Times Square - New Years Eve Recap

emoticon Friday Night - “Hoboken No Jokin”

outfit:


Jen and I ran to the Bowling Green and caught the PATH to HOBOKEN and trekked over a mile along the waterfront, in beautiful dry 50 degree weather, lovinnnnnnnnnn the view of the skyline, especially after just coming FROM the World Trade Center, which now SUPERdwarfs the Empire State Building.

view:

(picture by MYSELF but if you think im putting first/last names, you are quite naive about internet safety)

We walked through the very strange alternate universe of Hoboken, through gorgeous brownstones and walkups that made my mouth water… seriously, some were such gothic estates, I was amdly in love and almost forsook NYC for NJ in a heartbeat.

But then we got to Maxwells and had an AMAZING show, during which Joshua handed me the mic *heart* although, in this picture, it looks more like Im making out with Tim No 37 more than singing along with the guys :)


^picture credi tto Sonya Hanafi

After the show, we all got ishfaced and made a caravan back across (under) the Hudson River, then the East River (over), back to the burg (through the woods), where we went on a 2 am run for coffee, redbull, beer, brooklyn wraps, mountain dew and Jameo in painful shoes and involved a couple of the girls (not mahself) peeing illegally lololol (PEE ME A RIVER)

Then the band got back from unloading their gear and we had a slumber party. HIGH FIVE.
Great way to start new years eve.

As a sidenote, TIm No 37 says, if you’re a gay metal fan in NYC, come out of the closet and you’ll get this for NYE:



Nightly walk mileage total: 4.7 miles

emoticon Saturday: The NYE Triathlon (not an actual triathlon)

Woke up around 9 am, laid out on the deck with Joshua and Jen, soaking up some extremely unseasonal clear skies and hot sunshine! Ordered brunch a la couch and pigged out with everyone, laughing about the hilarity that ensued the night before, such as Peter rolling down 10th street, Joshua peeing on a curb for almost 6 minutes, the two girls wearing so much makeup and feathers and SoCo on their outfits that they were just… ANYWAY…

Then Jen and I took a short graffiti walk through Bushwick:






Then we took the N back over the Manhattan Bridge to get ready for Times Square and caught an amazing sunset:




Next we take the train to 7th Ave/53rd Street just north of Times Square and decide to brave the crowds by sneaking in from the north mostly down 7th, and then via 6th before cutting into the bowtie. Let me illustrate:



Now, the ball was blocked from our view because of the ESPN building, but we were able to see it reflected in the other buildings- so Im cool with that. It took us about an hour to get from my apartment in Brooklyn, to the front of the police barricades by 11:10 or so. I took out my camera when it was less than insane, because I had no intention of taking it out later. I originally planned to take it out in the insanity- but not til next year when I can be more prepared and its not a last minute I WONDER I COULD DO THIS O_O thing.

pictures of the walk up until we got to 42nd and 6th:









^ Empire State Building from Bryant Park





^ crowds coming from the East, Bryant Park side



^ getting close!



^from now on everything looks like this

because it was like this: (from Jersey North Shore News)


except for the ball dropping


(^ reflection)






and our proud asses at the very front of the police barricades (horns up)



Then there was screaming and fireworks and confetti and we made a mad dash for the D train in Bryant Park to escape the stampedes and get back to Brooklyn for part deux de la nuit.

Fast forward 45 minutes and a 10 degree temperature drop and Jen and I are changing from jeans/tshirts/sneakers to LBDs/twinkly jewelry and pumps in the middle of 58th and 4th Ave to get to the Haven’s Black & White Ball for champagne and dancing to meet my French boy.

HIGH FIVE for NYE with Jen.

Day’s Walk Mileage Total: 8.2 mi

emoticon Sunday: Woke up at 3pm after enjoying our sleep-in and diner dinner and kisses and quickies a bit too much before French boy and I brave Best Buy and Target on NY’s Day to get hime a laptop just in time for closing. Then I run to Jen’s for homemade gumbo a la her MOST AWESOME ROOMMATE (Iron Chef Soux chef Kate- soon to be on Bravo)



OM-NOMMITY-NOM. Then I ran all the way back to the french boy’s house to sleep there.

Day’s Walk Mileage Total: 3 miles

emoticon Monday: ugh

8:37 am Got dumped MID-gardening session because apparently the mere sight of me naked after 10 dates is just too horrible to stand any longer because it makes his gardening tools soft. FINE.

emoticon Monday: REDO!

called Peter and and headed straight to the band’s apartment for beers and movies and louging away until I had to get up to go to work, which was much nicer than playing translator for le douche.

sad; new body issues; whaddyagonnado?

It couldnt dampen the rest of a phenomenal NYE weekend and THAT is why it is by farrrrrrrrrrrr my favorite holiday.

Day’s Walk Mileage Total: 5.5 

Weekend Total Mileage: about 20-22 miles
Weekend Total Cost: $11.12 sht you not.

Remembering Why Im a Badass - 2011 Adventures Tally

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

from my AB team & mamalittle:

emoticon My 2011 Bragging Rights emoticon

emoticon Fitness:
pounds lost: 5 (did not realise I was at 179 on 1/1/11)
sizes lost: 2 
Inches lost: 12 
Bra cup sizes lost: 1 (D to C)
17204 Fitness minutes (which is an average of 47 minutes per day)
Ran/walked/strolled 973.7 miles
158 popular blog awards
8 half marathon distance runs (not races)
I beat my body against a rock wall with Joshua for my bday and got addicted

emoticon Work/Life:
emoticon promotion
emoticon bigger office in the executive wing with ace coworker (despite no raise)
emoticon Shot 12 bands and 16 shows
emoticon Had 11 photos published in various media including a guitar endorsement for Paul Reed Smith Guitars on their website.
emoticon And the promo shots for sold out shows at the famous Irving Plaza, Webster Hall, Sullivan Hall, Tammany Hall, Highline Ballroom and Gramercy Theater.
emoticon And was IN THE THICK OF IT for two sophomore CD release parties, one of which I did the cover art for and got my name credited with the track listing.
emoticon I got to attend the last rock show at Crash Mansion EVER
emoticon I carved my name in the wall at old CBGBs
emoticon spent my birthday weekend/9/11 on a yacht trip around manhattan island taking amazing pictures
emoticon I had 20 first dates, 9 second dates and 5 third dates
emoticon I learned the G line, the D line, the J line, the M line and the Q line and now getting around the city is way easier
emoticon I spent Memorial Day at a bbq on long island like youre supposed to
emoticon I spent the fourth of July and the entire summer in a bikini in Far Rockaway
 emoticonI spent Veteran’s Day taking pictures in GreenWood Cemetery of the graves from the battle of Brooklyn
emoticon I spent Labor Day weekend grilling burgers and watching football.
emoticon My college football team is undefeated and warming up for the BCS-SEC smackDOWN!!!!
emoticon I got to roadtrip and go to Fright Fest Dead and Local Halloween concert at six flags with my adopted family
emoticon I shot the band Saliva and then ended up consoling the lead guitarist when his girl dumped him right after thanksgiving
emoticon I shouldered Alec Baldwin getting out of a towncar at Madison Square Garden so i could catch my train to the Jersey wilderness
emoticon I shot Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Lincoln Center from the photographer’s pit at the runway behind Vogue and Bazaar photogs for several of my favorite designers
emoticon Including Gwen Stefani and Vivienne Tam, both whom I was able to meet and photograph
emoticon I was able to shoot the progess of the new World Trade Center as well as Occupy Wall Street, both of which will become part of history.
emoticon I got to shoot pictures across eastern America as I roadtripped from bon temps to brooklyn
emoticon I took a chance on dating again and did the hold hands, have emotions BS risk, and lost
emoticon But I stood up for myself and walked away when someone couldnt give me the bare minimum of what I needed, much less wanted.
emoticon I had the first tests of my friendship with Joshua and we lived through it and know each other much more, and know we can weather the storms.
emoticon I moved Jen to NYC.
emoticon I went through hell this past summer and still havent bailed on this life and started new and anonymous elsewhere
emoticon This is the longest I have lived in one place since I moved out of my parents house
emoticon I wore an itsy bitsy teeny tiny sparkly dress on 3 occasions,The August Infinity’s CD Release at Irving Plaza, the Scarlet Carson CD Release at Starland Ballroom and the Hate the Hate Benefit Concert (a charity event created by a dear friend of mine, for a cause I hold dear as well) at Sullivan Hall.
emoticon Sat on the jetty at night on Coney Island and watched the fireworks from the ocean
emoticon upheld our end of summer tradition of swimming out past the breakers, and watch the world die
emoticon I was able to see my parents for the last time and tell them goodbye
emoticon I made countless breakthroughs in my own mental blocks
emoticon I was able to tell a boy that I was crazy about that I couldnt see him ever again because I found out he had a girlfriend, and that took more self-respect than I had
emoticon I went to a Cyclones game and we won
emoticon I got to see Incubus with my best friend on Jones Beach for my birthday!!!
emoticon I learned Brooklyn soooooo much better
emoticon I dated a lawyer/pilot and a super cop, and now a French boy straight off the boat whom I now fall asleep kissing at night
emoticon I built an 8 foot snowman with Tom, and my dear friends got engaged in the snow and lights beside it on New Year’s Eve
emoticon Our Halloween decorations were featured in the New York post (OWEN BONEMAN SHOUTOUT!!!)
emoticonI made it to 42nd and 6thin time for the ball drop in Times Square on NYE!
emoticon I survived the Great NY Blizzard of 2011, the Great NY Earthquake of 2011 and the Great NY Hurricane of 2011 and HEATPOCALYPSE NY 2011…
and
emoticon I get laid an average of 3 weekends per month.

Your turn, biznatches, BRAG TIME. no humility allowed

I reserve the right to update this as the holidays get closer.

Saturday

Saturday, November 26, 2011

I somehow have officially gained 17 pounds since November 15.
The only reason I can find for this BS is that thats about a week after I switched to whole grains and wheat cardboard.
So you know what?
F$%# you WHOLE GRAINS.
At least when I ate white bread and bagels I only had 5 servings a week (maybe).

emoticon I know I love myself today because:
emoticon When I saw another 5 pounds on the scale this morning, I decided to go for a short run instead of doing an ST session.
emoticon Instead of doing two and a half miles, I did 8.70 miles.
emoticon Instead of going to Park Slope or staying in my neighborhood, I treated myself to the Verrazano for the first time in forever.
emoticon on my period.




 

More powerful than the will to win…

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

…is the courage to begin.You can learn new things at any time in your life if you’re willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you. - Barbara Sher

When there is a start to be made, don’t step over! Start where you are. -Edgar Cayce

Yesterday I had some pretty heavy brekthroughs and I didn’t want all that emotional BS to be for no stinkin reason, so I went into Spark and changed my ticker. I didnt move the ticker up or down or anything, I just ERASED all my previous success.

I changed my starting weight from 260 to 173. All those pounds I’d already lost were weihing me down, not spurring me on forward. Now instead of seeing all those huge numbers gapped apart on my ticker, with each little ound I lose barely moving the little white dove, I have only a few pounds to lose before hitting each marker!!

After I saved it, I made that sound like you make after your first sip of 7up.

Then I put it out of my mind and went to make myself a beautiful dinner, which I also did the night before. And I started thinking to myself, you know what, Self? Tracking has gotten a bit boring once you have all the calories fo everything memorized and you can pretty much guess within a hundred cals what your intake for the day is, and you are so addicted to taking pics and always have your phone with you, you should take a picture of (at least) your dinner, every day, for the rest of October.

If you dont eat, no picture.
If its not healthy, too bad, snap snap.
If its healthy but ugly, who cares, snap snap.
If its gorgeous and decadent, snap snap.
If its colorful and healthy, snap snap upload to fb.

So I made baby pasta shells and threw in broccoli and mushrooms and garlic and then sprinkled fresh sun-dried tomatoes on top with some skim parmesan. Voila!



I sat on the front stoop with Tom and talked to him about some of the breakthoughs that I have made lately and he thinks that my course of action seems level headed and healthy, so I feel better. I just kept walking around the house taking care of business last night with the FACT in the back of my head that I was going to be starting from scratch tomorrow.

No 90 lb loss hanging over my head like OH YEAH BITCH? TOP THIS! MAKE IT100! OR ARE YOU SCARED? HUH HUH? I BET YOU CANT! 3 DIGITS IS A HUGE NUMBER! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Nope, I was on day 1 as of 10/5. No pasxt successes or failures barrelling me over.
No 100 lb loss goal taunting me.
No “WHY IS THIS TAKING 4 YEARS” pressure.

Brand new day.

SO this morning I got up at 6:30 and it was still dark outside but I got dressed, ponytailed it and hit the pavement to carve out a run route that I can start and finish in 30 minutes in case Im ever running late. Just 30 mins, no big giant 8 mile run route or anything, just What can I guarantee to be able to accompish in 30 minutes? That includes Mt Skinnichick and her badass hill and badasseder view, if possible!





Now, part of PMP this week is to surprise yourself. So I knew I had to eventually, but the trick to surprising myself is not planning ahead of time, just coming upon an opportunity and seizing it. So I get to the base of Mt. Skinnichick.

1/3 mile / 150 ft incline….

I ran straight up! I RAN STRAIGHT UP!!! Without stopping! Can you just imagine the happy dancing I was doing in my head? Not with my body, my body was bent over trying to get air. Trying to not vomit on every living thing. Trying t not DIE.

Then Im coming back around the park and they have erected a fence!
A FENCE??
WHY???

So I hop up on the grass from the sidewalk to walk around it and they start yelling at me that I cant go around it, I have to go all the way back. And I look ahead and see the drop off between the grass Im standing on and the sidewalk below and Im guessing its about 5 and a half feet, cause when Im walking on the sidewalk, just the top of my head and ponytail are higher than the stone dividing wall.



So I look at the fence guy.
Look down at the sidewalk.
Look back at he screaming fence guys.
Look down at the sidewalk.
Look back at the entire construction crew yelling for me to just turn around and go back.
Look down at the sidewalk.

FLYING LEAP!!!!

Land on feet and take off running back toward home. Feeling like a what? A Superhero.



And on the way home, I smell this amazing sausage egg and cheese hero atrocity that hd my mouth watering and my emergency three bucks burning a hole in my tights… BUT I was NOT going to ruin my new Day 1 with that, so I hit up subway and got a flatbread with tons of veggies and eggs and such and had a banana and a new water.



So tonight, ST and tomorrow morning, cardio again.

Im doin it!

Everything is cool

Voted Popular Blog Post: View All Popular Posts

Monday, August 29, 2011



lol just kidding, I messed with that picture, it didnt look like that when the storm came in. Cause it was night time.

The eye made direct landfall over NYC and then Lady Liberty held up her hand, said ‘I don’t think so, bitch’ and the rest of the storm, from the eye down, disappeared into thin air.

The only things I got to clean up were tree branches, trash and signage, but here are some pictures of Brooklyn and NYC after the storm.



Brooklyn Hurricane Preparedness



across the street











I made Jen stand in front of stuff to show scale. This is her superhero trout pout stance.



Wall of tree







Hopefully we will be able to get to Manhattan soon as well as AC.

NYC is fine, time to focus on Jersey, VA, NC, VT, MA, etc. Im trying to get a gaggle of New Yorkers to head out to Jersey asap to help with cleanup over there.

Sunkissed Summer Challenge: Assignment 7 - proof pics

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Im a day late on doing/posting part of Assignment 7 where we had to prove we did something nutritionally healthy.

So last night I grabbed a pan and filled it witho onions, red/yellow/green peppers, garlic, cashews and sunflower kernels and sauteed them in 1 tbsp of sunflower oil.



Once I cooked them down to where the cashews and kernels were roasting and popping and mmmmmmmming up, I added a simmer sauce with coconut, peanuts, tomatos, coriander, curry paste with lemongrass, lime and tamarind with about 1/3 teaspoon of raw cane sugar and a bit of salt.



Then I covered it and simmered it for about 8 minutes and dumped it on a bed of jasmine rice. Tada! Sunflower Satay! omnom!



This morning I woke up at 5:30 with my phone screaming Ke$ha at me. The flashing message had no idea the weight it carried this morning.

“RUN OR COME UNDONE!”

Yes, I wore my goal dress on a perfect Cinderella night.
Yes, I ate and drank too much this weekend.
Yes, I am soooo PMS and gained a little bit because of water retention and all that eating.
Yes, I have to keep moving forward after hitting that big goal.
Yes, I still have 30 pounds to lose.
Yes, I still have challenges ahead of me.
Yes, I still have more milestones to conquer and smote upon the mountainside.

*SNOOZE*

zzzzZZzzzz…..zzzzZZZzz

My 7 am alarm goes off.

“YOU CAN STILL GET IN A HALF HOUR!”

*groan*

I slid from the bed and stood in front of the mirror admiring my tan lines and scowling at my gut and the 4 pounds I put on. I hate pre-peiod weight, I think it can kiss my ass. Fine fine fine, Im going to run.

After I wander aimlessly around the house for 20 mins.

OMG woman just go out the door and get some damn sunshine! You know how awesome you’ll feel all day if you do! Kick pre-period weight and PMS insanity in the teeth! Do it! Do it! Do it!

*standing in kitchen*

*stillstanding*

7:31 

ok Im going!

Good thing I did, it was 75 degrees out an beautiful beautiful morning!!! I walked a lot, but I broke a healthy sweat and got my heart pounding for a full half hour so I friggin WIN. Mother Nature and all her hormonal minions can ________.

I spent tons of time looking up at the trees and at the trails beneath my feet- both looked beautiful today. I smelled football in the air and loved the leaves crunching beneath my feet. There was a beautiful wind off the harbor.











I’m glad I still got in my Tuesday run, albeit slow and short, because starting the week without it now just feels wrong. Besides, there is a group of people that sit outside this one shop at stage left of the park and I run past them every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday… and I want them to realise that I run past them every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Actually now I am kind of excited to do my run through Park Slope tomorrow.

Actually Im REALLY excited!!

Joon 30th - End the Month with a *BANG* & Wrap it up!

So…. I just learned that 12K in 90 minutes burns 960 calories
O_o
*makes note to self to do more often*

I got lost again. It was very frustrating not being able to enjoy my run because I was trying to find my way home. Which I eventually did, of course, 15 minutes before having to catch my carpool. That was the fastest freezingest shower I have ever taken. But I couldnt go to work bright red and drenched in sweat and stink and my body temperature through the roof!

So… what did I do in June??

Well…
I ran 6 of the last 9 days.
*fist pump*
*pats self on back*
I ran 14 days total for June (meh- so/so)
racked up 1200 cardio minutes (really sodapop? I thought it would have been more)
12 ST sessions
26/30 days exercised
took measurements for new summer challenge
took before pics for challenge
established a strong pattern of no fast food since the second week in Joon.
cooked a homemade meal every day since 6/12 
ate 5-8 servings of freggies every week day since Joon 1 
had 4-6 bottles of water daily

Here are pics from today’s run:










After the Brooklyn Cyclones 7-2 victory over the Hudson Valley Renegades, out on the jetty watching fireworks.

Last Week’s Recap, This Week’s Commitment (also, photos)

 

So last week, I was a rockstar. I ran in the morning 4 times, including Saturday after not sleeping since Thursday. My eating (with the exception of gant red velvet cupcake, a sliver of strawberry cheesecake and a $1 fry from BK) was AWESOME.

Speaking of Awesome food, check out the pretty I made last night!



It’s spinach tortellini, with grape tomatoes and chicken sausage sauteed in olive oil with oregano, garlic and white pepper, topped with cubes of fresh mozzarella (cold) and basil from our garden! Woot!

I also made jambalaya from scratch on Saturday, which was so omnomnomnom!!!!! This week I will be experimenting with pitas and flatbreads, eggs and asparagus and brie, plum tomatoes and avocado and ricotta. Also, low sodium soups.

My roommates have been joking that I’ve been getting my domestic on (what with all this cooking three meals a day and stuff), and I remembered that that is a sure sign of two things. PMS & New Guy. So I promptly put my brain in front of me on the couch and explained to it how important it is that I exercise normally through my entire period this week, and not let things like crampiness, laziness, stubborn rebellion and bull-ish stand in my way.

With my natural monthly metabolism spike, combined with attacking week two of this run consistency personal challenge, as well as the period bloat leaving on Friday, I should be well on my way to self-righteous bikini struttin on the 4th of July.

My plan is easy.

emoticon Dont eat anything that you didnt cook or watch get cooked- this does not count if you are standing at a counter leaning over watching a 17 year old drop it in a mass-quantity deep fryer.
emoticon Sit up, put on new shiny workout clothes that compress your tummy, pull on sneaks, grab phone, pee, run. Repeat two more times before Friday night and again on Sunday.
emoticon End each day feeling like a winner. WIN THE DAY.

emoticon Do something fr me each day this week.
Monday - I took the time to wash and fix my hair nice cause I wont ave time tonight. I have a two hour round trip to UPS to handle and then a concert at Tammany Hall.
Tuesday - RUN in the morning before work- preferably just a 7K.
Wednesday- RUN before work, AT LEAST a 7K
Thursday - 8 miles before work- Brooklyn Botanical Gardens at Dawn
Friday- rest day - hopefully a walk of shame.

If I dont sleep at home on any of those run days, I have to switch that scheduled run to Friday.

emoticon Handle my business. If I can’t finish it, that is not an excuse to avoid starting it. Do everything a little at a time, so I can whittle it down to an enemy I can spit on.
Monday - Chores / take out trash & recycling
Tuesday - Basement tidying and finish weekly chores.
Wednesday - Clean out old dresser drawers
Thursday/Friday - Laundry

emoticonCOMMITMENTS emoticon

I COMMIT TO RUNNING 4 DAYS THIS WEEK.
I COMMIT TO HAVING MY CHORES DONE BY TUESDAY NIGHT.
I COMMIT TO ENDING JUNE ON A NOTE THAT MAKES ME SWELL WITH PRIDE.
I COMMIT TO STAYING SELF-AWARE SO I DO NOT TURN INTO THE CRAZY GIRL.
I COMMIT TO EATING BEAUTIFUL FOOD.
I COMMIT TO TAKING A PHOTO RUN IN BROOKLYN BOTANICAL GARDENS AT DAWN PRE-WEEKEND.
I COMMIT TO HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE THIS WEEKEND.
I COMMIT TO STOP SAYING ‘WHY NOT?’ AND START SAYING ‘TRY AND STOP ME’

weekend pics!








 

Prospect Park 11K Run 6/23 (photos)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Day three running before work! I refuse to go running tomorrow, cause Im walking like I rode a horse for a week straight and I HAVE to take a rest day cause DONNYBELLE and I are hitting the pavement together on Saturday! *dance*dance*dance* My first time running with a fellow sparker, and who better? AMIRITE? YEAHIAM.

But this morning, I woke up at 4:52, I ish you not, and sat there on my bed, dressed, twiddling my thumbs waiting for it to be light enough outside for me to safely run run run.

By the time I got all the way to the Prospect Park Lake, the mists were moving over the water and it was haunting and miraculous.











Next week… the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens at DAWN! WoohOO!

Nightmares, Sleeprunning, GIANT CHOCOLATE and #$%&ing challenges

Voted Popular Blog Post: View All Popular Posts I woke up from terrible and emotional nightmares this morning.
Jarringly.
Sobbing with tears and reaching for my phone.
The asleep part of me was crying, the awake rational part of me checking to see if I’d overslept or not.
It was 6-something, so while my tears were slowing, I was tying on my shoes and wiping away the snot and answering text messages.
By the time I was awake and totally sure of what was real and what wasnt, I was halfway through a 5K and standing atop Mt Skinnichik.






It was pretty awesome to go sleeprunning, having the sun come up on me doing what decided to do to start my day.
I think that subconsciously needing to run to restart a day that was, to be honest, amazingly effed the moment I opened my eyes, was proof positive that my life really had changed.

Then I get to work and my little Russian princess (aka assistant/officemate) hands me a chocolate bar the size of my FACE.

No, really.



To challenge myself, Im NOT going to eat it. I committed to drinking coffee instead of chocolate while Im PMS/period week because Im running an experiment on my eating habits vs metabolic rate during diff parts of my cycle, and I dont wanna eff it up.

Speaking of challenges, I plan on doing one with a few ‘irl’ friends via the interwebs starting July 1st but I want to cheat like a muthah and get a headstart on all of them.

Because:

emoticon A. I worked out this morning and that makes today an easy day to start :P
emoticon B. I’m so serious about this challenge, it’s not even humorous. I’m dead set on losing a chunk.
emoticon C. I want to beat myself.
emoticon D. Imma show these biatches how its done.

YALL HEAR ME?

bwahahahahahaha

Last night I did great with m clean eating as well. I cut up tomatoes and garlic, green peppers, yellow onions and cooked ‘em up and dumped em on whole grain pasta OMNOMNOMNOM an i wanted ice cream soooooooooooo bad BUT I put the box of honey bunches of oats(cinnamon) in the freezer and snacked on a cup of it dry LOLOL

cold cinnamon kept the ice cream monster away.

ok on to write a fuh serious blog.

ps be jealous of my tomato, israeli cucumber, scallion, purple onion, cilantro, lemon & olive oil salad

 

Lost in a graveyard (photo running blog)

After a long couple of three days I crashed back at my pad. I fell asleep on the couch stupid early and woke up the same way in my bed. It was about 5:30 when my eyes popped open and saw that the light coming in the windows was bright. I actually said out loud… “well I have no excuse”. I dont have to leave for work for 3 hours, I thought to myself as I threw my blankets off of me. Throw them off as though they insulted you. Whoosh! Across the room.

Running clothes on.
iPod fully charged.
Phone for pic proof.
Shoes tied.
Keys hid.
6:51 out the doh.

I figured I would run up from 4th avenue to Fort Hamilton and take that all the way past Greenwood Cemetary to Prospect Park, loop it and come home with about 7 miles under my belt.

LOL @ ME.

I stopped at the top of Mt Skinnichik on my way to Fort Ham. It was already about 78 degrees and I didn’t care. Sweating makes me feel more productive. I lie to myself like that. It’s awesome.



But then as I was running toward Prospect Park, I was staring at the outer fringes of the Greenwood Cemetery all along me on my left.



I wondered if I could get inside. I saw graves dating into the early 1700s. There were people who’d died in the Battle of Brooklyn. I also almost died in the Battle of Brooklyn 10 Miler race last year when I showed up and saw all those thousands of people and threw up before running back home and racking up more mileage than the racers. I kept on jogging along til this scenery got boring.



But then the ground started changing and it got way interesting!



By the time I found the great Gothic and terrifying entrance, you couldn’t have kept me out. The sign said the cemetery opened @ 9. It was 6:20. I went in. lalalala



I wanted to find the Minerva Statue, the beautiful lady at the highest point of Battle Hill, which is also the highest point in Brooklyn, her arm outstretched and hailing Lady Liberty in the harbor, their eyes lined up just so, girlfriend to girlfriend, guarding the two boroughs. So I took the sign that pointed that way.



It was the last helpful sign I encountered. I sauntered off, jogging up and down steep paths and rolling hills and darting between mausoleums and gigantic angels and Egyptian pups and frolicking cherubs and blessed mothers and cracked crones and soldiers mounted on massive blocks of granite and marble, their real swords gripped by granite fingers that never trembled. All resting from their wars and their pain. I felt like I was having a very very real Memorial Day.





^ right about there, when my breath left me as I realised I was standing on a cliff overlooking a big giant church I didn’t know existed, I also realised I was lost. I couldn’t find Minerva and I didn’t want t leave quite yet, so I kept jogging in thegeneral direction of the entrance, while still keeping my eyes peeled for wht looked like it could be the highest hill.




and THEN!!! There was the Harbor, all blue and glorious and cool salty breezes beckoning and loving me right back!



a little further on… the city! The Empire State Building!



I was starting to get frustrated though, I wasn’t passing anything twice, there were no maps or sign posts, this was MOST DEFINITELY NOT A PARK. And in the dewy wet and eerie silence of the pre-7 am world…. a bit scary. I wanted to scream out for HELP but yeah… there were no people here and I wasn’t even sure if I should be here. Just keep jogging, yooves, you’ll find a way out.




After another 30-45 minutes or so (lil devil said it was 4 hours) I was able to weasel my way out and head through an enormous stretch of empty land and get back out to fifth avenue.



Unfortunately I was still miles from home and had to book it. 9.3 miles, 1:35 minutes. I had just enough time to plunge into a cold bath, get the stink out of my hair, prop it up in a bun and run like hell (again) to my carpool and head to work where I had all the makings of a sexy breakfast waiting on me.

I stretched when I got to work :P

Wandering around in the graveyard seemed, looking back at first, as though I’d been consumed with finding my way out, bu over and over it kept turning into the most symbolic slap in the face.

Where did I come from?

the fifth avenue entrance
sunset park
louisiana before here
tiny lil town
tiny football elite magnet recruiting school
dead end dirt road squeezed between cow and horse pastures and sugar cane fields
sweet, well-meaning, isolated and naive parents
the little girl that used to come home dirty and scratched and bleeding and so damn happy and tired every night.

Where was I going?

back to the 5th avenue entrance
so I can go home and shower and go to work
and then looking at apartments
~*~*~ mind wanders to the boy ~*~*~
have to upload the photo shoot pictures today and get that done
need to talk to a friend about a project for him this spring
ugh where Im going is where I am, Im living it. Im at so many of my destinations right now that I dont need new ones. I’ve been reaching for this one for so long I just want to enjoy it.
But skinny.

What have I learned?

Um… not to go in a graveyard before the staff shows up?
That slow and steady wins the race false starts mak you gain weight and lose ground.
that everyone is motivated by something different
that seeing a person at the very second that they reach their motivation is a magical and uplifting moment you dont easily forget.
that Im worth all this effing hard work, damnit.

What have I left behind?

Securities and inscurities.
False friends and real ones that I grew apart from.
Bad habit and a few good ones.
Mostly a crap-ton of clothing :(
Self-esteem and self-hatred both left behind in similar doses.

Have I really changed?
Do I really look any different besides having white hair now?
Do I really feel any different?
I mean besides running up stairs…. cause running upstairs with 75 less than you used to is a big deal.
How much more of myself am I going to be leaving behind?
What battles do I fight other than the battle of the bulge?
What do I stand for?

I do know what I stand for. No matter how many other questions I may wander in and around the answers for… what do I stand for has never been one of the ones I couldn’t answer.

I stand for life. (Im not talking about choice/life here o hell no).

I stand for making your life a shining light that’s moving fast and building speed and gathering power and radiance and getting bigger and bigger the more fun you have, the more love you share, the more memories you make, the more people you touch but most of all…. grows brighter and brighter to more you push yourself to do what you think you can’t. THAT is what I always try to infuse the people around me with.

Infuse them with the power of belief in the possible, with a bit of elbow grease.

Anyone can go to the moon with the help of Google, a silver tongue and pure desire.

What can you do… if you have no limits?
What are you leaving behind in the graveyard of your past?

PS NEXT TIME MINERVA IS MINE.

What is YOUR revolutionary War?