I realize all these attacks on ships off the Horn of Africa by Somali Pirates aren't something to laugh at...but I just have such a hard time taking any of the news seriously when I picture the pirates looking like this:
Aaaarrgghhh!!!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Kick Butt Home Workouts
Tonight is the second to the last episode of this season's "The Biggest Loser". While I'm not sure about what kind of message the show sends to contestants (you are a winner if you drop more weight than the other contestants in the shortest amount of time, if not, your peers vote you out), it is still pretty inspirational and one of my favorite shows.
So, in spirit of the show, I thought I'd share my home workout routine since it involves one of TBL trainers, Jillian Michaels. Warning: She is a TOTAL bitch on the show, and pretty tough in her DVD's as well.
I workout at home because I've found it's the only way I'll be consistent with exercising. Before Felix and I moved in together, I went to the gym, because that's where he and I met, and it was motivation to go and see him every day.
After we started living together, the drive to the gym was much farther for me, and I found myself going less and less. And unless I went to an actual aerobics or spinning class, I'd hop on the elliptical for 30 minutes at an average speed, then end up going home. Wasn't doing too much for me in the weight loss department.
So, I started buying workout dvd's and exercising at home, and I've found it's something I really enjoy.
Recently, I've realized I need to step up my routine a little bit and make it more challenging. Felix and I have a beach trip in just under 3 months, and while I'm not banking on having a bangin' bikini bod, I at least want to feel semi-confident in a swimsuit.
That's where Jillian Michaels comes in.
She recently released these two workouts:
I bought "No More Trouble Zones" first. you can get it for under $10 dollars on Amazon. This workout is a KILLER...or so I thought before I tried "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism".
NMTZ is all strength training, but it's also circuit training so your heart rate is up the entire time. I did it a few times a week until "BFBM" came in the mail.
THIS WORKOUT SUCKS.
But it's a good suck! It too is circuit training...but it's purely cardio. Have fun struggling through 7 circuits (5 moves each, and you repeat each circuit) of burpees, mountain climbers, jump squats, and old school calisthenics like jumping jacks.
Both workouts are each about 45 minutes long and TOTALLY worth the effort.
Right now, I've been doing BFBM Mondays and Wednesday, and NMTZ on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's my third week of the routine and I'm already seeing pretty great results.
I can definately see why Jillian's contestants win every season on The Biggest Loser. She's a trainer who definately knows her stuff, and her workout dvd's aren't any different.
Her "30 Day Shred" dvd is also a kick butt workout if you only have a half hour or so for a workout. It's pretty intense:
Keep in mind ALL of her DVD's (at least the ones I own) are full of jump work, so it's a little stressful on the knees.
So, even if you're a gym rat...keep these DVD's in mind for days you can't drag yourself out of the house, or the weather isn't cooperating with your outside workout. I think even guys would find this workout intense, although I haven't succeeded in convincing Felix to do this workout with me on the weekends. Maybe someday.
Also--- HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!! Instead of celebrating with a few Corona's (or 10), I'll be working. Can't we make it so CINCO DE MAYO!!!! (I think it looks more exciting in all capital letters and exclamations) always falls on a Saturday? Surely Barack Obama can make that happen. Personally, I think it should've been a priority in his first 100 days in office...because, really, he's Barack Obama and I thought he could do anything. What gives?
So, in spirit of the show, I thought I'd share my home workout routine since it involves one of TBL trainers, Jillian Michaels. Warning: She is a TOTAL bitch on the show, and pretty tough in her DVD's as well.
I workout at home because I've found it's the only way I'll be consistent with exercising. Before Felix and I moved in together, I went to the gym, because that's where he and I met, and it was motivation to go and see him every day.
After we started living together, the drive to the gym was much farther for me, and I found myself going less and less. And unless I went to an actual aerobics or spinning class, I'd hop on the elliptical for 30 minutes at an average speed, then end up going home. Wasn't doing too much for me in the weight loss department.
So, I started buying workout dvd's and exercising at home, and I've found it's something I really enjoy.
Recently, I've realized I need to step up my routine a little bit and make it more challenging. Felix and I have a beach trip in just under 3 months, and while I'm not banking on having a bangin' bikini bod, I at least want to feel semi-confident in a swimsuit.
That's where Jillian Michaels comes in.
She recently released these two workouts:
I bought "No More Trouble Zones" first. you can get it for under $10 dollars on Amazon. This workout is a KILLER...or so I thought before I tried "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism".
NMTZ is all strength training, but it's also circuit training so your heart rate is up the entire time. I did it a few times a week until "BFBM" came in the mail.
THIS WORKOUT SUCKS.
But it's a good suck! It too is circuit training...but it's purely cardio. Have fun struggling through 7 circuits (5 moves each, and you repeat each circuit) of burpees, mountain climbers, jump squats, and old school calisthenics like jumping jacks.
Both workouts are each about 45 minutes long and TOTALLY worth the effort.
Right now, I've been doing BFBM Mondays and Wednesday, and NMTZ on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's my third week of the routine and I'm already seeing pretty great results.
I can definately see why Jillian's contestants win every season on The Biggest Loser. She's a trainer who definately knows her stuff, and her workout dvd's aren't any different.
Her "30 Day Shred" dvd is also a kick butt workout if you only have a half hour or so for a workout. It's pretty intense:
Keep in mind ALL of her DVD's (at least the ones I own) are full of jump work, so it's a little stressful on the knees.
So, even if you're a gym rat...keep these DVD's in mind for days you can't drag yourself out of the house, or the weather isn't cooperating with your outside workout. I think even guys would find this workout intense, although I haven't succeeded in convincing Felix to do this workout with me on the weekends. Maybe someday.
Also--- HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!! Instead of celebrating with a few Corona's (or 10), I'll be working. Can't we make it so CINCO DE MAYO!!!! (I think it looks more exciting in all capital letters and exclamations) always falls on a Saturday? Surely Barack Obama can make that happen. Personally, I think it should've been a priority in his first 100 days in office...because, really, he's Barack Obama and I thought he could do anything. What gives?
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mondays Stink.
I'm really not a fan of Mondays. I don't know many people who are, except those who don't get weekends off from work and are looking forward to a Wednesday/Thursday "weekend".
The only perk about MY Monday is that since I work overnight, it's over before most peoples even starts. And I'm in bed sleeping while you're schlepping your way through the day.
Maybe Mondays on "As Told by Ash" will be dedicated to finding a happy song that is sure to lift your spirits to help get you through a rough work week.
This week's selection? "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings. When the weather was so nice last week, I cruised around with it blasting and my windows down. If it doesn't put you in a good mood, I don't know what will and I can't help you. Sorry.
What song puts you in a great mood? Let me know!
The only perk about MY Monday is that since I work overnight, it's over before most peoples even starts. And I'm in bed sleeping while you're schlepping your way through the day.
Maybe Mondays on "As Told by Ash" will be dedicated to finding a happy song that is sure to lift your spirits to help get you through a rough work week.
This week's selection? "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings. When the weather was so nice last week, I cruised around with it blasting and my windows down. If it doesn't put you in a good mood, I don't know what will and I can't help you. Sorry.
What song puts you in a great mood? Let me know!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
I'm Pretty Boring.
It's only day 3 of the "blogging for a year" project I've started, and I'm already out of things to write about.
It might be because Sunday nights make me grumpy. Sunday night means another week of work is about to begin...and another countdown to the weekend.
So, today is going to be a short post, but I did take a picture to demonstrate how much of a dork I am:
I got these for Talia's easter basket (but I may as well have gotten them for myself because she was less than impressed). They're ceramic eggs filled with dirt and flower seeds. You crack the top off the egg, water them, and put them in sunlight and eventually flowers are supposed to grow .
They were supposed to sprout in 5-6 days and they didn't. Felix thought I should throw them out because they weren't going to grow...but I wanted to wait a little longer. They finally sprouted! I was pretty pumped because I'm really bad at keeping things alive.
Some other things of note that happened today:
-I almost dropped my BlackBerry in the port-a-potty when I went pee at Felix's softball game
-There was a man at the game who had a couch in the back of his pickup, and he was watching some kid named Yabo.
-I went on a mini carb binge that consisted of leftover macaroni and cheese, a chocolate chip cookie, and an english muffin. There may or may not have been more food involved than I'm willing to admit.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Aut Mori is NOT for Me!
The circus was in town this weekend, and I was able to get free tickets from work, so Felix and I decided to take Talia.
We went and saw Ringling Bros. last year and it was a pretty impressive show. This circus was called "Aut Mori", which I had never heard of, but a circus is a circus, right?
WRONG.
Worst. Show. Ever.
The circus's slogan was "Aut Mori. The Circus with a Purpose". The William Shatner lookalike ring leader never explained what the purpose was, but I'm pretty sure it was to bore me to tears.
The circus had elephant and pony rides set up before the show started, and I REALLY wanted us all to ride one. Until I found out it cost ten bucks. A person. No thank you.
We walked over, and I couldn't believe these pachyderms weren't in any sort of enclosure, and you could pretty much walk right up to one and touch it if you wanted.
That picture isn't even zoomed in at all. That's really how close we were. So anyway, once we were actually RIGHT THERE, I got a little scared.
All I could think about was one of those poor creatures going ape shit and stampeding. I made sure we quickly got out of its path, but definately had my BlackBerry ready to shoot video of the impending stampede so I could send it into Spike TV's "Elephants Gone Wild".
Even though our seats were pretty good, the show really, really sucked. Two people would come out at a time and perform...juggle, encourage dogs to jump over hurdles, that sort of thing. Pretty lame.
I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't for the clowns:
We went and saw Ringling Bros. last year and it was a pretty impressive show. This circus was called "Aut Mori", which I had never heard of, but a circus is a circus, right?
WRONG.
Worst. Show. Ever.
The circus's slogan was "Aut Mori. The Circus with a Purpose". The William Shatner lookalike ring leader never explained what the purpose was, but I'm pretty sure it was to bore me to tears.
The circus had elephant and pony rides set up before the show started, and I REALLY wanted us all to ride one. Until I found out it cost ten bucks. A person. No thank you.
We walked over, and I couldn't believe these pachyderms weren't in any sort of enclosure, and you could pretty much walk right up to one and touch it if you wanted.
That picture isn't even zoomed in at all. That's really how close we were. So anyway, once we were actually RIGHT THERE, I got a little scared.
All I could think about was one of those poor creatures going ape shit and stampeding. I made sure we quickly got out of its path, but definately had my BlackBerry ready to shoot video of the impending stampede so I could send it into Spike TV's "Elephants Gone Wild".
Even though our seats were pretty good, the show really, really sucked. Two people would come out at a time and perform...juggle, encourage dogs to jump over hurdles, that sort of thing. Pretty lame.
I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't for the clowns:
I was trying to take a picture that captured the utter creeptasticness of these guys, but none of the ones I took do them justice. It literally was a gaggle of middle-aged-to-older men who had crappy face paint on and sweatpants. All I could think about was how excited all these pervs were to be around small children. *shudder*.
Bottom line: If the "Aut Mori" circus is in town, even if the tickets are free...I recommend staying home.
Friday, May 1, 2009
I've decided to start a blog because I'm bored. Nooo, I'm not bored with my LIFE, or anyone IN it...I just need a new hobby. I've been mulling over different things that could hold my attention for awhile and have narrowed it down to three things:
1. Get a dog
2. buy a house
3. start blogging
There are several problems with option number one. First, Felix won't let me get a dog. Second, we rent a townhouse which doesn't allow pets. Three, as my mom is adament about pointing out, dogs are a lot of work, and they're a lifelong commitment.
I also have a few obvious reasons for not choosing to buy a house. I don't have any money, my mom says no (seriously), and I don't really want to buy a house in a town that is economically hanging by a thread.
So, that's why I've chosen to start a blog. I like to write, and I do it for a living, but writing news isn't very creative. I used to have a blog before I met Felix (for those of you who were followers...remember Hot Gym Guy? Yeah, we've been dating for two years and living together for one. SCORE!). It was something I really enjoyed, and I really want to stick with this one.
Shoutout to Katie W. from Clarion, who has kind of inspired me. She has a blog where she takes a picture every single day for a year. I thought about doing that...but my life is seriously boring during the week. And I'm much better at writing than I am at taking pictures. So Katie, as soon as I figure out how to link your blog to this one, I will!
Another shoutout to Sally L who has also inspired me to blog it up. Hopefullly mine can be as amusing as hers:)
My goal is to have some sort of blog post every day for a full year...beginning today, May 1st. Sometimes it might just be a picture, or just a few sentences..but I'm REALLY going to try and stick with it.
BUT--don't assume I'm falling off the wagon if I miss a day. My rule is, as long as I have a post for each day, it counts. For example, what if I go away for a weekend? I can't blog...so I'll make up for it when I get home. Make sense?
I was worried Felix would have a problem with me starting a blog, because he's a freakishly private person, and while I would never reveal any information about him on the internet, I still thought he wouldn't be too keen on the idea.
He called me after he got off work today and here is part of our conversation:
ME: I'm going to start a blog!
FELIX: You're going to start a blog?
ME: Yeah!
FELIX: Ok. Why?
ME: 'Cause I like to write, and I used to have one before I met you.
FELIX: Oh. What's it going to be about?
ME: Whatever I want. I like to write and I never do anymore.
FELIX: Ok.
ME: Are you going to read it?
FELIX: I don't even know what a blog is!
So I don't have any concerns anymore about him. He'll never read it. Which is fine with me. If he does, that's fine with me too.
Until tomorrow!!!! I might have a picture post...we're going to the CIRCUS!
1. Get a dog
2. buy a house
3. start blogging
There are several problems with option number one. First, Felix won't let me get a dog. Second, we rent a townhouse which doesn't allow pets. Three, as my mom is adament about pointing out, dogs are a lot of work, and they're a lifelong commitment.
I also have a few obvious reasons for not choosing to buy a house. I don't have any money, my mom says no (seriously), and I don't really want to buy a house in a town that is economically hanging by a thread.
So, that's why I've chosen to start a blog. I like to write, and I do it for a living, but writing news isn't very creative. I used to have a blog before I met Felix (for those of you who were followers...remember Hot Gym Guy? Yeah, we've been dating for two years and living together for one. SCORE!). It was something I really enjoyed, and I really want to stick with this one.
Shoutout to Katie W. from Clarion, who has kind of inspired me. She has a blog where she takes a picture every single day for a year. I thought about doing that...but my life is seriously boring during the week. And I'm much better at writing than I am at taking pictures. So Katie, as soon as I figure out how to link your blog to this one, I will!
Another shoutout to Sally L who has also inspired me to blog it up. Hopefullly mine can be as amusing as hers:)
My goal is to have some sort of blog post every day for a full year...beginning today, May 1st. Sometimes it might just be a picture, or just a few sentences..but I'm REALLY going to try and stick with it.
BUT--don't assume I'm falling off the wagon if I miss a day. My rule is, as long as I have a post for each day, it counts. For example, what if I go away for a weekend? I can't blog...so I'll make up for it when I get home. Make sense?
I was worried Felix would have a problem with me starting a blog, because he's a freakishly private person, and while I would never reveal any information about him on the internet, I still thought he wouldn't be too keen on the idea.
He called me after he got off work today and here is part of our conversation:
ME: I'm going to start a blog!
FELIX: You're going to start a blog?
ME: Yeah!
FELIX: Ok. Why?
ME: 'Cause I like to write, and I used to have one before I met you.
FELIX: Oh. What's it going to be about?
ME: Whatever I want. I like to write and I never do anymore.
FELIX: Ok.
ME: Are you going to read it?
FELIX: I don't even know what a blog is!
So I don't have any concerns anymore about him. He'll never read it. Which is fine with me. If he does, that's fine with me too.
Until tomorrow!!!! I might have a picture post...we're going to the CIRCUS!
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