time flies

i just finished my pilates 50-minute fat burning workout. i always am sweating at the end of it, but i'm not sure just how good of a workout it is. i guess any workout is better than no workout, right?

it's a windsor pilates dvd and on it is the 50-minute cardio style workout, a 20-minute "circle" workout, and a 10-minute boost workout, if you are in a rush or something. i've tried them all. the 20-minute is alright... definitely needs to be paired with some cardio. the 10-minute one is a total joke. but the 50-minute one seems to be worthwhile. the whole package including the circle and a suggested meal and exercise plan only cost $9.95. that's cheep cheap like a little bird.

so i think my bum pain is finally gone. i'm able to jump on that leg without feeling any pain which is amazing to me. i'm going to wait until september before trying to do any running, and i think that i might do the couch to 5K plan again instead of running my usual distance. i'm sure i could just do it, but i don't want to injure my body and easing into it is always the best plan. the bad news is that i think i'm feeling leftover shin splinty pain in my right shin. what gives body?!?! what gives! does anyone know how to combat this annoying pain?

in other news, lately i can't get enough cottage cheese. there is this brand called "dairyland" which i've found in walmart and shoppers drug mart and the fat-free version is suprisingly thick. i've stirred cottage cheese into my oatmeal, and i also like it plain with added chopped fruits. i've heard of making pancakes with cottage cheese but i've yet to try it. maybe tomorrow.

last i went to see "mama mia" the movie. it was really cute, but i didn't think that meryll streep was a good enough singer to sing ABBA songs. ABBA songs are really REALLY good and i cringed a few times, especially during "the winner takes it all" which was painfully long. tonight i am going to the movies again... this time to see "the sisterhood of the travelling pants." i've read all the books so it should be good. and since gilmore girls is over, this is as close as a fix as i can get!

too funky

george michael was amazing. just amazing. he is still outstanding and it was a fantastic concert. it rivaled depeche mode for the best concert ever but now that i think of it was only slightly not as good. he played two sets, then three encores. i didn't get home until 12:30! he was very enamored with the toronto audience because we know how to cheer. whoohooooo george! i will be your father figure, put your tiny hand in mine...

so i didn't work out this morning because i was up late. but i did work out yesterday before the show. i am still avoiding pounding pavement because of my shin and it's beginning to feel like normal. i did 20 minutes biking, arm weights, 10 minutes elliptical, arm weights, 10 more elliptical, situps, and then i rode my bike to the library to return some books.

i only have to work a half-day, so maybe i'll do something active later or maybe i'll take a rest day and have an awesome run tomorrow.

today is friday, and weigh-in, and i weighed 119 which is a 0.8 loss since last week and within my range. hallelujah! i was a bit worried this week because i wasn't tracking too much and i wasn't running (although was doing other activities... but nothing is the same as running in my opinion).

this weekend is looking relaxing. tonight maybe the movies, tomorrow going dancing, and sunday looking at an apartment for my boyfriend. it is so hot today. i rode my bike to work and am really sticky. i love summer :o) have a nice weekend.

ps. i didn't take that picture of the concert. that wasn't even last night... i was way at the back haha.

of all the things we need...

here is a tip: don't watch the movie "valley of the dolls"... it's absurd. it makes no sense, especially if you haven't read the book. the characters are all over the place. not a good movie. the book, however, is amazing.

in other book news, today my "hungry girl" recipe book has to go back to the library. i flipped through it one time (one time!) and made nothing. the thing with recipe books is that they are meant to be bought, not borrowed. i also have vegan with a vengeance and it's awesome. much better than the hungry girl book. no offense, hungry girl. your book is great too. it just serves a different purpose and doesn't meet my culinary needs right now. who knew i had culinary needs?

my book club bbq was great. i made grilled zucchini (not boats), a sweet potato, and a pre-marinated chicken breast. delicious. i also had wine, veggies with dip and those chocolate lady fingers.

this morning i was going to walk on the treadmill, but i wanted to give my shin a break. i want it to heal and recover but i loathe being inactive. it makes me feel like sloppy sloth sally. instead i went for a swim in the pool. i did 50 lengths front crawl, then alternated 10 lengths breaststroke and 10 lengths front crawl three times. keep in mind my condo pool isn't a full sized pool. the whole thing took me about 30-35 minutes with no stopping. a pretty good workout except i can still see faint goggle rings around my eyes..... looking good!

this morning at work i got this "brookstone catalogue" which is basically full of expensive things that no one really needs.

exhibit a: the golf drink dispenser. "here's the discreet way to enjoy hot or cold drinks right from your golf bag!"


for you dog lovers, exhibit b: the car dog booster seat. so your small dog can have a comfortable view of the road. this dog does actually look pretty happy.


exhibit c: the doggie dining table. now your dog can eat in a healthier, more comfortable position. is this really necessary? i've never known dogs who had a problem eating off the floor!


time to work. tonight is date night (at home) and we are booking our hotels for california! we already have plane tickets, rented a car, and the first night's hotel. and pretty much decided on what cities to stay in (and what we are going to do in those cities). surf city here i come. :o)

slaughterhouse

sew i didn't finish my dress in sewing last night but it's ok. i put in one sleeve. i have to go back and finish the rest some other time. here is a bit of an nsv. my sewing teacher made ice cream sandwiches for everyone with homemade strawberry ice cream. at first i wasn't going to have one but really, denying yourself pleasures like homemade ice cream is not living, it's deprivation. so i took one, ate the ice cream from the middle and threw out the cookies. they were just chips ahoy or whatever. yah good tasting, but available to me whenever i want so i'm not really depriving myself of anything there.

when i got home i cleaned up a little, and then did the denise austin power yoga plus video i got at the library last week. i wanted to feel stretched and relaxed. i find that my posture feels improved every time i do yoga or pilates and i really like that feeling.

this morning i got up early and had a 4-mile run. it wasn't the best. i tried a new route in order to spice things up, but my right shin was bothering me. i am going to have to stay off it. i'll ice it tonight and see if that helps. i find it doesn't hurt if i just run for 10 minutes at a time on the dreadmill, only when running longer distances outside.

this is totally unrelated, but i live right by a pig slaughterhouse. not joking. one of the main streets near my abode is sort of an off ramp from the highway, and when i turn on it (on my bike... going to work or whatever) i often see a) a giant truck full of pigs with their snouts poking out of holes snorting at me or b) the same truck heading the other way but empty. if you wanted to know, pig slaughterhouses don't smell too good. also i have heard the poor little piggies screeching before. my writing style can be flippant but i am really bothered by this. i really don't eat much pork - maybe a pork chop once in a while at my parent's house. i think that if i lived in close contact with other animals, i would be hesitant to eat them as well. like chickens or cows.... how do farmers do it? seeing those poor little snouts... heading for death... sad.

it bothers me. lately i have been bothered by something else. there is this crazy woman who begs for money and food by my work. she is really crazy - always sobbing hysterically and sitting in the pouring rain even when their is an awning nearby. sometimes i give her food. she is in her twenties but looks older due to the harsh elements. anyway, i just noticed this week that she is six months pregnant. i can't stop thinking about it. how did she get pregnant? what is going to happen to that poor baby? was she raped? was she forced to sleep with someone for money or drugs? it's very upsetting. i think these things happen as a result of poor family situations. i am lucky to have nice and supportive parents. :(

on that note... in addition to my regular workouts, i've been doing 100 situps a day in order to prep myself for bikini weekend. normally i do 80 situps, maybe 3-4 times a week. i went to this same cottage around the same time last year and i was 127 pounds. some of my pictures from that time are flattering, although i remember feeling really... what's the word... um... well i wished my stomach was flatter and that the sides of my stomach were tighter. although that was my lowest weight to date so i felt pretty good about myself. this year is definitely a huge improvement so i'm looking forward to taking some comparison shots.

today for lunch i'm having a tuna sandwich with light mozzarella and tomato slices. the tuna is clover leaf lemon and pepper flavoured... delicious. :o)

ahoy matey

i am in a much better mood today. last night i went back to the sewing studio and got caught up. i finished putting in the zipper, and sewed the tops of the shoulders and the sides of the dress together. now i just have to add the sleeves and do the trim (i think). then i cleaned my entire apartment. bathroom, kitchen, dishes, den, living room, vacuuming, laundry, bedroom, on and on and on. i like going into the weekend feeling ready to relax. weekends are for relaxing not cleaning.

i was going to go running again today, because i can't go for my usual saturday long run tomorrow because of the everlasting wedding, but then i remembered yesterday's run and how it wasn't fun (rhyme) and my right shin has been bothering me (maybe a splint) so i thought a couple of days off would be the best medicine. there is no point exercising if you don't enjoy it.

yesterday at the library i was getting the new book club book (valley of the dolls), and i saw a yoga/pilates dvd, so i got that too.


it is power yoga plus by denise austin. i did it this morning and it was alright, except denise austin is kind of annoying. but who isn't at 7am, really. she kept saying weird things like, "show me that happy face and smile"... don't you think that's weird? 1) who is smiling? 2) the lady in the TV can't see me! at least i hope not.

it was 20 minutes of yoga and 20 of pilates. my problem with this type of exercise is that i am not that flexible. i never have been. i can remember being in dance class as a young girl and practicing the splits every day for years before i could actually do them. i can't touch my toes... maybe my legs are long. denise austin's legs looked kind of stubby to me. anyway. it was alright. the pilates was more vigorous than the yoga. some of the balancing yoga moves were difficult but not impossible. denise austin's voice is kind of baby-talky though, and i kept thinking of rude things and grossing myself out. if you know what i mean. i hope you don't.

oh, and happy 4th of july to my american friends. i am going to celebrate by eating a twinkie. just kidding! relax.