Happy Friday.

I really don't have very much more to say than that--Happy Friday. I'm so glad the weekend is here...I feel like I need a ton of rest after this week at work...it was H E L L. =P

I'm in a MOOD!

Man, I must have woken up on the "bitchy" side of the bed this morning because I'm in a mood today. It could be that, or the fact that this morning I have gotten question after question from students and I feel as though they're all retarded--I have to say I'm dumbfounded. I'm far from genius, but I don't remember ever asking the questions that I'm getting now when I was in school. I went to college...they gave me a catalog...told me to hold on to it for 4 years and follow the requirements and read it--so I did! IMAGINE THAT. Are we facing the decline of civilization already? I mean as the years go by and I see new students come in quarter after quarter it seems as though the overall I.Q. is dropping. (Okay, now let me mention that every now and then I get an exceptional student who is very well prepared and has great questions). However for the most part, they are unprepared. I'm not happy, but I think it's just my mood...but I swear if I get one more question like, "Can I walk from point A to point B in 10 minutes?" I'm seriously going to say, "I don't know. Why the eff don't you go time it yourself." I mean seems logical doesn't it? DUUUUUUDE.

I Did It Again!

I'm so proud of myself, I worked out again today! I got an email at work that some of the Advisors were going to get together at a place on campus and hang out. I went for a bit and some of them began to buy beer. I was so tempted to buy a glass after a long week at work, but knowing that I was going to come home and do a cardio workout, I thought it not a wise choice; instead I opted for a nice cup of cold, iced water! I drank it and talked and then left because I had to catch my vanpool. All week the van had been picking me up at 4:45...and of course on the day I decide to take my time walking to the pick up spot...there they are waiting for me. F word. Oh well. We get to the Park and Ride Lot at 5:25PM and I walk quickly to my car--I'm dying to pee! I drive home to my apartment in a mad rush...I have to pee so bad my stomach is hurting. I get home, I pee--my FI hands me a protein bar and says, "eat it, wait 15 minutes and then work out." Great idea, I think, as I open the wrapper and eat it. It fills me so that I'm not hungry, but I'm not stuffed and uncomfortable to work out. Chalene and I meet again only this time for Turbo Jam Cardio Party. YEA BABY--she kicks my butt and I kick my own. When she tells me not to give up, I don't. I've started this...and I'm determined not to stop. :D

Finally

So yesterday I finally worked out with the help and motivation from my fiancé. I didn't want to. I felt yucky and fat and I was tired as usual. He urged me to do it and it really motivated me. So, I put on my workout clothes and waddled to the living room. I worked out to Turbo Jam and Chalene Johnson's Turbo Sculpt and then I remembered why I had purchased the workout to begin with. The music was good and she comes across as such a REAL person. When you feel the burn, you know she's feelin the burn too and she motivates you with that, "I know it hurts, but you can do it...the more you put into it, the more you get out if it" type thing. She joked a couple of times and it made me laugh. I love this workout, because I love to dance and the workouts are paired with really cool dance music. I want to work out again tonight...but we'll see how that goes. However unmotivated I am, I have to highly recommend this workout. Chalene rocks!

Whack Attack

Is it going around or something? I've been so tired lately it's ridiculous. A day or two ago I fell asleep on the couch at like 7:40PM, no joke. I've been trying to work out, but I feel tired all the time and all I want to do is sleep. Is it the weather? What the hell is going on? I'm 26 years old, not 60...never mind, I know some 60 year olds that are more active than me. Weight is a new issue for me. Most of my life I've been pretty lean. When I graduated high school I weighed a mere 90 lbs and I remember wishing and hoping and praying for curves. I was literally skin and bones. Granted, I was a runner, but still. I don't remember enjoying food then as much as I do now (which I'm sure is a definite culprit). My first two years in college I managed to get up to 115 and couldn't believe how much weight I had gained. But I was starting to fill out my clothes and I remember being so happy. When I graduated I was at about 125--in my mind, the perfect weight for me. Flash forward to today...4 years after college graduation and I'm teetering on 145-150. Holy crap. For a 5'3" shorty mcmuffin, that's too much--in my opinion. The weight seems to be concentrated around my stomach and my thighs. ARRG. I know I can be dedicated to work out...but it's like life keeps getting in the way. STOP IT LIFE, I need to be fit--I'm in my mid 20's aren't I supposed to love my friggin body right now? This is WHACK ATTACK SON. Nuff said.

I Love FOOD!

Yesterday my wonderful fiancé took me out to eat dinner. He had been raving about this place that he had eaten at with a co-worker and he really wanted to take me there. All I have to say is OMG. This place has the best freaking food! It's called Fresca's Mexican Grill and the food is absolutely to die for. They have this delicious veggie wrap with black beans, rice, salsa, cheese and this awesome sauce. Both of us had that last night and it was soooo good. I highly suggest visiting the website and going to eat there...best damn Mexican food I've had in a long time! :D YAY for Edgar finding out about it! WOOHOO!

Books I Devoured in Middle School

For some odd reason I was thinking about books today. There are a couple of books that I read back when I was in junior high that to this day, I will not get rid off. They are books that created vivid images in my head that I can still remember to this day...books that conjured up feelings and took me to a different world when I no longer wanted to be in my own. My most favorite book is called "Winter of Fire" and it's by Sherryl Jordan.



Link to Amazon for Winter of Fire.

I also vividly remember reading the Midnight Secrets Series by Ryp. It's a bit of a morbid fiction romance, but boy it sure did keep me enthralled when I was in junior high. I have not read the books for a while, and am not too sure if they would capture my attention again--but like I said above, they helped me escape to a magical place when I was younger and hence will forever remain in a special place in my heart and mind.

The Temptation (Midnight Secrets No.1)



The Thrill (Midnight Secrets No. 2)



The Fury (Midnight Secrets No. 3)

Just thought I'd share. :)

UGH!

Dammit...I fell asleep at a good time last night and I know I could have forced myself out of bed this morning but I didn't! DAMN ME!!! DAMN ME TO HELL!! (Sorry to all you super religious people...but since college I have become somewhat of an agnostic, please don't try to convert me). Anyway, I will now force myself to work out this evening even though I didn't want to do that...but I can't let myself start a workout routine and give up. I have done this one too many times and it sucks. I want to feel good in my clothes again...why in the world is this so friggin hard? BIG FAT "F" WORD. Did I mention I'm hungry right now? MOTHERFFFF....

Blah

Ok, so the alarm went off this morning at 4:45AM and fiancé and I both said eff that. We're both sore...so we decided the workout would be an every other day type of thing. The day seems to be kind of dragging. I have nothing officially important or intelligent to say...I'm hungry and I'm going to eat a potato from "Subs and Spuds" with my co-worker. They have a veggie one and dammit I'm gonna ask for cheese. *Sigh* Isn't there a magic weight loss pill somewhere? That or I need to just be complacent with my "chubbie" self. :D

Workout Day 1

Okay, so I got tired of bitching about my weight and not doing anything. My fiancé and I woke up this morning at 4:45AM and then walked to the gym at our apartment complex. It's pretty damn nice and there were a few people already in there when we got there. I got on the treadmill and ran a mile--that's all my fat ass can do at the moment...lol...I hope that with time I will be able to do more. I figure it's better than just sitting around and complaining about how much weight I've gained since college. It's time I did something about it since we're paying rent and we have all this workout equipment available to use. I feel good right now, but I don't know if I'm going to be super tired later in the day. If we're going to be waking up that early though, I'm going to have to make sure I'm in bed by at least 10PM. Okay, so now if only my finacé and I can get up and do this again tomorrow...wait...off to a bad start...WE WILL get up tomorrow and workout! :D

Commuter Day #1 & 2 Updates

Day #1:
Morning Commute

Okay, so it was like a scene from a bad movie--the people on the van seriously had no clue I was joining them, it was my worst nightmare. I drove to Tustin...parked my car near the Albertson's parking lot and walked to a spot where I could see the van coming--good thing I did or I swear they would have left me. They drove into the shopping center, picked up one girl and then started to take off! I ran after them flailing my arms in the air for them to stop like a dumbass...but they saw me and the driver stopped and rolled down her window and said, "Are you joining our vanpool today?" Are you serious? No, I'm not I just felt like flagging you down to make myself look like an idiot in front of everyone right now. Yes, stupid, I'm joining your vanpool. I hop in. One person asleep laying down in one seated row. Second person asleep laying down in the second seated row. Third row, only other person awake besides the driver and the passenger, but only because she just got on the van too. The driver introduces herself as Jeanne (pronounced Jeanie). The girl I sit next to introduces herself as Autumn; I notice right away she has somewhat of a southern accent--cool I think. It was smooth sailing for the most part...all of a sudden I'm thankful for the carpool lane, but the second we hit Riverside the traffic starts. The ride to work is silent and bumpy, but we make it. They park the van like 10 min from the building where I work because they all work for the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and I work for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences College. It all makes sense now--bio geeks, no wonder they don't talk. We don't make it to work on time. I stroll in to my office at 8:20 AM and my boss gives me that good morning your late kinda tone. F word.

Afternoon Commute

I'm a little leery at this point, I don't know what to expect. Meet them at the van at 5 PM they said. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take me to walk up to the van, I leave my office at around 4:45 PM. I start my hike to the van. It's not a long walk, but I'm overweight and it's hotter than shit outside...I'm sweating profusely and it's grossing me out. I get to the van and walk under any shade I can find. There's a minimal breeze and it cools me a little, but then the heat comes back with a vengeance and slaps me across the face. I wait like 5-7 min. Dammit, I left my office too early. The belltower rings and it's 5 PM. Everyone walks to the van. One of the vanpoolers, who is faculty for CNAS opens the door and actually talks to me, but only to ask me where I live. I explain, he understands and another person introduces herself--she is Lulu. I didn't know people were still named Lulu these days. The driver asks me if I'm going to be joining the van permanently. Is she serious? I say yes. She says on Friday's they leave at 3 PM. WTF? Why? I tell her I'll talk it over with my supervisor--I already figure out in my head that I'm going to have to work through 2 of my lunch hours to leave at 3 PM on Friday--F word again. The drive home is easy. I get the backseat all to myself. I point the air right on my face...the road is bumpy. People fall asleep again. I'm watching, looking and before I know it, we're already merging off onto the 241 toll road. They drop me off and ask me to be there at 7:20 AM the next morning. No problem, I was here at 7 AM today. I say my goodbyes and walk to my Miata. I hop in her, she needs gas...so I gas her up and race on home. Yes, my foot is heavy. I get to the apartments, park in the garage and walk upstairs. I am officially home at 6:08 PM. NOT BAD.

Day #2:
Morning

The alarm goes off at 5:45 AM. I hit snooze. I'm hoping this morning's commute goes better. I get my lazy arse up at 6: 03 AM. I drive to the drop off point in no time...I'm flying and the weather is foggy and cool outside...my car windows are open--man it feels soo good. I get to Albertson's and park my car. I sit in it waiting for the van. Minutes before 7:20 AM Autumn rolls in, she's driving a new toyota camry. The van comes, we get in. Lulu is awake, Autumn falls asleep. The passenger, Ian, is talking to Jeanne about politics. The commute is not bad but we run into traffic again in Riverside. I make it to my office at 8:15 AM--DAMMIT. My supervisor isn't in her office, she's on break. SCORE.

Afternoon

I decide this time I won't leave my office until 4:50 PM. I hike to the van, it's hot, but not as hot as the previous day. My butt is burning...I'm wearing dark jeans and the sun is being drawn to them like water going down a drain. My ass is hotter than all hell by the time I get to the van. I'm the first one there...then Lulu gets there and actually talks to me! I find out she works in the Library--cool. Then Autumn shows up...she talks a little too. Ian walks up next, then Jeanne. I get the backseat to myself again and off we go. Cold air on my face and a couple of bumps here and there...the drive is a breeze and we only come to a halt once on the freeway and the rest is smooth sailing. Before I know it...we're getting dropped off and there's my Miata waiting for me. The weather in Tustin is cool, I decide to drive home with the top down. The air feels soo good...and there's no other feeling in the world like driving down Jamboree in my little convertible. I get home at 6:12 PM and I'm not even tired! Fucking sweet.

Preparing for Commuter Day #1

Okay, I'm a little nervous. I've been washing clothes all morning. I keep trying to go over in my head all the things I'm going to need to take with me to work...I don't know really what to expect. Tomorrow, I'm going to drive to Albertson's in Tustin...leave my car, get in a van with people I don't know except for the fact that they too work at UCR. Supposedly, they pick us up at 7:30am...and we get to work at 8am?? We'll see. I'm anxious to see the traffic...what if I have to go poo while I'm on the van? Are these people going to want to talk to me or will I be listening to my IPOD the whole way? So many questions, I feel like a mess right now. The thing is, I won't have answers until tomorrow. Wow...tomorrow--I start commuter day #1.