A mosquito just tried to land on my face and I smacked myself really hard on the nose.
ouch.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Adventures of the carless
So, today Gina and I wanted sushi and the best place to get it is at Sushi Ya. We had to take TWO buses to get there. Yes, you read that right - two. Getting there was easy as pie. The way back was a different story.
We spent a lot of time in Sushi Ya. Mainly because we each decided to get four rolls. Big mistake. My third roll was a salmon skin roll. Mainly because of the Friends reference.
It was really really gross. No offense to those who like it - but it was not my favorite. I wanted something to override the disgusting salmon skin roll, so I got the more delicious happy roll (salmon and cream cheese). It took all we could muster to try and finish up the food (they charge you more if you don't finish, since it's an all-you-can-eat thing). I ended up putting three pieces in a napkin and shoving it in my bag to throw out later... shhhhhh!
By the time we made it out to the bus stop, the bus had already come and gone. We look at the schedule to find out it was going to be a 30 minutes before the next one! Are you kidding me?
We sit in the shade on some grass to wait it out. While we're sitting there, many people pass by us. One girl carrying a chair, looks at us, and says: want a chair?
Me and Gina: uhhh, no thanks...
girl with chair keeps on walking down the street.
Why was she carrying this chair? What were we gonna do with the chair? Was she gonna wait while we sat on the chair till the bus came? All these questions will be left unanswered I guess...
We spent a lot of time in Sushi Ya. Mainly because we each decided to get four rolls. Big mistake. My third roll was a salmon skin roll. Mainly because of the Friends reference.
It was really really gross. No offense to those who like it - but it was not my favorite. I wanted something to override the disgusting salmon skin roll, so I got the more delicious happy roll (salmon and cream cheese). It took all we could muster to try and finish up the food (they charge you more if you don't finish, since it's an all-you-can-eat thing). I ended up putting three pieces in a napkin and shoving it in my bag to throw out later... shhhhhh!
By the time we made it out to the bus stop, the bus had already come and gone. We look at the schedule to find out it was going to be a 30 minutes before the next one! Are you kidding me?
We sit in the shade on some grass to wait it out. While we're sitting there, many people pass by us. One girl carrying a chair, looks at us, and says: want a chair?
Me and Gina: uhhh, no thanks...
girl with chair keeps on walking down the street.
Why was she carrying this chair? What were we gonna do with the chair? Was she gonna wait while we sat on the chair till the bus came? All these questions will be left unanswered I guess...
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Rough Cut
Okay, so we videoed my boxing today - i'm kind of all shadows and we go out of the shot a lot haha, so maybe at some point i'll get a better copy :)
Enjoy! Watch starting at 5:25 - all the stuff before is just warm ups. My boxing routine is 3 rounds of new school combos on southpaw, orthodox, and southpaw again.
Go to http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15851507 to watch - i tried to post it but it wasn't working :(
Enjoy! Watch starting at 5:25 - all the stuff before is just warm ups. My boxing routine is 3 rounds of new school combos on southpaw, orthodox, and southpaw again.
Go to http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15851507 to watch - i tried to post it but it wasn't working :(
Reading...
For my upcoming vacation, I got some books to read on the plane and when relaxing at the beach. :)
Can't. Wait.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Mean Right Hook
Today was a rough training day. My body hasn't really been feeling much of anything from training, but after today's session, I am SURE I'll be feeling this! The first two knuckles on each hand are still slightly pink and my session ended at 4:30...it's almost 8:30...
I'll take you through my training today, since I'm sure you're all so curious. :)
We start off warming up with tossing the medicine ball back and forth. They get a little trickier - i turn around and twist behind me to my left to catch the ball then throw it back twisting to my right, then catch right, twist, throw left. It definitely works you.
Then we drilled each combination and would add on. Combos like, double jab, hook, straight or a six hook. We did these combinations on my southpaw side (left) and then orthodox (right). I loved working these combinations and today we got down to business, talking about where each punch would land and impact and motivations, etc. Not gonna lie, I took a couple hits and they were jostling, to say the least. One combination we worked was a "catch hook," where you go in to hit your opponent with a straight punch, they dodge and go to hit you on the side of the head. You catch it by placing your glove directly next to your head to absorb the impact and then hook punch them with your other hand in the ribs. One of my favorite combinations is the "Six Hook." You start with your lead hand and punch 1, then alternate 2,3,4,5,6 and when the opponent swings at you, you make a "buffy-like" dodge by ducking underneath, moving your body in a circle, and coming back up to deliver a hard hook.
My hook is awesome. Hadyn is always impressed by how much strength I put into it and land it every time. I've learned how much power to put behind each punch and how the gloves feel to deliver that perfect hit that makes this "crack" against the training mits. It's a pretty cool sound. I was definitely perspiring by the end of the combo series.
Next, we worked on kicks. These are some of the hardest things I've ever had to do. They require such balance and strength that I just don't have yet. Yesterday, we learned a side kick, straight kick, roundhouse kick, and a hook kick. Today, we added a hook-over-top and roundhouse - basically you swing your leg over and then roundhouse them. The difficult part of training kicks is we do them in a pyramid style - starting with three singles on each leg, then doubles, then triples, then doubles, then singles. Trying to keep your leg in the air after that first kick to deliver two more is really really horrible - I was not very good and felt a little embarrassed, since usually people stop to watch my sessions (no one really expects such a tiny girl to be boxing). When we learned a spin hook using the rear leg...well, I suck at explaining these - so watch this video on hook kicks...
We did spin hooks in a pyramid, too - try doing these in doubles and triples...so.very.hard.
I left the session today feeling tired, worked, and a little disappointed in myself. My kicks were not very good and I fumbled a few combos. I have to remember that I'm learning though and it'll get better with time as long as I'm patient with myself. Even though I didn't feel like it was my best training day, it was still really fun and a great workout, especially with hot pink boxing gloves.
I'll take you through my training today, since I'm sure you're all so curious. :)
We start off warming up with tossing the medicine ball back and forth. They get a little trickier - i turn around and twist behind me to my left to catch the ball then throw it back twisting to my right, then catch right, twist, throw left. It definitely works you.
Then we drilled each combination and would add on. Combos like, double jab, hook, straight or a six hook. We did these combinations on my southpaw side (left) and then orthodox (right). I loved working these combinations and today we got down to business, talking about where each punch would land and impact and motivations, etc. Not gonna lie, I took a couple hits and they were jostling, to say the least. One combination we worked was a "catch hook," where you go in to hit your opponent with a straight punch, they dodge and go to hit you on the side of the head. You catch it by placing your glove directly next to your head to absorb the impact and then hook punch them with your other hand in the ribs. One of my favorite combinations is the "Six Hook." You start with your lead hand and punch 1, then alternate 2,3,4,5,6 and when the opponent swings at you, you make a "buffy-like" dodge by ducking underneath, moving your body in a circle, and coming back up to deliver a hard hook.
My hook is awesome. Hadyn is always impressed by how much strength I put into it and land it every time. I've learned how much power to put behind each punch and how the gloves feel to deliver that perfect hit that makes this "crack" against the training mits. It's a pretty cool sound. I was definitely perspiring by the end of the combo series.
Next, we worked on kicks. These are some of the hardest things I've ever had to do. They require such balance and strength that I just don't have yet. Yesterday, we learned a side kick, straight kick, roundhouse kick, and a hook kick. Today, we added a hook-over-top and roundhouse - basically you swing your leg over and then roundhouse them. The difficult part of training kicks is we do them in a pyramid style - starting with three singles on each leg, then doubles, then triples, then doubles, then singles. Trying to keep your leg in the air after that first kick to deliver two more is really really horrible - I was not very good and felt a little embarrassed, since usually people stop to watch my sessions (no one really expects such a tiny girl to be boxing). When we learned a spin hook using the rear leg...well, I suck at explaining these - so watch this video on hook kicks...
We did spin hooks in a pyramid, too - try doing these in doubles and triples...so.very.hard.
I left the session today feeling tired, worked, and a little disappointed in myself. My kicks were not very good and I fumbled a few combos. I have to remember that I'm learning though and it'll get better with time as long as I'm patient with myself. Even though I didn't feel like it was my best training day, it was still really fun and a great workout, especially with hot pink boxing gloves.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
A Day in the Life
Today was an awesome day. I got my boxing gloves in the mail and in between my double shift, I got to break them in. Oh, and I learned some kicks in my session today.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Hot chicks with superpowers
I work at 24hr Fitness here in Provo. No, I'm not a personal trainer. No, I'm not going to try and sell you a membership. I work in the Kid's Club, so I just watch babies all day. It's great and it's fun and usually pretty uneventful. Like tonight.
We're open from 4 - 8pm Monday through Thursday with three people working. Tonight, we had one child from 4-5pm. Seriously. One kid. While Steph and I held down the fort, Tiffany went out to the sales floor to work on new member agreements. Once our one kid left at 5, it was another whole hour before any more showed up. During that hour, Steph and I went upstairs where all the machines are to re-rack weights...
Side Note:
I love seeing the reactions from people when I re-rack weights! When I start going around picking up plates to put back on our little "weight tree", asking people "are you using these?" - something funny starts to happen. Members start putting their own weights back when they are finished! Something that they never do but are ONLY doing because they see us girls wearing red 24hr fitness shirts trying to carry a 45lb weight in each hand back to the weight tree. They feel guilty and guilt keeps a clean gym, I guess. :)
With the members pitching in, this didn't kill as much time as we thought it would. We headed back downstairs to waste more time when we saw Hayden sitting at one of the computers in the sales pit (little area with all the computers where the people try to sell you memberships). Hayden is a newly hired personal trainer, originally from South Africa but recently moved from Hawaii where he trained MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters. Pretty impressive, huh? We heard he went through a workout with Mindy, our fitness manager, so we asked what he showed her. He opened up his duffel bag to reveal PINK boxing gloves and pads!
So.Awesome.Right there in the middle of the gym, he took us each through a routine one on one. I learned that I am a "Southpaw," because I am left-handed. I learn the "Southpaw stance," "hook," "jab," "cross," "uppercuts"... He gives instructions and I follow as best I can. A double hook, straight punch, block, duck, circle...I feel like I'm straight out of Million Dollar Baby... I try not to think about the people that are staring as they come into the gym or walk by us. I feel the adrenaline kick in and really get into the part of a boxer. All too soon, my turn was over.
I have always loved shows where girls kick major butt - Charlie's Angels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Power Rangers...
Here's a deep, dark, Mia secret for you -
I have always wanted to be Buffy. I want super-strength! I want to know some awesome martial arts-gymnastics moves to beat the bad guys... She was so cool! And nobody would expect such awesome skills out of a petite little thing like herself. Yes, if I was a superhero it would be Buffy.
We were busy the rest of the shift and it went back to being an uneventful night. Well, I guess it was a bit better than other uneventful nights.
Tonight, when I strapped on those pink gloves - I was a superhero.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Lesson learned...
I am normally a very smart and sensible girl. Normally.
Yesterday after work, I was impatiently waiting for the bus - which is almost always late. I was anxious to get home because it was Seven Peaks Day and I needed to hurry back so Lexi and I could walk the many blocks to the water park, have time to play, all before I had to get back and ready for my show of "Merchant of Venice" that night.
I'm waiting at the bus when I hear a voice from a car pulling out from the lot say, "Hey, do you need a ride?"
The bus is still over 10 minutes away with another 20 minutes drive and walk time. If I let this stranger drive me back, I could be home in about 5 minutes.
"Okay." And I get in the car. I can hear the voices of my mother, father, and BOTH sisters screaming in my ear to not go, but I ignore it thinking of how buff I've gotten and that I'll be safe.
He asks where I live, but I say "I just need to go to the Provo Library." I'm not telling him where I live.
The ride isn't creepy and we were there in 5 minutes. We get to the library and I thank the kind, non-creepy man. Just when I think I've successfully cheated the system...
"Can I convince you to give me a kiss?"
Ummmm....excuse me?
"Nope, not a chance." I make a break for it and run into the library.
Don't worry, anyone reading this and screaming at me over the computer...I've learned my lesson. :)
Yesterday after work, I was impatiently waiting for the bus - which is almost always late. I was anxious to get home because it was Seven Peaks Day and I needed to hurry back so Lexi and I could walk the many blocks to the water park, have time to play, all before I had to get back and ready for my show of "Merchant of Venice" that night.
I'm waiting at the bus when I hear a voice from a car pulling out from the lot say, "Hey, do you need a ride?"
The bus is still over 10 minutes away with another 20 minutes drive and walk time. If I let this stranger drive me back, I could be home in about 5 minutes.
"Okay." And I get in the car. I can hear the voices of my mother, father, and BOTH sisters screaming in my ear to not go, but I ignore it thinking of how buff I've gotten and that I'll be safe.
He asks where I live, but I say "I just need to go to the Provo Library." I'm not telling him where I live.
The ride isn't creepy and we were there in 5 minutes. We get to the library and I thank the kind, non-creepy man. Just when I think I've successfully cheated the system...
"Can I convince you to give me a kiss?"
Ummmm....excuse me?
"Nope, not a chance." I make a break for it and run into the library.
Don't worry, anyone reading this and screaming at me over the computer...I've learned my lesson. :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Ramblings...
I find expression beautiful. In all its forms. I think anything that has the power to tell a story - to make you feel - is an amazing thing and I value each thing I find that touches me this way.
I went for a run tonight and on the playlist I made, the song "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles came on. I love this song, it has such emotion to it and is really beautiful in kind of a dark, sad way. I was reminded of an episode of So You Think You Can Dance, where Mia Michaels choreographed a contemporary piece to this song. The dance was about addiction with one partner being the addict and the other the addiction (drug, toxic boyfriend, any and all kinds); it was really amazing.
There are things in life that can bring us down, trap us, make us feel like this is how it'll always be - but there's always a way out. This song and dance is personal to me. I had a toxic, addicting relationship with someone who brought me down.
i live here on my knees
as i try to make you see
that you're everything i think i need
here on the ground
I was not my best self while with this guy. It was almost impossible to get out of it. I was so far gone and "in love" with this person, it took something huge for me to finally break it off. I put quotes around the being in love part, because it was not a good kind of love. I know I was in love with him, but it was the self-destructive Tristan&Yseult, spinning-in-circles-with-your-eyes-closed kind of love where it blinds you - you can't see what's happening around you - you can't see that you're about to fall. It's selfish and tornado-like, destroying all within its path.
the one thing that i still know
is that you're keeping me down
It's been six months since him. He was an addiction that was hard to break. I was broken for a little bit, but I'm whole again. And I never have to break like that again.
here i am and i stand so tall
i'm just the way i'm supposed to be
There are ways out. It's amazing to look back over an experience and see the 'you' then and the 'you' now. The only way I could have gotten through such a horrible time is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What an amazing blessing that is! What an amazing power we have at our fingertips to help us through our darkest, saddest times.
There's beauty everywhere. A dance. Lyrics. A voice. A photograph. A smile. Love of family and friends.
Watch this video. It's beautiful. I hope it makes you feel something, too :)
I went for a run tonight and on the playlist I made, the song "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles came on. I love this song, it has such emotion to it and is really beautiful in kind of a dark, sad way. I was reminded of an episode of So You Think You Can Dance, where Mia Michaels choreographed a contemporary piece to this song. The dance was about addiction with one partner being the addict and the other the addiction (drug, toxic boyfriend, any and all kinds); it was really amazing.
There are things in life that can bring us down, trap us, make us feel like this is how it'll always be - but there's always a way out. This song and dance is personal to me. I had a toxic, addicting relationship with someone who brought me down.
i live here on my knees
as i try to make you see
that you're everything i think i need
here on the ground
I was not my best self while with this guy. It was almost impossible to get out of it. I was so far gone and "in love" with this person, it took something huge for me to finally break it off. I put quotes around the being in love part, because it was not a good kind of love. I know I was in love with him, but it was the self-destructive Tristan&Yseult, spinning-in-circles-with-your-eyes-closed kind of love where it blinds you - you can't see what's happening around you - you can't see that you're about to fall. It's selfish and tornado-like, destroying all within its path.
the one thing that i still know
is that you're keeping me down
It's been six months since him. He was an addiction that was hard to break. I was broken for a little bit, but I'm whole again. And I never have to break like that again.
here i am and i stand so tall
i'm just the way i'm supposed to be
There are ways out. It's amazing to look back over an experience and see the 'you' then and the 'you' now. The only way I could have gotten through such a horrible time is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What an amazing blessing that is! What an amazing power we have at our fingertips to help us through our darkest, saddest times.
There's beauty everywhere. A dance. Lyrics. A voice. A photograph. A smile. Love of family and friends.
Watch this video. It's beautiful. I hope it makes you feel something, too :)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Night of Delicious Flavor
Yesterday was a day of firsts for many.
It was the first time I had ever been to J Dawgs. For those of you outside of Utah, J Dawgs is a hotdog place that is inexpensive and insanely delicious. They have this special sauce they put on the hotdogs that definitely makes the experience.
It was also the first time my roommates and some friends were going to experience the joy that is the television show PSYCH starring James Roday and Dule Hill. The show follows Shawn Spencer, a man with a photographic memory, and his best friend Burton "Gus" Guster as they pretend and convince all that Shawn is a psychic as they solve cases for the Santa Barbara Police Department. It's hilariously clever and one of the best shows on TV.
On a particular episode of Psych, Shawn and Gus encounter a food called "Fries Quatro Queso Dos Fritos." These are twice fried potatoes with a four cheese mixture inside, served with sour cream and bacon. These fries don't actually exist, but many psych fans have tried their hands at recreating them. Last night was my turn.
You start off getting small potatoes, cutting them in half and scooping out most of the insides, stuffing them with cheese and securing with toothpicks. You drop them in the fryer for ten minutes and take them out to cool. Then you bread or batter them (we used panko) and fry them again for only a minute. They sound horribly unhealthy, but they were soooo good.
My roommates, Ansley and Caroline were such good sports to help me. It definitely took all three of us to get it all together!Here's how they turned out!
The party turned out pretty fun. Nobody had ever tried "Fries Quatro Queso Dos Fritos" before and they were a big hit. We also had other "psych" foods to make the first viewing experience awesome for all. Here's a picture of the spread!
The only thing missing from this picture is we also had double chocolate fudge brownies. Yeah, it was a pretty unhealthy night. But the grapes and pineapple helped balance it out, right? :)
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Birth of a Blog
Everyone's doing it. Peer pressure, I have finally succumbed to you!
Welcome to my blog! Choosing a blog name was a lot harder than I thought it would be...or maybe I am just less creative than I thought I was. I knew I wanted it to revolve around me being short, since it's usually the first thing anyone notices about me...then I found this quote:
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Tolkien
I've been called a hobbit by more than one person. One summer while living in Montana, a cute little old man came into the store every morning to buy a paper, coffee, and pastry. Every morning he'd say, "hello there hobbit, how are you today?"
Yeah, I'm short - I'll accept the name with pride. Hobbits are small, they like to have fun, and they sometimes have extraordinary adventures. I don't mind the comparison... All except the big, hairy feet. I DON'T have those.
Welcome to my blog! Choosing a blog name was a lot harder than I thought it would be...or maybe I am just less creative than I thought I was. I knew I wanted it to revolve around me being short, since it's usually the first thing anyone notices about me...then I found this quote:
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Tolkien
I've been called a hobbit by more than one person. One summer while living in Montana, a cute little old man came into the store every morning to buy a paper, coffee, and pastry. Every morning he'd say, "hello there hobbit, how are you today?"
Yeah, I'm short - I'll accept the name with pride. Hobbits are small, they like to have fun, and they sometimes have extraordinary adventures. I don't mind the comparison... All except the big, hairy feet. I DON'T have those.
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