Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The burn is supposed to go away soon, right?

I took Monday off from cursing Jillian Michaels, but I did work out this morning pre-work. I do actually think it's a good time to work out. Not getting up any earlier. Just actually getting up when I wake up, go downstairs, and want to die for 20 minutes. When I was finished and walking out to my car... I felt GREAT.

My back.. still doing good. I'm trying to be very careful not to do anything too strenuous for my back. My quads? Totally different story. It hurts to walk... it hurts to stand up... it hurts to sit down. It hurts thinking about doing those three things. I did run across the street at get smaller weights though. I think my 5 lb weights are a bit much, especially for shoulder exercises. So I'm using 3s instead. I think it's a good plan.

But what do I do about this burning? This hurting to bend over.. hurting when I bend my legs.. hurting WHEN I KNIT (for serious--my biceps and pecs hurt really bad when I'm knitting. Who knew those muscles were engaged while knitting!) Anyone have any "oh dear god make it stop hurting" tips besides rolling around in a tub filled with icy hot? I don't want to smell like icy hot.

I know that when it hurts like this, it's good hurt. And that I should keep going. Let me tell you how difficult that is. I did some MAJOR cheating today (did not do all the pushups. did not do all the shoulder presses, or the side lunges). I know it's supposed to get better. But right now, it doesn't feel like it's going to get any better. This is the part where I usually quit. But I can't quit this time. My chiropractor and my doctor will yell at me again... a lot... if i quit again. I need some non-quitting "you can do this" mojo.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I can no longer feel my legs.

I did something dumb yesterday. I finally did the 30 Day Shred that has been sitting, unopened, in my living room for the past 2 1/2 weeks. I'm pretty sure that Jillian Michaels is the harbinger of the apocalypse.

The good news is that my back didn't revolt and try to kill me. In fact, my back feels pretty okay. It's my legs that are KILLING ME. From my butt all the way to my calves, I feel just about numb. You know that "I haven't exercised in months and months and now I feel like jello" feeling? Jello legs. I haz them. Mainly glutes, calves, hamstrings, and thighs. Those are now made of jello. My arms, surprisingly, are just fine. And there was weight strength training, and I used FIVE POUND WEIGHTS (because I could only find one of my three pounders...)

The way this work out (and I think all of the Biggest Loser workouts) are set up is a three-part system. As in you start on level one, and then after two weeks you move on to level two, and finally level three. Each level is a bit more challenging. Right now, I can't see moving past level 1. Dear god. But I am very determined this time to stick with some form of exercise and hopefully I'll prevent throwing out my back in the future.

Right now I wish I had some epsom salt... a really hot bath... some tea... and a good book. Then maybe I wouldn't feel like jello. But I have to do it again tonight. My legs hurt just thinking about it.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Little Miss Overachiever

Remember those books from way back when? The Little Miss and Mister Men books? Little Miss Sunshine... Little Miss Chatterbox... Mister Grumpy... Mister Nosey?

Meet Little Miss Overachiever. (me)

Ravelympics 2010 is coming up, and for you non-knitters and non-ravelers, it's this challenge that the awesome folks of Ravelry came up with to coincide with the Olympics. We start new projects during the opening ceremonies of the olympics, and the projects have to be finished by the end of the Olympics. 17 days. What do I decide to do? A SWEATER. A really pretty sweater. That I started and screwed up, so I have to start again, but I have new really pretty yummy yarn for Christmas that is itching to become this sweater.

But before Ravelympics happens... I have two baby sweaters to do. One for a good friend from work, and another for friends from college. One is due in March, the other in April... and baby showers are SOON. As in "Oh shit I have to do this in two weeks? Both of them?" Whoops.

The plan is to finish BOTH sweaters before Ravelympics starts. Or, have the March baby sweater finished and the April baby sweater halfway finished, because her shower isn't until late February-early March. And I'm planning it. So I can push it until I'm finished.

Oh yeah, and I'm not finished Gene's Christmas sweater yet. Whoops.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Fancy Pants Dinner

I had my Top Chef dinner!! Jen made my dinner Saturday night... and it was DELICIOUS! I was so excited to go... and the inside of this restaurant is AH-MAZING. It's in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and the architecture was very similar to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

We had a bit of a snafu in the beginning of the evening... we were a bit late running out of the house (because SOMEONE didn't check to see if his clothes needed to be ironed...) and we weren't sure what the parking situation was. So we're on Broad Street, and see a parking garage... and park there. And then had to walk HALF A MILE to the restaurant. Half a mile isn't all that far, except when your reservation is at 9:00 and it's 8:58. So we didn't get to the restaurant until like 9:15-9:20. I did call them to let them know that we hit a snafu and would be there shortly.

I had a short rib, and Gene had homemade pasta with a bolognese sauce. I was really expecting Gene to pick up his plate and lick it. I also had the second best glass of pinot noir of my life. (the first best was at the Red Square in Atlantic City with my dad on my 21st birthday. I haven't been able to find a pinot that tastes quite like that... it just melted) The whole atmosphere was wonderful... the food was ridiculously good. We didn't order an appetizer... it was a lot of seafood dishes. Gene LOVES seafood, but I'm really not a seafood fan. We split a dessert though. BANANA CREME BRULEE. ZOMG. It was made of win.

The only thing that discouraged me was that the server for the two tables next to us took his tables back to meet Jen. My server didn't do that. I don't know if that's because we didn't order like $500 worth of food, or because we weren't staying at the restaurant? (or because we were late?) But it didn't make me feel very good. Though I am just happy knowing that Jen totally made my dinner. I could see her in the window!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Glam Rock, Revisted

I ventured out to West Chester PA last night to see Spacehog at The Note. The song you'd remember most by them is "In The Meantime," which is a GREAT tune... and they have a ton of others. The band is two brothers who sing and play guitar (both play bass, piano, and guitar, actually), a drummer, and lead guitarist... all from Leeds, England. Their biggest audience was along the Eastern seaboard back in the mid-90s through early 2000. They used to wear these jumpsuits and platform shoes? So when we walked past them on the street an hour before the show (for serious) we had no idea it was them.

Gene: Huh. That looked like Anthony and Royston (the brothers)
Friend: Nah. They aren't tall enough. Remember? They were really really tall.

Nope. Totes them. No more jumpsuits, either. Anthony had his Buddy Holly glasses, skinny jeans, button down shirt, and snipped off tie... Royston had an oversized (and very comfy looking) sweater... and his hair looked like he stuck his finger in a socket. But these guys are still awesome. They played some new stuff, so hopefully a new album is in the works.

It was the first time I'd ever been to The Note, and if you're from this area than you know The Note fairly well... and you know that it's owned by West Chester's own Bam Margera. Who was totally there! I knew he owned The Note, but I didn't expect to sit next to the guy at the bar! And before the show started, we were talking about how I hope the opening act is good... they're local and that's all we know because we've never heard them before... AND THEY ARE SITTING NEXT TO US. They were awesome, by the way.

I really love small venues. I usually only get to see concerts at like the Wachovia Center or the Susquehanna Bank Center (formerly known as The Tweeter Center) with 50,000 other people. Much cooler to stand in a big room with a hundred or so people, sometimes less. This show and Better Than Ezra at The Troc were two of the best shows I've seen. Not flashy.... not overcrowded... just really good music.

Next time I'm at The Note though (because we're totes going back) I need to try the Grilled Cheeseburger. Burger in between two grilled cheeses? NOM.

Monday, January 11, 2010

You need to SLOW DOWN when...

It's no secret that I work two jobs and that I'm really stubborn and have to do things for myself. Thursday night, I was ULTAing... doing my usual stuff. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary (except go outside without a coat on next door because I was chasing a shoplifter, but I doubt that's related). Friday, I woke up and my back had seized. I mean... I couldn't bend over AT ALL. Two inches was about as far as I could go without screaming. I cried most of the day. Went to the doctor, they gave me medicine (that I'm pretty sure isn't working at all. Aren't muscle relaxers supposed to make you all drooly? not drooly. In fact, mostly still in pain)

Saturday... I had to clean my entire house. Like CA-LEAN. It was my friend Sara's 30th birthday party... we had it at our house bc the building she was going to have it in was way too big for the number of people coming. It was a bit snug at my house, but we had plenty of food (even vegan cupcakes! which were delicious! who knew?) and plenty to drink. But me, being stubborn, had to everything myself. So I basically cleaned the whole house. Sara came over to help me.. and I wouldn't let her. As soon as I finished... I was completely exhausted, but on muscle relaxers... so I was pretty sure that if I took a 20 minute power nap, I wouldn't wake up until tomorrow.

Today it's a bit better. I tried to take it easy at the ULTA on Sunday, and left early. I feel like if someone grabbed my legs... and someone else grabbed my arms... and they both pulled, THEN I'd feel better. I really need to call my chiropractor.

The only good thing that came out of this weekend is that I'm no longer panicking about the Big M Word. I've been feeling really bad about myself lately. Gene and I got into a really big fight on New Years Eve (great timing, right?) about weddings and all that... and he said something really hurtful that he didn't mean, but I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I mean, I've spent seven years of my life with this guy... we're not engaged... I want to be... I want to get married... he just wants to go to the JOP and "get it overwith." Real romantic, right? But my best friend was over Saturday night, and she talked me off of the ledge. I'm not entirely confident that it's going to get better, in all honesty, but she at least convinced me to stay.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

How much is too much?

How many times a week do you need to eat out for it to be too much? I went out for my friend's birthday last night to a fondue restuarant (seriously. Do you need to charge me that much to cook my own food though? And our server wasn't very nice at all. And spilled wine on our table and didn't clean it up). I'm going out to this little tavern tonight (with AMAZING food) because myself and two of my coworkers each have $40 gift certificates for there, so we're having a little date.

Next week, we're going to the restaurant OF MY FAVORITE EVER TOP CHEF CONTESTANT AND I AM SO FLIPPING EXCITED I CAN HARDLY STAND IT. I can't wait. I just want to skip over the rest of this week and go right to next Friday so I can eat at her restaurant. It was my Christmas present. I love Top Chef. I think it's the best reality contest show on television. My fave girl was from Philly.. and she was FIERCE. Also her restaurant is the closest to us. I was PISSED when she had to pack her knives. But now I get to eat her food (hopefully she works on a Friday night.. I figured that would be a good night to go)

I wanted to go this week, because I'm just so excited.. but Gene said that I'd be eating out three days this week and that is too much. I think that's just dumb. I think eating out 5-7 days a week is too much. And it's not like i eat out 3 days a week every week. This is a special week! Birthday! Top Chef! and gift certificates! That one almost doesn't count.