Monday, December 6, 2010

Day...5?

Ok, just to be holding myself accountable...

Friday's workout: Wii sword fighting w/Truman (my kindergarten-aged neighbor lol. he's tough competition!!)

Saturday: Technically, I gave myself Sat/Sundays off...but if you count dancin my ass off at P&L...lol

Sunday: Coach vball. Yeah, I play and do some workouts w/them, too! They def worked harder though, haha!

Monday: P90X Cardio workout (43 min)

So far...on track!! :)

Oh, minus the getting up earlier part...oops! Weekends will do that to ya! :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

My 30 Day Challenge :)

So I guess a lot of people that blog/use facebook/twitter do these 30 day challenge things...and I thought, hmm...sounds kinda fun! But, I'm doing my own little twist.

See, lately I've just been feeling so tired, sluggish, lathargic...just plain blah! I know my lifestyle doesn't really help much...I have such odd hours with work: Some days I open at 9am to get the office stuff ready. Some days, that's it. Some days I stay and work the floor, opening the bar from 10-11am, which includes sweeping, washing windows, cleaning tables...just getting the bar ready for customers to come in starting at 11am. Days are slow, so I'm usually cut by 2:30pm. Some days I do non of that can come in around 4:30 for a night shift, which is much busier, and can last til 1:30-2am if i'm the closer. So I don't really have a  regular sleeping pattern. And as much as I want my rest, and I require a lot of it each night (lol),  I hate sleepnig in late. Even if I'm not scheduled to work the next day til the night shift, or not work at all, I just feel like it wastes the day.

Anyway, so here's my challenge to myself: I'm going to work out every day of the "normal" work week (Mon-Friday) and have weekends off. I'm not going to give myself any strict rules as far as what i'm going to do each day, or how long I'm going to do my workouts. Sometimes I think that defeats the purpose. My minimum workout time is 20-30 min though, since I have a couple dvds that fit that criteria.

I started today already actually! :) So here's what I did:

  • Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, Level 2 (20 min)
  • BeachBody's 10 Minute Trainer, Cardio (10 min) & Yoga Flex (10 min)
  • Karen Voight Yoga & Sculpting, Abdominals (10 min)
There was also about 20 min of Windsor Pilates Maximum Burn Cardio....but it was really dance-based, which is great 'n all....but the last time I took a dance class, I was about 6 years old...and it's just not for me as far as workouts go. Fun on a Saturday night, that's a different story! lol :) So I stopped that one, cuz I felt like I wasn't getting anything out of it. Then after my ab workout I was moving to the Yogaflow (25 min) section of the dvd...but I got really light-headed and sorta blacked out for a sec...like, pre-passing out (which I've never done, but I don't wanna find out what it's fully like), so I decided it was definitely time to quit for the day. And definitely time to eat, since I havent since breaky! (oops!) Time for lunch!

PS- I started my day with an energy drink (NOT like Red Bull! ick!) It's called Spark, by Advocare...its supposed to be a healthier version. Comes from a powder mix, NOT a carbonated pop can. And I followed my work out with a post-workout recovery powder  (chocolate flavored!), but instead of just mixing it w/water I mixed it in with my peanut butter-banana smoothie (banana, spoonful of natural creamy pb, organic non-fat skim milk, and crushed ice)--so good!

OOOH, and my goal is NOT weight loss. It's to GAIN energy, and to tone up. I also hope to start doing the exercises earlier in the day/mornings...which I hope will help regulate my sleeping pattern somewhat. I just want to feel GOOD again. So naturally, I want to clean up my diet a little, start avoiding the little things that i've let slide lately (like snacking on french fries in the kitchen at work, lol, and avoiding so much fried stuff/cheese). More veggies/fruit, more lean/white meat vs. red (though I will NOT turn down a steak if I want one!)...stuff like that!

Ok, that's it, just putting this out there to hopefully help hold me accountable in some way. :)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Love is Love

I got motivated for this blog when reading my friend Casey's about her support for gay marriage. A friend of hers commented like many people I know do: they don't agree with banning it, but disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. And many religious friends say, like this commenter noted, that allowing homosexuals to marry goes against the "sacredness" of marriage that is intended only for a man and woman.

But, if you ask me, there is nothing more sacred about straight marriages than gay marriages. I mean, look at all the cheating scandals, 5-minute-marriages, lies, etc. that are strung across tabloid headlines in recent years. Hell, even way back when,, Elizabeth Taylor was married eight different times! Isn't a marriage sacred if the couple trust one another, and treat their partner with respect, they are loyal, they never stray, they never commit adultery, and they are together forever ( barring major infractions on the previous criteria). I'm sorry, but I just don't see a lot of straight couples that are fulfilling those requirements of a sacred marriage.

According to Dictionary.com, here are a few definitions of the word "sacred:"

sa·cred [sey-krid]
-adjective


4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object


5. regarded with reverence

6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights.

and... reverence =

rev·er·ence
noun, verb, -enced, -enc·ing.

–noun


1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.


2. the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.


3. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.


So, I say, why keep a whole group of people - who are human and love just like the rest of us - keep from finding happiness? I know I look forward to the day I can plan my own wedding, I know how that desire makes me feel....and if I were told I could not have the day that I want to celebrate the love I feel for my man/the love we have for one another...I would be devastated. I don't think that anyone who has the desire to celebrate their love with friends and family, and commit to a sacred marriage between themselves and their partner, should be denied the right to do just that.

xo-k

AMA Fashion!

Sooo last night was the American Music Awards, and, as always, they provided me with plenty of great costume ideas for Halloween next year lol. Well, at least the outfits worn during performances did :) But, I was seeing some other fashion I loved, so I felt like sharing some of them (with, like, the one person that reads this, haha!):

:Taylor Swift:

I LOVED her new 'do, loved the sparkly dress, loved the shoes, love love love T-Swift :) (Mini by Colette Dinnigan)

:Rihanna:

 There was a lot of lacey, see-through looks at the awards show last night, from the red carpet to the award podium, and this one is one of my favorite. Most of the others were black, but I like how Rihanna took the trend and made it her own. (Gown by Elie Saab Haute Couture)

:Katy Perry:

Omigosh Katy looked flawless last night! I loooooved this look on her, so girly and soft, which is such a 180' from her crazy-fun performance costumes (which I love just as much)! She always looks amazing, especially when she glams herself up like this.

:Whitney Port:

I didn't see this til looking through People Magazine's website, and I think she looks fabulous! I mean, really, she looks so pretty, and so her age. I feel like Whitney's City looks kind of age her a bit, and she's always in black! I love this look on her! (Dress by Rafael Cennamo, shoes by Camilla Skovgaard)

:Kelly Osbourne:

I don't know how anyonen can not love her. Kelly looks so amazing lately, and last night was no exception! I adooooore her! Serioulsy, look at her! Amazing!

:Miley Cyrus:

I am NOT a Miley fan. I mean, I find some guilty pleasure in some of her music, yeah, but her...can't say I love her. Horrible, horrible "idol" for young girls (see her b-day pic below). But, I will say that she looks pretty good in this dress, minus the ridiculous train/tail. I hate when something long like that is attached to a mini (see Julianne Hough, below in trends). But, I will say its a MAJOR step up from this:

WHERE ARE HER PARENTS!?

:Jessica Alba:

She looks so good! Perfect necklace for an asymmetrical neckline, love the sleek lines, love the LBD/gold accents, shoes are to die for...she definitely got it right last night!

There were a few other looks I liked that I just can't find embeddable (is that a word? lol) pics for, but Dave from Lady Antebellum and his wife looked amazing, as did John Legend and his...girlfriend? Wife? Date? Not sure on their status lol.

TRENDS

:See-Through Lace:

Heidi Klum and Julianne Hough both wore the same trend I mentioned earlier (Rihanna), but I'm just not loving these versions. Especially on Julianne....I LOVE her, but I don't love the half/half dress thing she's got going on. Either make it a full-length look or chop off the lace overlay where the rest of the dress ends.

:YUCK YUCK YUCK:

Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha...both look ridiculous. I don't care if this is a "fun" awards show and you can get away with a lot more experimental fashion....these looks suck. Newsflash: neither of you are Lady Gaga, it doesn't work for you! Nicki...she has awesome curves...but there's absolutely no need to accentuate them even more, we see them. Ke$ha....you're just ridiculous...everything she wears/does just seems so gimmiky and fake to me...that dress looks like a shredded trashbag. Just stop. PLEASE.

Willow Smith...adorable girl...love that whole Smith fam...but....this outfit...well it's a look. C'mon Will and Jada...you're fashionable people...that has to transfer to your kids.

Thanks for reading, if you did! haha!

xo- k

all pics from People.com and Usmagazine.com

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Things I want to Do

Just a little, "of-the-moment" list. Purely going off my mood today/yesterday/this week/this month...whatever! Subject to grow. Not likely to change :)
  1. Take a photography class
  2. Travel abroad--Italy, Greece, Ireland...for starters :)
  3. Find my "calling"--a job that both pays AND I actually enjoy
  4. Watch all the Harry Potter movies
  5. Make a move
  6. Take that next step
  7. Live happily ever after
The end.

xo-k

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Picture Perfect

This is seriously the most beautiful fall afternoon...I took the pup and kitty out earlier for some fresh air and a little dabbling in photography.

My mom's been talking about how she wants to take pictures of our trees this fall and send them to my brother, who's away at the Air Force Academy, so he could have a little taste of home. Since I loooove fall, love taking pictures, love editing pictures, and looooved this weather I decided to make good on mom's wish and do the pics for her. I have to go get ready for a volleyball banquet now...so I'll just post one or two of my pictures from this afternoon for now. I might get a few more on later :)

xo-k




Saturday, November 6, 2010

"I swear I sound just like her when I'm singing in my car!"

This time, exactly one year ago, I watched some of the people I love most in the world go through one of the hardest things anyone could every go through. Hell, it was one of the hardest things I've ever been through...

A month earlier, at the beginning of October, I went with my boyfriend to Wichita to celebrate two of his friends from his hometown's birthdays, Robbin and Beth. It was seriously one of the best nights of my life, I had so much fun with a group of people I have grown to love so much over the past 5 years! This was pretty much the first time I'd gotten to go out with Robbin, mainly cuz her life had taken her down a different path during college, and there was a little falling out for a little bit between her and some of the group we were with. But all was well now, and everyone was together and celebrating and having an amazing time. I honestly felt like I had found a long-lost sister-friend, haha. Robbin and I really clicked, and after that night I was so looking forward to my boyfriend and I going and visiting/going out with her and her husband...I really cannot put into word how awesome that night was, and the impact she made on me that night. I know it sounds cheesey, but you know when you meet someone and you just KNOW they are meant to be a great friend? Or even a boyfriend/girlfriend, whatever, someone significant in your life? Well, that's kinda what I felt with Robbin.

A month later, on a Wednesday night, I was at my boyfriends. I was on his living room couch, and he was in the bathroom (lol sorry for the tmi !), and his phone rang. I NEVER look at his phone when it goes off. I NEVER answer his phone. I just don't. But for some reason, that night, I did. It was Cayla, another one of his friends he grew up with. I ran the phone to him, while it was still ringing. "It's Cayla," was all I said. I don't even know what made me do it. I mean, he was in the bathroom! I went back to the living room, sat, and waited. I listened a bit. Something...wasn't right. Within a few minutes, Jake was back, and all he could say was:

          "Robbin was in an accident. It's not good. They don't know if she's going to make it."

They...don't know? IF? What?

It wasn't five minutes before we were in the car, driving the hour or so from Emporia to Wichita's Wesely Hospital to join her family and the friends we had all just been out with the month before. It was around 9 or 10 pm when we got there...Everyone was waiting for her to get out of surgery...waiting for swelling in the brain to go down, crying, praying, hugging each other....I cry now just thinking about it and typing this up.

No one slept. No one ate. It was the worst waiting game in the world. She was on a ventilator...they couldn't get her levels right to do one thing, or when they did the swelling would go up...it just went back and forth, and back and forth...it was excruciating...

It hurt me knowing this wonderful woman and great friend was going through this. But I had only known her that way for about a month, even though I'd "known" her for almost 5 years. Moreso known of her...but all these people I was with, my friends, they had been her friends forever. I mean, they had all gone to grade school/middle school/high school together in the same small town in the middle-of-nowhere, Kansas. The kind of town where you know everyone in your class, and the classes ahead of and behind you, where you dated all your guy friends at least once, and so did your best girlfriends, and there's no hard feelings about it. I love them all...and it killed me even just a little more to watch all these friends that I care so much about watch this person we all cared about...die.

They couldn't save her...I'm not even sure she was ever really "there" the entire time we were in the hospital. Late Thursday afternoon, the group of friends that had been together so long growing up went in to say goodbye to one of their own...her college friends said goodbye...her parents said goodbye...her younger siblings...her husband...her baby boy...

We left the hospital around 6pm. On the drive home we got the call. She was gone...

Jake dropped me off to get my stuff and my car, and about 30 minutes and a good deal of tears later I drove to his place to stay the night. When I got there, he was on his phone...calling Robbin. His voice breaking, he told me, "I just had to hear her voice one more time."  He called to hear her voicemail message.

I don't get it. I don't get why...why someone like Robbin would be taken away, just a month after turning 23. Taken from her parents, siblings, husband, son, friends...maybe she was just too good to keep here. I believe that...God just needed her more...

Oh, you know what caused all this?

Texting.

The girl that hit Robbin was texting and driving.

I am both simultaneously pissed and ashamed. Pissed because, well, geezus! Really?! How fucking NOT fair is that!? If that girl had stayed off her phone, Robbin would still be here with us today. I'm ashamed because I know I'm guilty of doing the same thing. That sure put things in check...

Anyways, I'm going to leave this with the lyrics to a Toby Keith song that I heard for the first time that Friday morning after leaving Jake's house. The video came on CMT while I was in my room by myself. The words described so much of the last 36 hours...so much that I started balling uncontrollably. It's my "Robbin Song." That, and anything Taylor Swift. When one of her songs came on when we were out for her birthday, Robbin exclaimed, "I SWEAR I sound JUST LIKE HER when I'm singing in my car!" Just another reason I knew we were meant to be friends. :)


Me and Robbin

Jake, Burl, Me, and Robbn

ps...she played the saxaphone in high school...just listen to the song/video, or read the lyrics. 


 



"Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)"

Got the news on Friday morningBut a tear I couldnt find
You should me how I am supposed to live
Now you should me how to die
I was lost til Sunday morning
I woke up to face my fear
While writing you this good bye song I found a tear

I'm going to miss that smile
I''m going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I am cryin for me

I got up and dialed your number
Your voice came on the line
That old familiar message
I have heard a thousand times
It just said, sorry that I missed you
Leave a message and god bless
I know that you think I am crazy
But I just had to hear your voice I guess


I'm going to miss that smile
I'm going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I'm cryin for me

Oh

So play your upsidedown, left handed
Backward bass guitar
Ill see you on the other side superstar

I'm going to miss that smile
I'm going to miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I'd do it all again

So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you want to be
I'm not cryin cause I feel so sorry for you
I'm cryin for me

I'm still cryin
I'm cryin for me
Oh
I'm still cryin


Love you Robbin...Miss you and think about you all the time...

xo- K