Most embarrassing guilty pleasure song

So, I'm a big ol' music snob- not nearly as bad as some (WARNING: language is very colorful there)- but pretty bad nonetheless. And I've been on the receiving end of scorn by other music snobs. Which is really kinda shitty; makes you want to say, "who the @#$% made you Dick Clark? asshole." So, now I try to take the "live and let live" attitude towards musical taste.

But...I can't help but find most sappy, slick, heartfelt-type music kind of offensive and insulting- you know, the kind of stuff some of your parents listen to. Sincerity in a song for one person may be percieved as insincerity by another (does that make any sense?). So, for example, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" can bring some people to tears, while others throw up in their mouths when they hear it. Another example: I am a big fan of roots-type music (alternative/insurgent country, americana), because I appreciate the down-to-earthiness of it, but some may think (in a bad way) of hillbillies and Pabst when they hear it.

But regardless of your musical proclivities, we all have that song (or like me, several) that you are too embarrassed to admit you like- for whatever reason. I would be MORTIFIED if my iTunes library went public. But- I don't mind sharing one or two of some of my embarrassing faves, because you know, we all have them. For example, earlier this evening, "The Eagle and the Hawk" by John Denver was stuck in my head. Boy, that one is sooo corny. And I know, it's probably okay to admit I like him now that he's (god rest his soul) passed on, but I liked him even when it was patently uncool. Another example: I have the Rocky theme song on every one of my iPod running playlists. How astonishingly embarrassing is that? I'm cringing right now! But it gets me through every time, so who gives a damn?

So, what's your most embarrassing guilty pleasure song? No judgement will be passed (by me anyway- I can't guarantee what others will say...) And Erin, you are limited to one or two :)

Mmmm...meatballs...

I am usually pretty opposed to product placement, but who am I kidding? There are like three of you that ever come here, and one of those is mom (thanks mom!). But these meatballs (sorry mom- not vegetarian) are like crack. I just heated some up for lunch with some lovely spinach from my CSA box, and "yummo!" (ouch! poor unicorn!) And they're not very high in calories (190 for 4), probably because they're chicken. Anyway, that's all for now. I know, you've peed yourself with excitement!

Bear with me....

I'm learning html whilst watching the Oscars (boring! and I don't mean html...), so hopefully soon I will have my pad painted and decorated just the way I like it.

Does anyone else think this was the most boring year in the movies? I need to watch some John Waters. Heard him today on NPR talking about how developing his soundtracks were as important to his movies as anything else. Pecker is one of my all time favorite soundtracks- I highly recommend this twisted movie. I'm due to teach in Baltimore soon, which I'm super excited about since I've never been before, so I'll have to look into a John Water's Baltimore-type tour. I wonder if such a thing exists. How fun would that be?

Breakfast is Good for You!

Good morning! (well, it is out here on the correct coast) So, here are a coupla breakfast ideas if you're tired of the cheerios. The first one is super-duper healthy carb'fast (I try to eat this one most days) and the second is a probably-not-so-healthy-but-really-delicious protein'fast (good for weekend treat):

Super Hero Oatmeal
I put this oatmeal recipe together when trying to create a power food b'fast that didn't taste like butt.

• Steel-cut (not rolled) oatmeal (I like McCann's Irish) cooked according to package

• Toss in 1/2 handful raisins a few minutes before cooking is complete

• Before serving add a few spoons of flax seed meal, dehydrated blueberries, agave nectar (if you like it sweet), and a teaspoon or so of brown sugar. If you want it crunchy with protein, add crushed walnuts or pee-cans (not pik-hans)

Pioneer Scramble (serves two) This recipe was inspired by the trend of "scrambles"that seem to be common at the restaurants here in the PNW. We have several favorite breakfast spots that make good scrambles, but to save some dough, we stayed in and created our own.

• Whisk 5-6 eggs and set aside
• Grate a pile o cheese (cheddar works great)
  
• Fry up (well done) 6 slices of thick-cut peppered bacon (cruelty-free will taste better and is better for your soul) and set aside on paper towels
  
• Stir fry a clove of garlic and diced sweet onion in a little bit of olive oil (or butter)
• Add chopped bell peppers, garlic, broccoli, mushrooms (or whatever veggies you get from your CSA box) and basil, lots of coarse ground pepper, and red pepper flakes- set aside to fold into egg pan
  
• Begin to scramble eggs in a big fry pan, and once they are no longer runny, fold in the stir-fry veggies, crumble big chunks of the bacon into pan, and add shredded cheese to the mix.
  
• Serve with chopped green onions on top (this is a key ingredient)
• Toast with black raspberry jam on the side will complete this "Pioneer" breakfast

Ode to Discomfort

D's comment and link to the swimming site yesterday got me thinking about discomfort and its relationship to fitness success (or success in general). Our culture of plenty thrives on the avoidance of discomfort, so we don't have to work too hard to find food, shelter, ect. but the cost to our health has become too high. And you're really out of luck if you're not a big fan of sports or have a competitive nature (me and most of my friends), so you have to force yourself to be more active. And as I've discovered these last few years, if you want to take off pounds in your thirties and beyond, you have to be active to the point of discomfort (and I don't mean injury).

But the good news is that once you find the activity that you least despise (e.g., swimming for D. and biking for B., running for me), you are halfway there. The next step is to set goals within that activity. For me, the Couch to 5K was what pushed me beyond discomfort to an addictive habit. I would have failed (and I have in the past) if I had no plan and just ran until I got tired. I now believe that benchmarks are critical to success (for those of you that are saying, "Well, duh!", just back off! It may have taken 34 years, but at least I get it). Also, as I've learned from Caligula the Trainer, you can't get too complacent once you've reached a goal- it doesn't stop there, you must constantly move the bar up higher, because your body will reach the point of equilibrium where unless you push it harder, it won't bother doing more work that absolutely necessary. And doing that extra work is really f'ing uncomfortable! I hate being out of breath! But, it is totally worth the feeling I have after I'm done.

And speaking of breath.... B decided it was time to cut the cord and take our old ashtrays to Goodwill. I have been reluctant due to a stupid superstition that as soon as you toss them, you start smoking again, but they've got to go. Man, we had some good lookin ashtrays...POOTIE PIC ALERT: Sammy's still exhausted from her vaccination trauma yesterday...

One Hour Runner!

I made it! Broke the four mile barrier!! Got back from Denver last night, had the first good night's sleep in a while (with no help from pharmaceuticals), B. and I took the cats to the vet, came back, took a nap (wore out from the vet experience), then got up, saw blue skies (!), and went for a jog. B. rode his bike with me and kept me entertained by pointing out every cat he saw. So I ran for an hour with a few minute break halfway at the community center to take care of a sudden clenching in the gut (boy, am I happy I can run in a neighborhood with plenty of toilets- one of these days I will tell the story of getting the runner's trots in the corn fields of Indiana...*shudder*), so my time is still really pokey, but I don't care. I ran for one hour. Yay!

Queen City of the Plains

So I'm in Denver for the next few days. No big plans for excitement, just teach my two classes and skedaddle.

Why is the Denver airport in Nebraska? And why is it every time I'm here I end up on the ugly side of town (although the view from my room isn't too shabby if you ignore the big boxes from hell)?

At least I don't have to look at this.

In fitness news: Tomorrow I will probably hop on the dreadmill (since I'm in scary burbs surrounded by highways and no car to get to a nice park) and try to break the four mile barrier. Not only do I have dear brother (click with caution) to contend with, but I've also got dear step-mom and sister triathletes (not kidding) to deal with. I know, I know, we must all run our own race, but a little interfamilial competition is healthy and natural. I'm resting today since I can barely walk after personal training session with Caligula. I know a personal trainer seems a little extravagant, but the "gym" I just joined (it's not a typical gym- more like a martial-art-kickboxing-yoga mecca) had a really good deal, and I thought a little help in the weights department would be a good thing. Turns out, he's eventually gonna help me be a faster runner, but that's down the road a-ways. So, anyway, had kickboxing class on Monday, ran the next day, plus had training session with The Evil One later that day- oh! and I forgot to mention a teensy-weensy 40 mile bike ride that I took with B. on Saturday. So my legs are screamin- and that's after two ice baths this week! When will it stop? And speaking of ice baths: if you're ever in the mood for a lively pick-me-up, I can't recommend ice baths enough. They're a lotta fun- especially for whomever is close enough to hear the ear-piercing wails through the bathroom door.

In food news: Being East coast girl, I wasn't really aware of the Trader Joe's phenomenon, but since I've moved out here I'm beginning to understand the hooplah. Right now my most favorite quick 'n easy eat healthy at home foods are TJ's frozen brown rice and their Greek mango and apricot yogurt (not together mind you). Holy smokes! As Rachel Ray (whose laugh apparently requires the punch of a unicorn), would say, "delish"! Apparently, TJ's have begun opening shops in the ATL, so y'all back home can check it out for yourselves.

In other news: I'm moving in a few weeks to a new apartment due to not-really-sad-but-it's actually-a-really-good-thing redefining of my current relationship from boyfriend-girlfriend to let's just be pals. We're so much alike that it was a completely mutual thing. So, anyway, we're gettin separate pads, and mine is in this excellent neighborhood- Sellwood/Moreland- just a few minutes away from where I am now. My apartment (see pic below) is a block from cutesie coffee shops, restaurants, antiquey boutiques, ect (kinda like a small, more laid-back Va-Hi for my ATL homies). The only downside is that there is a coffee roaster right across the street, so it will perpetually smell like burnt toast, but the coffee's supposed to be good, so might be a fair trade-off.

Now, it looks like I've got some kooky neighbors (not unusual in this town) who like giant ironic sculptures in their front yard, which could be a lotta fun, but probably not nearly as much fun as these guys. A few more blocks away is access to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and the famous multi-use Springwater Corridor trail (on which I was running the other day when it began to HAIL!)Anyway, it's a trail that runs along the east bank of the Willamette River for several miles, and is one of my favorite Portland things. It's along this trail that I catch myself saying things like, "I love this friggin town!"

Well, that's enough ramblin' for the night, gotta hits de hay. Nighty-night friends.

Happy Birthday Mom!!! (and Brad!)

She thought I'd forget...

Well, she's got good reason... because I did forget last year. Which is really bad because it was also my boyfriend's birthday, who I LIVE WITH. Luckily, he's not all that fond of being reminded he's one year closer to death, and mom acted like it didn't hurt her feelings all that bad (but I know better...)

So I plan to celebrate the fact that on this day, two of my most favorite people were born.

La la la la la la la means I love you...

Per Jen's request, here they are. I'm so smitten by my new shoes. It's hard to tell from the pic, but the soles are neon lemony-lime. They are certainly show stoppers.

So the picture is a great way to illustrate my transformation from cynical-high-blood pressure- smoking-grouchy-grouch-road-ragey-sour-puss to Let-the-sun-shine-in-happy-technicolor-mood-no-I've-not-replaced -one-smoke-for-another-
cheerful-type. Part of that transformation came from moving out here to Puddletown from Get-the-F!$%-Out-of-My-Way Capitol of the South, but more significantly, I've been transformed by my newfound addiction: running. It all started when my dear brother put down the smokes and picked up a pair of shoes. So since I can't come up with an original idea of my own, I thought, what a great way to lose the extra 20 I gained from quitting smoking. But the real clincher: after Dad had some major scary heart issues (also an ex-smoker) last year, the family decided wouldn't it be fun to celebrate our new status as healthy non-smokers by running the Peachtree Road Race in ATL in '07. Yeah. A blast.

But it was like a double dog dare, so last October I went and got fitted for shoes (no, I don't run in the Sesame Street shoes pictured above), followed the Couch-to-5-K plan, finished it (!), ran/walked a 5K, then began the One Hour Runner plan, and now, I'm on week 7. Running. Not fast mind you, but Webster's defines running as "to go by moving the legs faster than in walking", so I'm not going to quibble over jog vs. shuffle vs. run. Whatever. All I know is that my heart pounds, my face turns bright red, and my brain screams "WHAT THE !@#$ ARE YOU DOING?!".

So since I've gotten past the initial shock of running (I can now shut the brain up on occasion), I have discoved the lovely floaty cheerful feeling that lasts for the rest of the day, and typically annoys anyone around me ("Why are you so f'ing happy"?)

In addition, since last Oct, I've lost 10 pounds of the post-smoking god-I-can't stop-putting-things-in-my-mouth phase, but more importantly, I'm happier than I've ever been, and most importantly of all, I now have a smidgen of a chance to smoke my brother at the Peachtree this July (oh, it's so on now).

Be the shoes.

Update: Didn't like the grandma's wallpaper template, so I'm trying out the kermit one instead for awhile. Lemmee know if it's gross.

Howdy!

Welcome to the inaugural post!

So, why a blog? Well... a few reasons:

1) It's a great way for my now distant friends and family (all back East) to keep tabs on my doings.

2) I've never been able to keep up a traditional handwritten journal, so for some crazy reason, I think a very public online journal will work better for me. Yup.

3) I am on a journey...No, wait. A pilgrimage of the mind-body towards health and fitness everlasting. Eww. Okay, really...I want Angelina Jolie's body. Okay, not really (but I DO!). The real deal: I have recently discovered that reading blogs of others who try to live better is a whole lot more fun than tv, so on a lark, I thought I'd add my bits to the collective voice of self-improvement. In other words: everyone else is doing it, so why not? Besides, I might meet some neat people out here on the internets.

So, there will likely be something for everyone here, including slow runners, recreational cyclists (even wobbly ones), fans of alt country, fans of pootie pics (that means cat pictures, my friends), chow hounds, and WARNING: as I have a tendency towards tacky poo-related humor, there may be something for the frat boy in all of us.