What Was I Thinking?

I have looking for a gym for awhile now. I wanted something that was closer to home for the purposes of motivation and economy on gas. My choices were limited to the county rec center (outdated equipment and kids running around), a membership gym (that closed before I had a chance to look at it), a YMCA (pricey, over-glorified day care center with treadmills), another gym without classes (not really convenient, but still closer than my yoga studio selection), and yet another gym geared toward MMA-fighter wannabes (sketchy and creepy in a juiced up gorilla sense).

Driving to work about a week ago, I saw a sign for "Rock Hard Fitness" in a place that was previously an appliance store. I thought that it might be a fitness equipment store, so I made a mental note to google it and check it out when I had a chance.

Come to find, it's the PERFECT place!!!

Rock Hard Fitness hosts bootcamp classes in 5-week sessions with varying number of classes per week depending on the time of day. I had the opportunity to try out a class on Saturday for free before their first session, and I'm hooked. I'm hooked on the energy of the trainer, the energy of the class, the fact that no two classes will be the same, that the scheduled class will hold me accountable to show up and do work, the high I feel after I get my ass kicked in 60 minutes, (Seriously, 15 pounds at the beginning of class felt a lot lighter than the 6 pounds towards the end), and that I am finally out of excuses to move my ass.

So, I drank the kool-aid and signed up for a 5:30am, Monday through Friday, 5-week bootcamp. What was I thinking? If you know me in person, I have come up with every excuse to not workout. I dare you to out excuse me. What was I thinking? Clearly, I was drunk on endorphins. I took one hit and I'm hooked like meth. Or, at least that's what those scary PSAs tell me. Although, I doubt I'll lose my teeth.

Day one was this morning. The 4:21am alarm was a little early, but I don't care because I built in a snooze push (or two), I sleep in the clothes I'll work out in, and I managed to get everything ready the night before. Granted, I need some fine tuning, but I feel completely energized, I have my workout done by 6:30am, and I better see some toning based on the ass kicking I received again.

I know that once I have the night-before-prep down and I'm used to getting up that early and not for a flight, it will make it that much easier and have the 5 weeks fly by before I know it!

Internal Dialogue from Today

So, here are some of my thoughts for about a 2 hour time span today while I was out and about:

• [At Car Wash] Since it's 66 today, I thought that's a good day for a thorough cleaning for Bruce. (That's short for Subaru. Get it?)
• Women don't realize that suits should be tailored or at least not worn too tight or too loose. Ew.
• My iPhone is magnetized enough to give stick between it and my nano.
• [Now at Dick's Sporting Goods] How is it the most out of shape people work in a sporting goods store in the fitness sections?
• And how is it no one actually works here? I see them roam in packs, but no one can help me with the heart rate monitors.
• Just because I have cowboy boots on doesn't mean that I don't also own a pair of trainers and workout.
• I'm giving my business to Sport Authority.
• I should have thought about not being able to roll down my windows to enjoy these 66 degrees.
• [Now at Sports Authority] Walked in, was greeted, helped and out the door in less than 10 minutes.
• Oh, and now that Bruce is clean, I can see this huge ding in my passenger side. Irks the shit out of me. 
• I remember asking for new car smell, not Nair. Ew.
• What has two thumbs and got BOTH of her tax refunds today? Me!

I have some seriously weird internal thoughts. Sometimes I wish I could remember all of them.

Then I Got To Thinking Giveaway

Mizz Tracy over at Then I Got To Thinking... has prepared an amazing giveway!! Now, I wouldn't normally should form the rooftops about a giveaway because it decreases my chances, but then again, I don't get as many chances as I would if I blog about it, so here we are!

Tracy has whipped up some of her favorite things as prizes for her giveaway. Sadly, none of which is an In-N-Out gift card, but ALL of which is awesome in its own right.

1. An adorable mini-vase. (Perfect in time for Valentine's Day)
2. SATC Season 5 on DVD (Hello weekend marathon!)
3. Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix (I can't eat it, but I can make it for my friends and convert them to realizing that we need a Trader Joe's in Denver.)
4. Foot Petals (Amazing heel inserts to make sure that you strut, not stumble.)
5. Mason jar full of PB M&Ms. (Mason jar. Filled. PB M&Ms.)
6. Adorable stationery

All are amazing and all would be amazing to win!! Good luck! (But not that much as I would love to win this amazeballs giveaway. hee hee)

You're going to have to visit Mizz Tracy's blog here to find out the entry details.

So What Wednesday

So WHAT if...

• I contemplated writing this yesterday, but ended up not doing so because I realized that I would still have to link up to Shannon at Life After I 'Dew'. You should, too.
• I have managed to plan everything for the week into one day. I don't know why or how it happened, but here I sit with nothing else the rest of the week, but everything today.
• I hit snooze. A lot. I needed some extra zzz's this morning and really, how can you not want to cuddle with this longer?

Too. Freaking. Presh.

• I get giggle fits when I have to put Harry in the Cone of Shame. He's blissfully unaware of his surroundings and the enormity of the cone in relation to everything around him.

I try not to giggle, but I can't help it.

• I have Friday off and could not be more excited for the forecast high of 58 degrees!! That'll be warm enough to hose down my mag chloride/dirt coated car just for another coating to be applied by snow predicted for Monday.
• I cannot believe it's only Wednesday. It's not like this week has been rough at work, but really more like the passage of time has slowed to a crawl. Which, really, should be great, but why can't time slow down during the fun parts, not the mundane?
• I throw in another Dumb & Dumber reference and say that I can't remember a time since that movie came out that when anyone asks what the Soup du Jour is or Soup of the Day, I (or any/everyone else with me) will say, "Mmmm. That sounds good, I'll have some of that," before the choices are given.

Realization of Epic Devastation

Let's rewind about 19 years, shall we?

If you don't want to do the math, that's 1992. That was the year that me and my fellow Troop 1812 Brownies crossed the bridge to the green of being a Girl Scout.

(It's a picture of a picture, forgive me.) I'm second from the left, not looking.

Every year, we would kick some major butt selling those little boxes of baked gold: Girl Scout Cookies.

Over the years, my tastes have matured and I could eat a box of Samoas in one sitting. Or Tagalongs. Or Thin Mints. Or Trefoils. Or Lemon Creme Chalets. OK, so really, my tastes haven't matured, I just realized that I don't have the metabolism that allows for 20 cookies in 20 minutes. I digress.

Here's where I have a realization of EPIC devastation. Those little bitches don't make gluten-free cookies. Great. Now, I have to exit my grocery store in shame as I duck from those little cookie peddlers. I am normally of the "I'll buy a box from any Girl Scout because I remember being a cookie pusher" and totally tell them my Troop number. (Troop 1812 for lliiiiiiifffffeeeee) I would get the weird, stranger-danger look in response as they took my money and handed be a box of what equivocally is crack.

So, this year, to keep temptation of a gluten-induced full body swelling and ache, I'll have to dodge the girls and find another way to donate to the Girl Scout values. Hey, I did my time as a Brownie, Girl Scout and counselor at a summer camp, so my Girl Scout karma is still on the good side.

What's your absolute favorite Girl Scout cookie? Need to know when they're coming to your area? Click here for the varieties and sale information. Oh, and what's with other cookies trying to taint the classic mix? Thank-A-Lots? Doesn't sound as delicious as a Samoa.

Although, now that I think of it, why is a cookie named after an island in Micronesia? Weird.

Weekend Recap

My life is so not of anything thing to write about, but I guess that I can summarize my weekend: naps.

Oh, and football. I'm glad that the Steelers won! But a little bummed that Da Bears sucked it up big time. I am glad that Da Bears put in Caleb Hanie and they finally scored. Also giving props to my alma mater Colorado State for someone being able to score in a championship game since the first and second string quarterbacks couldn't connect.

On a related note, Cutler is a pansy and I'm glad we clipped him from the Broncos.

Watching football with my grandma is hysterical. She makes comments like, "Is that real?" (referring to a Steelers bushy beard) and "Oh, those tackles are so noisy." She gets the game and will watch it from time to time, but doesn't get too wrapped up in all the excitement. Which is good. My mother and I need a mediator in the playoffs. We are both avid Bronco fans, but once they're out, or allegiances vary greatly.

The only other news to report is that I did my taxes last week and I'm getting a nice (read: vacation) refund. Oh, and I have an eye appointment this week to update the prescription in my work glasses. Thrilling I tell ya. I need my own reality TV show.

So What Wednesday

So what if...

• I hit snooze no less than 6 times today? 
• I am minimally accessorized?
• I'm in the standard (read: boring) uniform of slacks and an oxford?
• I want to be snuggled up watching Dumb and Dumber?
• I can quote multiple scenes, in order of their occurrence, from Dumb and Dumber?
• I still laugh at Dumb and Dumber?
• I don't have explanations this week?
• I did my taxes the day I got my W-2 so I can start spending my refund on a vacation?
• I want a vacation on a beach that's all-inclusive?

Now, go over to Life After I "Dew" to link up!

My Thoughts on the Golden Globes

So, I only got a couple of glimpses of some dresses, caught some pieces of red carpet, watched bits and pieces of the actual awards. Instead of dissecting every ensemble/quip/hairdo, here are my thoughts in tweet form. I figure it'll save time, but still be just as hilarious.

• Eva Longoria #frigidbitch
• Christian Bale #Jesuswalks
• RDJ #makesmethinknaughtythoughts
• Nicole Kidman looks fug. Between the dress and the greasy hair, I've had walks of shame that look better.
• Justin Beiber looks like a young Ellen Degeneres. Especially with the sneakers and a tux.
• Monique L'Huillier does something other than wedding dresses? Oh, she just took her ONE design and dyed it green.
• Who wears a bedazzled shawl to embellish a "gown"? Jenny needs to go back to the block. Ew.
• I still maintain that Justin Beiber is Ellen's Mini Me.
• I love Emma Stone's dress, hair, and makeup. My fave of the night. Period.
• I'm still in love with Marky Mark #Nicole4eva
• I fell like some fashion is going back to the bad part of the 80s. I'm talking to you, Anne Hathaway and Angelina.
• Helena Bonam Carter looks like how all these stars will look like tomorrow morning. #skippingtothehangover
• I guess I should get around to seeing The Social Network since I'm addicted to social media.
• Can I have a Captain America and Thor sandwich? #naughtythoughts #clothingoptional
• I think that I don't watch Glee because I would get jealous. I want my life to be like an episode where people break into song and dance.
• TG that Rob Pattinson isn't presenting with Kristin Stewart. I can barely handle watching her in 2 hour stints as Bella.
• Matt Damon has come a long way since Good Will Hunting. #howyoulikethemapples
• Black Swan legit creeped my shizz out. Natalie totally deserved to win. #ijustwanttobeperfect
• Julianne Moore's dress looks like MC Hammer threw up on her. #canttouchthis #2legit2quit
• And I'm spent. Going to do other things with my night. The Golden Globes were good...but I should probably watch some of the movies.

Hope that you all enjoyed the Globes. If you're off today, like me, I hope that you are enjoying the day. If you're at work, just think that tomorrow will be my Monday and your Tuesday, so you're ahead of the game. No matter what, let's all recognize the day for the man Martin Luther King, Jr. and his amazing efforts and powerful words that brought about changes that were long overdue in this country. Let's hope his inspiration continues into the next generations.

Some Beauty Picks

So, some people have a T-zone. I, however, have a goaT-zone. Recently, thanks to stress and apparently a second coming of puberty, I have a very congested chin. Ugh.

I have had it with trying to fight these things. Before going to a dermatologist, I decided to see what I could do for myself. I went to Sephora first to get myself a Clarisonic. I went with the Mia. I don't need fancy speeds or a body brush attachment, not to mention it's also $100 cheaper. Another reason I went to Sephora? The free samples! Not only do you earn points with every purchase, you also get a crap-ton of free samples!! I got a bag to carry my Clarsonic in, got a mini-facial, and some take homes of the products. Score!

Pink AND I help breast cancer research? Yes, please!

For whatever reason, my Beauty Insider account said that it was my birthday, so I also got a free Philosophy Vanilla Cupcake shower gel/shampoo/bubble bath. I'm not going to argue! It's simply amazeballs. DOUBLE score!

It's an exclusive to Sephora.

Next stop was my local Aveda salon. I love Aveda and since my face would be slathered in whatever system I went with, I opted for the yummy-ness of Aveda. Their Outer Peace line is specifically for acne (Ew. I hate that word. And I always think of acne as a beard of zits whereas I just have a patch - well, soul patch - so I guess that I have to go with it. Ew anyway.) and in clinical trials, 92% of people saw a decrease in blemishes in four weeks. So, that's what I'm going with!

L-R: Cleanser, moisturizer, mask, spot treatment, toning pads.

If this go-T of breakouts is not diminished by then, I'm going to my dermatologist. No question. That, or I start wearing face masks and becoming a recluse.

So What Wednesday

It's that time of the week! It's time for another installment of So What Wednesdays.

So what if...

• I will not skimp on some things (toilet paper), but will search for the cheapest thing on the shelf for others (produce)? It might not make sense, but it's my money, so I can chose how to budget.
• I've worn long johns every day this week? It's friggin' freezing out there and single digits and negative wind chills can make me a little pissy.
• I eat the same 4 things all week? It's tough enough cooking one meal, so I up the portions to make leftovers for the week. Granted, it gets a little mundane, but my laziness outweighs my ambition to cook.
• I yawn when I do yoga? Really, I'm sweating, getting a good workout, but all the stretching and breathing gets me all sleepy.
• I fall asleep while waiting for yoga to start and sometimes in final shavasana? I mean, it's warm, I'm getting in touch with my breath, it relaxes me to fall asleep. Oh, and corpse pose? Hello. That's like inviting nap time for a tired preschooler.
• I plan on putting my Uggs back on after the snow melts and dries? My tootsies are chilly in these little Tory Burch flats.

Now, head over to Life After I Dew to link up for your own So What Wednesday.

Welcome to Colorado. Now, Act Like You've Seen Snow Before

Starting early yesterday, Denver started getting lots of that fluffy white stuff that tends to fall in the winter months in the northern hemisphere above the Tropic of Cancer tends to see from time to time. The farther north you go, the more you will experience. OK. So we're clear. Colorado gets snow. The city doesn't get as much as the mountains, but since we do see the mountains, we can gather what it looks like.

Some of you in those Southern states freak out when you get snow, and rightfully so. You have ice and sleet that make the roads super slick and a city infrastructure that doesn't have the snow plows by comparison that other snow laden destinations put together. We get it. You get one inch of snow and EVERYONE and their mother gets a snow day. No need to rub it in.

Anyway, this snow storm however, was not anything that was approaching a foot, was not something that came on so fast that it crippled the ability to keep up with the rate of falling flakes, and we don't live in a city where the sanitation workers have a "sick-out" as a protest to muck up city operations. Rather, we have lots o' plows, lots o' sand, and lots o' mag chloride. And since this is maybe the second significant snow of the season, Denver has this covered.

What Denver residents don't have covered though are their abilities to handle a little bit of slipping.

Even though I learned to drive in the snow, I have driven in it for more than a decade, and it has been a whole lot worse and I've been in crappier (not in niceness, just in their ability to regain traction) cars than I have now, but it never ceases to amaze the stupidity that people possess when it snows.

• Just because you drive an SUV/Truck/AWD vehicle, doesn't mean that you should be flying down streets. You will have to stop eventually, and you can't control other yahoos who pull out in front of you or lose control. I'm not saying go 5 mph all the time, but just go less than the speed limit.
• That brings me to those yahoos that pull out in front of other cars and go 5 mph. Just because on dry conditions the space that you allowed  yourself is adequate does not mean that you have adequate abilities to get going, have traction, or cause accidents. Allow for more space, but don't go 5 mph. I'm not saying that you should be trying to reach the speed limit, but your overly cautious nature with speed with infuriate and make the jack holes mentioned about act more idiotic. It's a vicious cycle, but we should all be aware and try to stop it.
• Just because you can't see the lines on the pavement doesn't mean that you get to make your own lane. You drive the same route to work every day. You have probably figured out some spatial distances to landmarks and other cars on the road to roughly guess lane placements. No, this four-lane road doesn't change from four to two and a half to three within two blocks. It's always four. If you're unsure, hug one of the shoulders and you can bet you're in one lane.
• When merging with traffic, try not to brake, just ease up on the gas. Just as much as you're trying to get momentum, there are other cars behind you trying to do the same. So, you'll have to find that line between accelerating to the stupid levels that will make you have to brake hard, fish tail, swerve and cause heart attacks and not being able to get going. You should be able to feel the inertia in your body, car, and brake pedal, so listen to it.
• Along the same lines, try not to brake on up hill climbs. When you have forward momentum, slowing is OK, but coming to a stop on a hill will make other cars behind you lose theirs and might even cause sliding. If you feel that you're losing traction, kick your car into a lower gear. And automatics, you're not excluded from this. You have the ability to knock your transmission into a specific gear. Just watch your RPMs to determine if you need to go up a gear. You'll feel what works.
• Even if the snow isn't falling anymore, take some extra precautions before getting into your car and driving. NO MATTER WHAT, drive with your lights on. Not the daytime running lights, not your parking lights, but your headlights and taillights. When people drive in snow, it can kick up snow and make it like a white out from wind. Along with that, when you clear off your car, clear off your tail lights and head lights. You'd be surprised how much snow diffuses light and makes it hard to actually see that you are braking. And while we're talking about clearing off your car, try to take some of that snow off the roof. You'll thank me when your rear window doesn't get covered in snow after you just wiped the window down and the travelers behind you will appreciate that you didn't want to make more snow fly at them.
• A lot of people will complain that they didn't really see any snow plows on the roads during rush hour. Well, let's think about this for a moment. If a plow is going 5 mph along the road with you, how much snow can it be moving if it has to brake and start all the time with you? Not to mention, they can't spray mag chloride or salt because you would bitch about the paint-eating, windshield chipping prevention measures. Plows need some steady speeds above 10 mph to do any good. As for the side streets, just know that your neighborhood is not a primary or even secondary road. Deal with it. Unless you have one expensive home owners association, it ain't gettin' plowed for awhile. Also, just because you drive that road every day doesn't mean that the road is the busiest in the city. 
• You don't have to take the interstate. You might actually find that you have faster speeds and cleaner roads on the side roads. There are some that will always have city plows working and the lights are timed so that you're not having to stop all the time losing that aforementioned momentum. Explore your options on your drive home. Just try to avoid the interstate and you'll probably notice less snow rage.

Basically, let's all realize that unless you want to have a heart attack, you need to be prudent on your speeds and distances between cars. It will take longer to stop and longer to get going which translates into a longer commute. If you fishtail or start to slide, don't slam on your brakes, just take you foot off the accelerator and try to correct yourself. If you're not comfortable with recovering from a fish tail, go practice in a big open parking lot or get someone else to drive you. Use all of your cars features. Everything I mentioned is required by law, so you can't tell me that you can't manually turn on your lights or choose a gear. Oh, and lay off the cursing of the plows, there's not a whole lot they can do with all these yahoos and jack holes clogging up the roads.

Take your time today, people, suck it up, and realize that it's not the first time it's snowed in Denver and it's definitely not the last, so either deal with it or move.

Double Dose of Focker

For the past two days, I have been home sick. Not the head cold from Hades or the flu that struck everyone in my house (thank little eight pound, six ounce baby Jesus for that), but I have been so wiped out in exhaustion from my joints being completely swollen, sore, and literally a pain in my ass.

If you're just getting into reading my blog, you know that I have recently gone gluten-free. And, after a lapse in judgment around Thanksgiving, I have been vigilant about eradicating gluten from my diet. Well, I think that I took a massive dose...and completely not my fault. I went to a local sandwich shop called Udi's for their Big Apple Turkey sandwich on gluten-free bread with Brie....it's amazing. But, I don't think that the front counter translated to the back kitchen that I needed gluten-free bread.

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, my two cookies and a bite of stuffing from Thanksgiving was about one fourth of what I ate on Sunday. Great. Awesome. So, after I had so much bloating I looked like a starving child that you could adopt on late night television for $1/day, my joints hit me, and hit me hard.

To describe the last two days, every joint hurt to move or bear weight. So every time I shifted while I slept would wake me up to sharp pain. If I just laid stationary, I would just ache. Not to mention that I had a dull headache the whole time, which, lucky me, got worse as I tried to sleep because I would stretch the efficacy time between doses. Great, right? So, I have a double dose of focker...from the bread and the pain relievers. Double dose.

Although I am feeling much better physically today, I'm sore like I just started a new workout routine. But the main reason that I got my geriatric ass out of bed was because I was going stir crazy. I had a major case of cabin fever and I was looking for an escape...even if it was to my little cubicle at the office.

If I manage to make it through the day without needing a nap (finally got 9 hours of sleep which is double what I got the previous two nights), don't have that raging headache and I can sit long enough to work, I'll be here. Not to mention, I feel like it's Monday, so when I remember that it's Thursday, I have a little bonus.

OK, but now to the real reason I created a post instead of lurking on other blogs catching up on the last two days: I'm directing you to Southern in the City for her first giveaway! Lacey's blog has been in full swing for a whole year now, and she's commemorating with a giveaway. Granted, I haven't followed Southern in the City for that whole year, but I like to read up on the goings on south of the Mason-Dixon line. So, take a second to read Miss Lacey's little slice of the blogosphere!

Holiday Hangover

OK, so there's lots to talk about, but I don't know what to really start with today.

I think that I might just do a photo montage of the past couple of weeks and let you extrapolate some stories from there.

My new scent. I'm using the velvet dangle as a bookmark, too!

Who has a deer ice sculpture appear on their front porch? Not to mention it was 60 degrees that week in Denver.

Nothing says, "Don't drink and drive" like a Coors light rail car next to a Colorado State Patrol DUI crack down light rail car.

Enjoying a Moscow Mule. Seriously. Google it.

Having a little fun with Elf Ur Self app on my iPhone

Best. Leggings. Ever. They aren't thin, they're great quality, and the best part? At Nordstrom Rack, they are only $4.97!!

Christmas Eve photo op

Little Zsa Zsa with some festive fun with Elf Ur Self

Midnight Mass at the Holy Ghost Church in Denver

More fun with my dad's dog Izzy

Harry and I on Christmas morning.

Our Christmas plates don't have a top hat for the snowmen...just Kangols. They representin' the old skool.

My mom's answer for back ordered Touch Gloves from Echo Designs.

New watch for Christmas....for as big as it is, it's super light weight!

A gorgeous sunrise in Colorado

This place actually exists. Watch the episode of South Park from Season 3 where they go to Case Bonits for a birthday party. All of it is real.

Mariachi's serenading Landen for his birthday

They have a creepy cave as part of Black Bart's hideout.

Cousin Dave. Have gun, will travel. We walked around armed with noisy light strobe guns. It was a good time.

Geared up to romp in the oh so freezing snow

Here's looking at you, kid. Little Miss Peach winking at the camera.

So, that's about it. There's a lot more details in there, but I'm ready to move on from the holidays, how about you? Let's just recap that it was a good time, got to see all of my family, but I'm glad my two weeks of carb loading is over.