after having Belgian beer, we were left wanting. The clubs. I think we would have had more fun in Prague in our 20s (well Sky is in his 20s but let's just act like he's not). We couldn't stand the smoke inside. Just being around it in Central Europe was making us feel a little sick. Just because everything wasn't perfect doesn't mean we didn't appreciate each and every experience.
Next was the lovely country of Finland. Easy to love Finland with a local guide, one of Skyler's dear friends from college. Joonas made Finland the highlight. We got great food, beer, cider, accommodations, activities and the best company. The cider is REALLY good. I wish I could find cider like this in Denver since we have basically everything else. From a private flight around Helsinki to the summer lake house to literally running off the road to watch a rally car race, everything was lovely. That reminds me, we need to try to cook the Salmon the way they did!
After Finland, we were almost done with our trip, just a few short 1.5 days left. We took a quick flight on Icelandair over to Reykjavik. Again, another destination that that everyone raves about. And it is so beautiful. It is so interesting. And is it SO EXPENSIVE. Lol. Yes, makes sense. It is an island far away from anything else. Let me start by says Icelandair offers a great deal for a stopover and we got a direct flight to Denver. A great deal to go to an expensive place... Our little tiny rental car was $250 or something plus $60 in gas for 1.5 days. The food, well, I don't think we really experienced it cause we are such cheap skates. Don't judge me! I'm not going to throw my money away on vacation if I don't want to. The island is beautiful and looking back at the pictures, the island photographs so well. But do you know what? Colorado is pretty beautiful too! So similar to what we have here and even in New Mexico. Throw in Northern California, Oregon and Washington (and the beaches in Florida) and we have got a lot of amazing stuff! Iceland was pretty and maybe if we were more outdoorsy, we would have had a different time. Maybe if we had hit Iceland first instead of day 20 of 21, we would have felt different. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful place to visit.
Now on to our next adventure... Cuba!
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Life is too short not to travel
Yesterday I posted an album on Facebook from our summer Europe trip. Hours before that we booked our airline tickets to Cuba for January. I sit here listening to Cuban music feeling so ready to travel again even though we have only been back 3 months!This post is really dedicated to publishing a list. A list of where I've been, where I (we) want to go and what's coming soon.
Okay where I've been:
- United States - 41 states plus Puerto Rico (only missing the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi, New Hamphire, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Vermont)
- Mexico
- Belize
- Guatemala
- British Virgin Islands
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- Russia
- UK
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- New Zealand
- Australia
Where we want to go and what's coming soon:
- Cuba - tix booked for 2017
- Alaska - planned in 2017
- Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam (again, cause, why not!)
- Argentina, Chile and Peru
- Spain, southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Poland
- Fiji and Tahiti
- New Zealand and Australia (again for Sky!)
- Nepal and South Africa
- Brazil and Columbia
- United States: Maine and Vermont
- United States: Hawaii (again for Sky)
- BVIs (again cause it's sailing and it's amazing)
- Canada
Sky and I were talking that within one month we will have been to two top ski resorts in the country (Jackson Hole and Telluride) and also to Cuba! Life is good people! That is all for today.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
It's about who you know
In the last few months, I have been hit up by a lot of old co-workers to help them get in the door at my company. I get it, this is basically a requirement these days in order to find a job. I won't lie my last company and present, were the same way. It's like whoring yourself out to old co-workers hoping they liked you enough and thought highly enough of you to then whore themselves out for you. I'm thankful for my job and how I got it.
This is where the post turns borderline angry. A past co-worker of mine hit me up to help her with a job. I actually helped her get a job many years back even before I knew her (she was a friend of a friend). She turned out to be smart, no doubt, but not great at her job. So after helping her once, then her hardly performing to now her asking me to help her again? By the way, I hardly know her and haven't spoke to her since the last time we worked together, I don't know, like 7 years ago? NO. I will not help you. I am into helping where it makes sense but I do not appreciate being taken advantage of.
After that "hit" up, I received four more. I will say all four that hit me up, I hold in high regard. Two of the four have tried to help me find a job in the past so it's only natural for me to offer my help. One of the four is a snarky one and hit me up for something his resume wasn't even tailored for. I let him have it. You expect me to stick my neck out for you for a Senior position and you are not even buttoned up? I know I can be a little ruthless. But I also know what it takes and appreciate people that are not going to waste my time.
I will help all of these people if I can. I will continue to help them. I know the name of the game and it really sucks! You can't just get into a company with your awesome experience anymore. But in closing, can I just ask, when you are looking to use your friends for help, be appreciative, like really appreciative because it is not just your reputation on the line anymore.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Stop trying to make money off me.
Let me start by saying, this is not meant to be an MLM bashing post but it's likely going to turn into that. We are all entitled to our own opinions so please leave if you feel you may be offended.
I really USED to like Shakeology. I believed in the product and felt fine with the cost as long as I purchased it on Ebay. I have purchased it through coaches and I have also purchased a few of the exercise and nutrition programs.
I think Beachbody has done a great job as an MLM that really doesn't make you feel like an MLM. I felt like these products benefited my life versus skin stuff or oils or tupperware or jewelry or... etc. They were about my health! ...But I eventually came to my senses. MLMs do a great job of making people feel like business owners and provide support systems for both buyers and sellers. They also do a good job of brand marketing. What I'm not sold on is that you are making money off your friends. If these are truly the best products on the market, why are they not sold in stores. Now you can order some of this stuff on Amazon and online so those pieces are being addressed at a small level but the sales and marketing of these products are primarily driven by the sales people, also known as your friends and family.
Now after recently buying more Beachbody products from someone on my FB, I finally realized it's not for me. She caught me at a low point, I've read her story and wanted to support her. But that is not a reason to spend my hard earned money, in my opinion. Enough research has shown me that all the products I've bought from an MLM, I can actually find something better for a fraction of the cost. Yes... BETTER! AND CHEAPER! Yeah, it might not be super sexy and something everyone has heard of but what the f does that matter to us anyway? Also, yes, I will acknowledge you are supporting your friend or family member who is trying to make more money or assist a stay at home mom. There's something nice there, I get it. But I for me, your salary is not my responsibility and my charity money goes to non-profits not MLMs. Okay, off soap box.
Getting into my review of Beachbody, I think the workout programs are legit IF you have the willpower to workout at home. I am just not one of those people. I have tried and done it for weeks but then life happens and I fall out of the small habit I've created. The programs seem somewhat affordable and offer a lot of variety. They are fast, interesting and there are lots of modifications available. But spending money with the goal to change something in me doesn't work. Maybe for others it does? But not for me. Workouts for me are actually easy. I was using Beachbody as a way to try new workouts but ultimately they weren't my style.
Going into Shakeology, Ffr my benefit, I wanted to do a comparison with one of my protein powders in my cabinet with Shakeology. I added another protein powder I'd like to try below as well. Here's a breakdown:
Shakeology Cafe Latte: Calories 150, Fat 2g (saturated fat 1 g & polyunsaturated fat 1g), Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 0g, Potassium 0g, Carbs 18g (fiber 5g, sugar 7g), Protein 16g
Cost: $3.50/serving via Ebay (closer to $5 if you buy from a coach)
Flavor: Decent most of the time but requires additions
Spiru-tein: Calories 110, Fat & Cholesterol 0g, Sodium 140mg, Potassium 110mg, Carbs 5g (fiber 1g, sugar 10g, other carb 4g), Protein 14g
Cost: $1/serving
Flavor: Decent most of the time but requires additions
Vega All-In One: Calories 160, Fat 6, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 30g, Potassium 230g, Carbs 10g (fiber 6g, sugar <1g 20g="" p="" protein="">Cost: $2.20/serving
Flavor: Haven't tried it yet.
The funny thing is, I wish I had done more research over the years. I would have saved myself money. But I have done it now! The carb count alone makes this an easy change for me. Carbs are the devil FOR ME! Any way.
I'm going to work through my last bag of Shakeology. I am going to start trying all flavors of Spiru-tein. My one today was already a thousand times better tasting than Shakeology. I will likely still use my portion fix containers and book to guide my nutrition (Beachbody product). It's just an easy way to drive the right portions of the right foods. Workouts... I have that down. So overall, thanks Beachbody for starting me down a better path many years ago. I've graduated and now I'm moving on!
I really USED to like Shakeology. I believed in the product and felt fine with the cost as long as I purchased it on Ebay. I have purchased it through coaches and I have also purchased a few of the exercise and nutrition programs.
I think Beachbody has done a great job as an MLM that really doesn't make you feel like an MLM. I felt like these products benefited my life versus skin stuff or oils or tupperware or jewelry or... etc. They were about my health! ...But I eventually came to my senses. MLMs do a great job of making people feel like business owners and provide support systems for both buyers and sellers. They also do a good job of brand marketing. What I'm not sold on is that you are making money off your friends. If these are truly the best products on the market, why are they not sold in stores. Now you can order some of this stuff on Amazon and online so those pieces are being addressed at a small level but the sales and marketing of these products are primarily driven by the sales people, also known as your friends and family.
Now after recently buying more Beachbody products from someone on my FB, I finally realized it's not for me. She caught me at a low point, I've read her story and wanted to support her. But that is not a reason to spend my hard earned money, in my opinion. Enough research has shown me that all the products I've bought from an MLM, I can actually find something better for a fraction of the cost. Yes... BETTER! AND CHEAPER! Yeah, it might not be super sexy and something everyone has heard of but what the f does that matter to us anyway? Also, yes, I will acknowledge you are supporting your friend or family member who is trying to make more money or assist a stay at home mom. There's something nice there, I get it. But I for me, your salary is not my responsibility and my charity money goes to non-profits not MLMs. Okay, off soap box.
Getting into my review of Beachbody, I think the workout programs are legit IF you have the willpower to workout at home. I am just not one of those people. I have tried and done it for weeks but then life happens and I fall out of the small habit I've created. The programs seem somewhat affordable and offer a lot of variety. They are fast, interesting and there are lots of modifications available. But spending money with the goal to change something in me doesn't work. Maybe for others it does? But not for me. Workouts for me are actually easy. I was using Beachbody as a way to try new workouts but ultimately they weren't my style.
Going into Shakeology, Ffr my benefit, I wanted to do a comparison with one of my protein powders in my cabinet with Shakeology. I added another protein powder I'd like to try below as well. Here's a breakdown:
Shakeology Cafe Latte: Calories 150, Fat 2g (saturated fat 1 g & polyunsaturated fat 1g), Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 0g, Potassium 0g, Carbs 18g (fiber 5g, sugar 7g), Protein 16g
Cost: $3.50/serving via Ebay (closer to $5 if you buy from a coach)
Flavor: Decent most of the time but requires additions
Spiru-tein: Calories 110, Fat & Cholesterol 0g, Sodium 140mg, Potassium 110mg, Carbs 5g (fiber 1g, sugar 10g, other carb 4g), Protein 14g
Cost: $1/serving
Flavor: Decent most of the time but requires additions
Vega All-In One: Calories 160, Fat 6, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 30g, Potassium 230g, Carbs 10g (fiber 6g, sugar <1g 20g="" p="" protein="">Cost: $2.20/serving
Flavor: Haven't tried it yet.
The funny thing is, I wish I had done more research over the years. I would have saved myself money. But I have done it now! The carb count alone makes this an easy change for me. Carbs are the devil FOR ME! Any way.
I'm going to work through my last bag of Shakeology. I am going to start trying all flavors of Spiru-tein. My one today was already a thousand times better tasting than Shakeology. I will likely still use my portion fix containers and book to guide my nutrition (Beachbody product). It's just an easy way to drive the right portions of the right foods. Workouts... I have that down. So overall, thanks Beachbody for starting me down a better path many years ago. I've graduated and now I'm moving on!
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Eating healthy sucks. There I said it!
Warning. Food rant blog spot ahead.
Eat healthy sucks. It does. For those of us that enjoy ethnic food, unless you are eating something uncommon, it's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination. Eating healthy is hard! It is a constant battle trying to keep fresh food in the house and eat it fast enough! I'm still trying to strike a balance with how much I have to go to the grocery store. Right now we don't eat our fresh food fast enough so I am thinking I'm buying too much.
It doesn't help that we are now officially tired of eating healthy. I wasn't going to say it but my sig other brought it up and I can't deny he's right. We have had breaks within the last month too so it's not like we have been perfect but those breaks haven't really done us good. I realize there has to be a balance. I realize we all fall off the horse and have to get back on. And I realize what we need to do.
But how do we go from eating healthy and hating it to eating healthy and actually enjoying it. We are trying new recipes. We are committed. We are eating more tasty fish. We are doing stuff! But let's face it, unless you plan to give up everything you love, it's not like your taste buds are going to change overnight. And what man loves veggies? Actually loves veggies? I'm not talking about the men that want to be perfect looking so of course they "love" veggies. Veggies is like my constant daily battle with myself and my sig other. I know the second we eat more of them, our bodies are immediately better. We immediately are going to lose weight, be healthier, etc. But for some reason, I struggle with preparing awesome veggies. I struggle with keeping it "fresh", no pun intended.
And let's not lie to ourselves and say a veggie burger is just as good as a fatting red meat burger. They are not even on the same playing field. You can't just replace your favorite foods with healthy foods and be good. It's not possible!
So as I sit here and drink my healthy shake (that btw, has taken me all morning to drink cause it sucks), I am annoyed. I am annoyed I have to figure out what to eat for lunch that hopefully doesn't suck. I'm annoyed that I have to be the driving force in my relationship to try to keep us eating healthy. Such is life. I know. No conclusion here but that I'll just continue to bang the drum and make healthier choices. It's not a diet. It's a life change and that doesn't happen over night.
Eat healthy sucks. It does. For those of us that enjoy ethnic food, unless you are eating something uncommon, it's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination. Eating healthy is hard! It is a constant battle trying to keep fresh food in the house and eat it fast enough! I'm still trying to strike a balance with how much I have to go to the grocery store. Right now we don't eat our fresh food fast enough so I am thinking I'm buying too much.
It doesn't help that we are now officially tired of eating healthy. I wasn't going to say it but my sig other brought it up and I can't deny he's right. We have had breaks within the last month too so it's not like we have been perfect but those breaks haven't really done us good. I realize there has to be a balance. I realize we all fall off the horse and have to get back on. And I realize what we need to do.
But how do we go from eating healthy and hating it to eating healthy and actually enjoying it. We are trying new recipes. We are committed. We are eating more tasty fish. We are doing stuff! But let's face it, unless you plan to give up everything you love, it's not like your taste buds are going to change overnight. And what man loves veggies? Actually loves veggies? I'm not talking about the men that want to be perfect looking so of course they "love" veggies. Veggies is like my constant daily battle with myself and my sig other. I know the second we eat more of them, our bodies are immediately better. We immediately are going to lose weight, be healthier, etc. But for some reason, I struggle with preparing awesome veggies. I struggle with keeping it "fresh", no pun intended.
And let's not lie to ourselves and say a veggie burger is just as good as a fatting red meat burger. They are not even on the same playing field. You can't just replace your favorite foods with healthy foods and be good. It's not possible!
So as I sit here and drink my healthy shake (that btw, has taken me all morning to drink cause it sucks), I am annoyed. I am annoyed I have to figure out what to eat for lunch that hopefully doesn't suck. I'm annoyed that I have to be the driving force in my relationship to try to keep us eating healthy. Such is life. I know. No conclusion here but that I'll just continue to bang the drum and make healthier choices. It's not a diet. It's a life change and that doesn't happen over night.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
My journey is not your destination
I'm reminded today that life is a journey, not a destination. That's something I shared with my mom recently and her response was, "you are always teaching me daughter."
Weight loss is not a destination and I need to stop thinking of it that way. I'm not just going to easily (and happily) get my "goal" weight and the world with be right again. It just isn't how that works anymore. Side note, if you think you know everything about being healthy and fit then exit my blog because I don't need that energy here. I need support, not people who want to shove their thoughts and opinions in my face. Sorry back on topic... There is no reason for me to believe this weight problem won't be a problem the rest of my life. I guess I just need to figure out what is the new routine and balance for myself AND my relationship. I can easily go at it alone but that is no fun and not supportive of my relationship, my partnership with Skyler. I need to start thinking about my lifestyle as just that, a lifestyle and not a destination to lose weight.
Yesterday Skyler and I had a discussion on how I'm as much to blame for our weight loss as he is. Now the conversation was more friendly then that but he was right. He said some of the things I like to eat are a problem. The same could definitely be said for him. I will not lie. I love my Mexican food and am not going to just give that up for the rest of my life to have a smaller ass. But, I do need to be more strategic about my food choices the majority of the time. I need to think about how what we eat effects Skyler. And Skyler needs to think about how his decisions effect me as well.
Since I've started my focus on losing weight, I've lost 4 pounds in 1.5 weeks. YAY me! This is a great start! But what worries me is we are heading into a holiday weekend with multiple friends. Not only will we be partying all the time but food choices will be limited. I'm trying to plan ahead. I'm trying to think through what exactly I should and want to eat. Exercise is not the solution to eating poorly but it doesn't hurt so I'm trying to determine when can I work out. How do I tackle this weekend without ruining my weekend and progress thus far. I've started packing. Going to pack a lot of snacks so I can spend more time munching on healthy things then not. There will be at least 2 meals I'm going to just go for it (cheat meal) because life is short and I have to find balance. But the rest of the time, I can control this. I will do it! Yesterday proved I can do this.
Yesterday we had dinner with friends at our favorite pizza joint. My boyfriend, who has already lost 5 pounds, went ahead and moderately had a cheat meal while I sat with my salmon salad. Never did I quite understand how much food could be an emotional thing for me. I felt so punished. I couldn't have my favorite beer. I couldn't have my favorite pizza. Never did I realize I looked at food as a way to make me feel rewarded. I am awesome and work hard to have the life I do so I should reward myself with food! Wait... no? Those that eat well would say, "Don't you want to reward yourself through good food that fuels you..." and all that bullshit. Haha don't get me wrong, all you healthy, perfect eaters out there are great and I wish I was you. But I'm not and I'm also not going to let my life be controlled by how perfect my body needs to look. At the end of the day, I'm always going to have love handles and a big booty. I'm not going to have super skinny legs. And all that is OKAY. I have strong legs, shoulder and decent arms. I vow to work on loving my body more and its imperfections. We, as women, are so hard on ourselves that we do more harm them good (most of the time). Women are also very hard on other women. Ladies, I challenge you, don't judge your friends, you don't know their struggle. Be supportive of each other. If we are ever going to move up on the food chain in this world, it's going to be through support not competition or judging.
In ending, I remind you and myself that change happens only if we want it to. Judgement is for the birds. And happiness is not driven by a perfect body. Happiness comes from having a full life!
Weight loss is not a destination and I need to stop thinking of it that way. I'm not just going to easily (and happily) get my "goal" weight and the world with be right again. It just isn't how that works anymore. Side note, if you think you know everything about being healthy and fit then exit my blog because I don't need that energy here. I need support, not people who want to shove their thoughts and opinions in my face. Sorry back on topic... There is no reason for me to believe this weight problem won't be a problem the rest of my life. I guess I just need to figure out what is the new routine and balance for myself AND my relationship. I can easily go at it alone but that is no fun and not supportive of my relationship, my partnership with Skyler. I need to start thinking about my lifestyle as just that, a lifestyle and not a destination to lose weight.
Yesterday Skyler and I had a discussion on how I'm as much to blame for our weight loss as he is. Now the conversation was more friendly then that but he was right. He said some of the things I like to eat are a problem. The same could definitely be said for him. I will not lie. I love my Mexican food and am not going to just give that up for the rest of my life to have a smaller ass. But, I do need to be more strategic about my food choices the majority of the time. I need to think about how what we eat effects Skyler. And Skyler needs to think about how his decisions effect me as well.
Since I've started my focus on losing weight, I've lost 4 pounds in 1.5 weeks. YAY me! This is a great start! But what worries me is we are heading into a holiday weekend with multiple friends. Not only will we be partying all the time but food choices will be limited. I'm trying to plan ahead. I'm trying to think through what exactly I should and want to eat. Exercise is not the solution to eating poorly but it doesn't hurt so I'm trying to determine when can I work out. How do I tackle this weekend without ruining my weekend and progress thus far. I've started packing. Going to pack a lot of snacks so I can spend more time munching on healthy things then not. There will be at least 2 meals I'm going to just go for it (cheat meal) because life is short and I have to find balance. But the rest of the time, I can control this. I will do it! Yesterday proved I can do this.
Yesterday we had dinner with friends at our favorite pizza joint. My boyfriend, who has already lost 5 pounds, went ahead and moderately had a cheat meal while I sat with my salmon salad. Never did I quite understand how much food could be an emotional thing for me. I felt so punished. I couldn't have my favorite beer. I couldn't have my favorite pizza. Never did I realize I looked at food as a way to make me feel rewarded. I am awesome and work hard to have the life I do so I should reward myself with food! Wait... no? Those that eat well would say, "Don't you want to reward yourself through good food that fuels you..." and all that bullshit. Haha don't get me wrong, all you healthy, perfect eaters out there are great and I wish I was you. But I'm not and I'm also not going to let my life be controlled by how perfect my body needs to look. At the end of the day, I'm always going to have love handles and a big booty. I'm not going to have super skinny legs. And all that is OKAY. I have strong legs, shoulder and decent arms. I vow to work on loving my body more and its imperfections. We, as women, are so hard on ourselves that we do more harm them good (most of the time). Women are also very hard on other women. Ladies, I challenge you, don't judge your friends, you don't know their struggle. Be supportive of each other. If we are ever going to move up on the food chain in this world, it's going to be through support not competition or judging.
In ending, I remind you and myself that change happens only if we want it to. Judgement is for the birds. And happiness is not driven by a perfect body. Happiness comes from having a full life!
Thursday, June 16, 2016
People change, but not that much.
So it's been a lot of time since my last post.
I'm not sure what's compelled me to come to my blog after all of these years. I feel like I owe an update but I really want to spend time here talking about food and exercise moving forward. I'd also like to spend some time (just today) discussing letting go of something that's been holding me back.
First I'll begin with letting go. At the beginning of April, I went to a leadership conference in North Carolina and met some really wonderful women. One thing that came up was my holding on to a bad experience I had when I left one of my old companies. I felt like I broke up with the company and I felt like I was betrayed. After spending about 7 years there and having all the support in the world, all the sudden my boss and leaders at the time didn't believe in me. To be far, they didn't seem to be supportive of anyone. I stayed 1 1/2 years after trying to "fix" myself. But I didn't change. I felt betrayed. I had given myself to company. Now that write this, I have to laugh. How did I become to tied to a COMPANY. My career was everything. Maybe this was why I chose the wrong guys then (I'm sure my mom would agree)?
Any way, fast forward to North Carolina where I met a very inspirational women named Teresa. I told her a little about my story. She was very familiar with my industry and laughed (in a sweet and understanding way). She identified with me. She also laughed and said, "Girl, you have got to let that stuff go!". I laughed. She was right. It's been 2 1/2 years and I'm still holding on to nothing that did me good. Those people that hurt me are not even there anymore! And ultimately, I know my worth. It's why I'm in the job I'm in today. So as I step forward in my career and life, I let go. I'm letting go. I'm a different person now to. I don't want to be the person I was. I don't want to give my soul to a company. I also will not allow a few random jerks to define my worth in the workplace. And I will not view their dislike towards me as a setback. You can't please everyone so stop trying. I'm here to tell you!
Now on to the boring part, food and exercise. It's interesting, opening up my blog and reading past entries. I have to admit, I sound a bit crazy haha. But I do miss the passion I had and the experience I was getting with running. I look back and know that running was a solution to a failed (or many) relationship. Today, I look at it as a nice time to spend time with my dog and clear my head. It's a nice time for me to destress about life and work. There is something so personal about running that's hard to describe. I don't just like running for the benefits, I like running because it's all ME.
So today, I deal with a bum knee that is getting better daily. Apparently I have some inflammation syndrome. Silly stuff! And as much as I'd love to run another marathon, I don't think it's in the cards for me. The time commitment is overwhelming especially because I travel for work and because I don't want to be away from Skyler. And then the body commitment, it is not really healthy for most to run that long of distances. Just not great on your joints. Also, given all my knee pain, Skyler would probably kill me if I tried! Moving forward, I'm going to work to improve any way I can. Exercise is crucial to my well-being and running has to be apart of it.
And food. Oh food how I love thee. Vacation, for whatever reason, was a big realization for both Skyler and I. We have gained enough weight that we are now no longer comfortable. I mean, I haven't been comfortable for a few years now but Skyler made me feel okay so I continued to try but I didn't always give it my all. Making food an emotional outlet was so easy to do. Making food a comfort was also so easy. It's also a great pastime with Skyler (I'm talking booze too just to be clear). But enough is enough. Making a change seems easier now but day by day, it is literally the most difficult part of my day. How crazy is that! Choosing a healthy lifestyle feels impossible in a lot of ways. But it's possible. Day 2 is today. We are going to do this. We have to do this! I plan to document our progress here.
In other news, I'm still love with Skyler, the dog still rules and our house is epic. Life is good people and I have never been happier and more excited for what the future will bring.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
2013. What. A. Year.
I have to say I'm very happy 2013 is over. It was great in a lot of ways. It was also really horrible in a million ways. I realized I needed to reflect on 2013 to truly start over. So let's do that here.
2013. What a ffing year! So Kristin, what have you been up to? Well, I got a new job, new dog, new house and a new, amazing boyfriend. Yeah, life has been busy. Life has been amazing. But you can't truly appreciate the amazing things in life without having... well.. not such amazing things. Where do I begin? I think I should start with my job. What could I write that is appropriate for the public? What could I write that would be representative of what happened? Well, the net of is, I can't write what I want. I've already told my closest friends (including lovely boyfriend) of what happened or didn't happened. I've already said the things I've needed to say. And I've already drank enough to know I'm better than all of that. So in conclusion, I really couldn't pass up the opportunity I'm in now. And I couldn't deny this was right for me. A chapter of my life ended. It ended. And to this day, I still have nightmares. I still reminisce. I still miss those I worked with. I miss my history. But what I don't miss? Ha, I don't need to share. I'm happy now. My new company is fantastic and I hope I will do great things for them. I will do great things for them. I will. That's it. And there doesn't need to be more.
Moving on! House. I talked about selling my house for... a while... since I was with the crazy ex. Well if you know me at all, I commit to the things I say. So I sold my first house (for a profit, go me!) in May. Almost five years to the date that I bought it. It's so weird to think how different life is now. Okay... I sold... Oh shit, now I need to find a place to live? Renting was a joke. What a waste of money for where I wanted to live. I guess it was time to buy again. Buying was a joke too! Nothing was on the market. I found one place and then I was out bid five times. I bid full price for the record. Turns out I'm not rich so I lost that battle. I saw another home come on the market four days later. I hated the garage but I looked at the listing and KNEW I would bid. 20 minutes after my closing on my house (buhbye) I went and saw my new house. I wouldn't describe it as this euphoric situation. I would describe it as feeling home. Feeling like, even though I had not decorated, even though I had not painted, etc, I felt like this is where I should be. So I bid. I bid early and I bid way over. I remember going back and forth with my mom and what I should bid. I remember where we were sitting when we had this conversation. This was... after all.... my life I was bidding on. Yeah it's corny but I won. I won my house (at least at this point). I went to closing and the seller looked like a different version of my grandma who passed away. I believe in signs and this was definitely one. It was moving. And then the seller's agent broke out creme brulee and champagne with raspberries. Literally my favorite things. If you don't believe in signs, how can you look at this and not see that something in this universe was right? It was right. And after I bought this house, my life changed.
You already know I found a new job after I bought this house. I also found my dog and my boyfriend. I'm going to start with my dog and save the boyfriend for last (since obviously that's the best part). My dog. Pete Kinnaird. Petey rather. I met Petey at the end of July on a whim. A friend posted a picture of Pete (Bones) to her Facebook. I saw it and started crying. Yes, this happened. And then I knew he was my dog. For the record (yes, I like this phrase), I wasn't even lookng for a dog!!! I wasn't. Jeez, a dog is a lot of responsibility and I'm never home. What was I even thinking?? I wasn't. I left work before my doctor's appt to go... get him. I know. I know. I sent a picture to my mom that morning trying to get her opinion. She didn't even help! She just told me he was cute and left it at that. I expected my mother to tell me not to get the dog. Well, she didn't. I went to the rescue and Petey (Bones) wasn't in his kennel. I was heartbroken! So I waited. He was still there and they brought him to me. He was uninterested. He was scared. I was worried. What was I doing? I told the rescue I'd be back. Maybe this dog wasn't right for me? I went to my doctor appointment and then I came back. My dear friend Jess recommended her mom meet me. I had never met her mom but I needed help and Jess was always helpful. I didn't want to walk away from this dog. Her mom met me there and we met Pete (Bones) again. He was different. He was more open. She was the freaking dog whisperer and in that moment I knew he was meant for me. Pete was meant for me!!! I pulled the trigger. Why the hell not. Life is short. Live to the fullest and shit like that right? Long story short, Bones' name is Petey now and he's absolutely the best thing ever. He's my favorite. He's amazing. And I am utterly thankful for him.
Okay... Job.. House... Dog... Now... my love. Let me start by saying I hope (I pray) this all isn't in vain. Blah... okay! Schuyler. Skyler. I met Skyler before I bought my house. I remember seeing him in the park one summer day I went to play volleyball. I introduced myself and he promptly told me he was hungover. Ha awesome. I won't shake hands! Don't worry! Shortly after that, someone was talking to him and asked about him moving. He was moving to D.C. (In my head) Okay, moving on. The cute guy was moving. Blah blah day over. I saw Sky again July 4th. Oh no, the cute guy again. I was tying to meet others so there was Skyler. He befriended me and fed me booze. It was like koolaid for the record. We laughed and hung out. Many hours later I found out he was five years younger than me! Shit. This is really never going to work!! Fast forward like one hour to the bar and then Skyler left (without saying goodbye). He added me on FB the next day and apologized for leaving. That was that. A few weeks later (in Mexico) I got a FB message from him asking if I would play in a tournament with him. I wanted to but should I? My friend Jess told me to basically "get it." Why not? I wanted to play and he was totally cute. What was it going to hurt? I knew I wasn't very good but why not? He's sweet, he probably won't be too upset. Fast forward to the tournament... I was bad. I was really bad. He didn't bring the beer he promised and I was really uncomfortable. It was over.... he was sweet and then we hung out the rest of the day. I'll spare you the details cause the rest is history. I tried to date Skyler thinking it was just fun summer fling until I fell in love with him. So fast forward AGAIN. Skyler lives in D.C. We are totally in love. It's all serious and shit. Yep. I know. Did I I forgot to mention he's totally amazing?
As I write this, I realize I left out the majority of the bad things. Like my job. Like my house. Like my stalker. Like my car. Like my money (or lack of) or etc. I left out that a dear, new friend has changed my life (Lana). I left out my family's and friend's support through this time. I left out some amazing memories like Vegas... Avon... Breck... etc. I left out a lot. But I want to be clear. I am so thankful for everything. "Without suffering, there would be no compassion." I am thankful.
I am thankful.
Thank YOU.
Welcome 2014. I can't wait to see what you have planned.
2013. What a ffing year! So Kristin, what have you been up to? Well, I got a new job, new dog, new house and a new, amazing boyfriend. Yeah, life has been busy. Life has been amazing. But you can't truly appreciate the amazing things in life without having... well.. not such amazing things. Where do I begin? I think I should start with my job. What could I write that is appropriate for the public? What could I write that would be representative of what happened? Well, the net of is, I can't write what I want. I've already told my closest friends (including lovely boyfriend) of what happened or didn't happened. I've already said the things I've needed to say. And I've already drank enough to know I'm better than all of that. So in conclusion, I really couldn't pass up the opportunity I'm in now. And I couldn't deny this was right for me. A chapter of my life ended. It ended. And to this day, I still have nightmares. I still reminisce. I still miss those I worked with. I miss my history. But what I don't miss? Ha, I don't need to share. I'm happy now. My new company is fantastic and I hope I will do great things for them. I will do great things for them. I will. That's it. And there doesn't need to be more.
Moving on! House. I talked about selling my house for... a while... since I was with the crazy ex. Well if you know me at all, I commit to the things I say. So I sold my first house (for a profit, go me!) in May. Almost five years to the date that I bought it. It's so weird to think how different life is now. Okay... I sold... Oh shit, now I need to find a place to live? Renting was a joke. What a waste of money for where I wanted to live. I guess it was time to buy again. Buying was a joke too! Nothing was on the market. I found one place and then I was out bid five times. I bid full price for the record. Turns out I'm not rich so I lost that battle. I saw another home come on the market four days later. I hated the garage but I looked at the listing and KNEW I would bid. 20 minutes after my closing on my house (buhbye) I went and saw my new house. I wouldn't describe it as this euphoric situation. I would describe it as feeling home. Feeling like, even though I had not decorated, even though I had not painted, etc, I felt like this is where I should be. So I bid. I bid early and I bid way over. I remember going back and forth with my mom and what I should bid. I remember where we were sitting when we had this conversation. This was... after all.... my life I was bidding on. Yeah it's corny but I won. I won my house (at least at this point). I went to closing and the seller looked like a different version of my grandma who passed away. I believe in signs and this was definitely one. It was moving. And then the seller's agent broke out creme brulee and champagne with raspberries. Literally my favorite things. If you don't believe in signs, how can you look at this and not see that something in this universe was right? It was right. And after I bought this house, my life changed.
You already know I found a new job after I bought this house. I also found my dog and my boyfriend. I'm going to start with my dog and save the boyfriend for last (since obviously that's the best part). My dog. Pete Kinnaird. Petey rather. I met Petey at the end of July on a whim. A friend posted a picture of Pete (Bones) to her Facebook. I saw it and started crying. Yes, this happened. And then I knew he was my dog. For the record (yes, I like this phrase), I wasn't even lookng for a dog!!! I wasn't. Jeez, a dog is a lot of responsibility and I'm never home. What was I even thinking?? I wasn't. I left work before my doctor's appt to go... get him. I know. I know. I sent a picture to my mom that morning trying to get her opinion. She didn't even help! She just told me he was cute and left it at that. I expected my mother to tell me not to get the dog. Well, she didn't. I went to the rescue and Petey (Bones) wasn't in his kennel. I was heartbroken! So I waited. He was still there and they brought him to me. He was uninterested. He was scared. I was worried. What was I doing? I told the rescue I'd be back. Maybe this dog wasn't right for me? I went to my doctor appointment and then I came back. My dear friend Jess recommended her mom meet me. I had never met her mom but I needed help and Jess was always helpful. I didn't want to walk away from this dog. Her mom met me there and we met Pete (Bones) again. He was different. He was more open. She was the freaking dog whisperer and in that moment I knew he was meant for me. Pete was meant for me!!! I pulled the trigger. Why the hell not. Life is short. Live to the fullest and shit like that right? Long story short, Bones' name is Petey now and he's absolutely the best thing ever. He's my favorite. He's amazing. And I am utterly thankful for him.
Okay... Job.. House... Dog... Now... my love. Let me start by saying I hope (I pray) this all isn't in vain. Blah... okay! Schuyler. Skyler. I met Skyler before I bought my house. I remember seeing him in the park one summer day I went to play volleyball. I introduced myself and he promptly told me he was hungover. Ha awesome. I won't shake hands! Don't worry! Shortly after that, someone was talking to him and asked about him moving. He was moving to D.C. (In my head) Okay, moving on. The cute guy was moving. Blah blah day over. I saw Sky again July 4th. Oh no, the cute guy again. I was tying to meet others so there was Skyler. He befriended me and fed me booze. It was like koolaid for the record. We laughed and hung out. Many hours later I found out he was five years younger than me! Shit. This is really never going to work!! Fast forward like one hour to the bar and then Skyler left (without saying goodbye). He added me on FB the next day and apologized for leaving. That was that. A few weeks later (in Mexico) I got a FB message from him asking if I would play in a tournament with him. I wanted to but should I? My friend Jess told me to basically "get it." Why not? I wanted to play and he was totally cute. What was it going to hurt? I knew I wasn't very good but why not? He's sweet, he probably won't be too upset. Fast forward to the tournament... I was bad. I was really bad. He didn't bring the beer he promised and I was really uncomfortable. It was over.... he was sweet and then we hung out the rest of the day. I'll spare you the details cause the rest is history. I tried to date Skyler thinking it was just fun summer fling until I fell in love with him. So fast forward AGAIN. Skyler lives in D.C. We are totally in love. It's all serious and shit. Yep. I know. Did I I forgot to mention he's totally amazing?
As I write this, I realize I left out the majority of the bad things. Like my job. Like my house. Like my stalker. Like my car. Like my money (or lack of) or etc. I left out that a dear, new friend has changed my life (Lana). I left out my family's and friend's support through this time. I left out some amazing memories like Vegas... Avon... Breck... etc. I left out a lot. But I want to be clear. I am so thankful for everything. "Without suffering, there would be no compassion." I am thankful.
I am thankful.
Thank YOU.
Welcome 2014. I can't wait to see what you have planned.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
It's been too long she says
Woh. A lot has happened since the last time I posted. People got arrested, houses were sold and well, shit went down! Okay, that's mildly dramatic but a lot of it's true.
To recap. An opportunity passed, which is okay. Another opportunity presented itself which has been great but likely short lived. A few man opportunities presented themselves. One was a wash. No pun intended (wash... wash park, etc.). I trusted my gut and I was right. Another was a wine snob. No, general snob. Congrats, you've done well for yourself. You know there is more to life then just telling people that right? Another was, well, is around. He's cool. Unsure where it's going or if it's going. It's okay. It's fun. Closing on my house on Thursday. Completely gone, moved out. Finito! Now to find a new home in a horrible market. Great. I think I've finally shaken the stalker. Almost 8 months worth. It's sad really. I would have never wished any of this upon anyone. Wrist. Completely healed. Only remember it was broke when I realize my left arm is still not as strong as my right arm. And when the weather changes my scar hurts. Running apparently. Marathon Relay was painful and the Steamboat Marathon in less than 2 weeks. God help my legs. They hurt just thinking about it. Amanda's 30th in Vegas was, dare I say, Epic! It was a blast. Those who do not love Vegas I will never understand. Do you not love fun?
I think that sums it up. I'm left thinking of that lame quote, "life is not measured by the breathes we take but the moment that take our breathe away." I definitely feel like the last two months have done that.
To recap. An opportunity passed, which is okay. Another opportunity presented itself which has been great but likely short lived. A few man opportunities presented themselves. One was a wash. No pun intended (wash... wash park, etc.). I trusted my gut and I was right. Another was a wine snob. No, general snob. Congrats, you've done well for yourself. You know there is more to life then just telling people that right? Another was, well, is around. He's cool. Unsure where it's going or if it's going. It's okay. It's fun. Closing on my house on Thursday. Completely gone, moved out. Finito! Now to find a new home in a horrible market. Great. I think I've finally shaken the stalker. Almost 8 months worth. It's sad really. I would have never wished any of this upon anyone. Wrist. Completely healed. Only remember it was broke when I realize my left arm is still not as strong as my right arm. And when the weather changes my scar hurts. Running apparently. Marathon Relay was painful and the Steamboat Marathon in less than 2 weeks. God help my legs. They hurt just thinking about it. Amanda's 30th in Vegas was, dare I say, Epic! It was a blast. Those who do not love Vegas I will never understand. Do you not love fun?
I think that sums it up. I'm left thinking of that lame quote, "life is not measured by the breathes we take but the moment that take our breathe away." I definitely feel like the last two months have done that.
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