Read It!
There's an article about Robin's delicious dumpling restaurant, Kuai, in the Dallas Morning News!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Hmmm
My very nice trainer gave me the dubious honor of telling me that I sweat the most of all of her clients during our workouts. Um, thanks? I don't know if I want to be known as the excessive sweat producer, but it's true. Especially with the humid weather now, I am positively soaked every time I leave the gym. Today it kind of looked like I jumped in the shower with all of my clothes. (Don't worry, I just did a little Googling, and it's GOOD to sweat lots, it means that you're more efficient at cooling down!).
I had a killer session this morning, in which a good percentage of it was based on doing a variety push ups while balancing on those horrid mini medicine balls on my hands. I hate those exercises with every thread and shred of my being. I want to die when I do them. Seriously.
At the session's end, my trainer asked me if I had known that I wanted a choose a female or male trainer (female, all the way, for me...it's a comfort thing). Anyway, she said that people often seem to think that female trainers are easier on their clients. In my case this is not true: I often see people (who totally appear to be in poorer fitness shape than me!) traipsing around with their male trainers and they're conversing and *laughing* through out their sessions. In the meantime, I probably spend at least 50% of my sessions praying that it will be over soon. And groaning loudly like a wounded seal. I seriously stop caring about the noises I make.
This is not to say that I don't appreciate my training sessions: they're great. It's just that they force me to do those kind of strength building exercises (e.g. push ups on the devil's medicine balls) that I effing loathe but know that I need.
So, anyway: if you need some excess human sweat, come and find me at the gym.
My very nice trainer gave me the dubious honor of telling me that I sweat the most of all of her clients during our workouts. Um, thanks? I don't know if I want to be known as the excessive sweat producer, but it's true. Especially with the humid weather now, I am positively soaked every time I leave the gym. Today it kind of looked like I jumped in the shower with all of my clothes. (Don't worry, I just did a little Googling, and it's GOOD to sweat lots, it means that you're more efficient at cooling down!).
I had a killer session this morning, in which a good percentage of it was based on doing a variety push ups while balancing on those horrid mini medicine balls on my hands. I hate those exercises with every thread and shred of my being. I want to die when I do them. Seriously.
At the session's end, my trainer asked me if I had known that I wanted a choose a female or male trainer (female, all the way, for me...it's a comfort thing). Anyway, she said that people often seem to think that female trainers are easier on their clients. In my case this is not true: I often see people (who totally appear to be in poorer fitness shape than me!) traipsing around with their male trainers and they're conversing and *laughing* through out their sessions. In the meantime, I probably spend at least 50% of my sessions praying that it will be over soon. And groaning loudly like a wounded seal. I seriously stop caring about the noises I make.
This is not to say that I don't appreciate my training sessions: they're great. It's just that they force me to do those kind of strength building exercises (e.g. push ups on the devil's medicine balls) that I effing loathe but know that I need.
So, anyway: if you need some excess human sweat, come and find me at the gym.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Winery Shower
Ah, thanks be to my favorite ADD for organizing an amazing bridal shower. We went to Potomac Point Winery just south of the beltway for lunch, gifts, and a tasting. It was quite lovely and nice to see some much missed and beloved friends (my DC contingent, if you will...and I will). The traffic down there was something with which to contend, but sweet Suzi offered to drive. Oh, and also Suzi brought this honey goatcheese cheesecake with raspberry sauce which was nothing short of heavenly and kind of made me want to cry myself to sleep with joy. Thanks for Anne for lunch, and thanks to Annie for the tasting, and thanks for Des for making these remarkable blueberry tarts that look like something from the illustrations of the "Alice and Wonderland" book (those illustrations always made me hungry). I gots some nice friends. Also, thanks for my mom for coming and for gifting me the jade that I'm sporting in the photos.
Oh, and also thanks to Suzi for the pictures. :)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Detective
So, we got a second kitty! We went to a no-kill, no-cage shelter on the northside of the city called Felines Inc. I can't recommend the place enough to people looking to adopt kitties. The volunteers are so helpful: you walk in and tell them your situation and what kind of kitty you're looking for, and they think about several cats to introduce you to. The place itself is a large house with 120+ cats wandering freely (and unbelievably, it does NOT smell like kitty litter). We got to meet a few cats and then spend as much time with them as we wanted, among all of the cats. I love that. The other shelter where we got Hef had to be all business: you named off the tab band of that cat you wanted to meet, and the people retrieved them from a cage for you. You don't have time to dawdle and play.
So, we ended up choosing a long-haired kinda scruffy looking guy who we have now named "Detective Helldorfer" after a homicide detective on A&E's the "First 48." Todd loved the guy's name at first blush, so we've kept it in our pockets, waiting for the second cat. We call him "Detective" for short, of course. This cat had me at hello when we met him. He was relaxing amongst the cats when we first walked in. When I knelt beside him, he immediately got up to clamber into my lap. He appeared to be a sincere and true lap cat (Hef likes the lap for short stints, but prefers to snooze beside you with his paw resting upon your thigh). Todd and I both agreed that this guy was the one for us. Plus, he has these kind of big hairy paws that I love.
We brought him home yesterday and kitty has not emerged from under the bed in the guest bed room. No, scratch that: he did sit by the door and cry pathetically in the middle of the night. I woke up, opened the door, and he rushed back under the bed.
I'm being patient and letting him get comfortable at his own pace, but I'm worried that it's going to take weeks to months. The good news is that he's eating and using the litter box. Hef is curious and sometimes sits by the closed door outside new kitty's room, but for the most part carries on his usual routine of napping by the window or on the couch.
So, we got a second kitty! We went to a no-kill, no-cage shelter on the northside of the city called Felines Inc. I can't recommend the place enough to people looking to adopt kitties. The volunteers are so helpful: you walk in and tell them your situation and what kind of kitty you're looking for, and they think about several cats to introduce you to. The place itself is a large house with 120+ cats wandering freely (and unbelievably, it does NOT smell like kitty litter). We got to meet a few cats and then spend as much time with them as we wanted, among all of the cats. I love that. The other shelter where we got Hef had to be all business: you named off the tab band of that cat you wanted to meet, and the people retrieved them from a cage for you. You don't have time to dawdle and play.
So, we ended up choosing a long-haired kinda scruffy looking guy who we have now named "Detective Helldorfer" after a homicide detective on A&E's the "First 48." Todd loved the guy's name at first blush, so we've kept it in our pockets, waiting for the second cat. We call him "Detective" for short, of course. This cat had me at hello when we met him. He was relaxing amongst the cats when we first walked in. When I knelt beside him, he immediately got up to clamber into my lap. He appeared to be a sincere and true lap cat (Hef likes the lap for short stints, but prefers to snooze beside you with his paw resting upon your thigh). Todd and I both agreed that this guy was the one for us. Plus, he has these kind of big hairy paws that I love.
We brought him home yesterday and kitty has not emerged from under the bed in the guest bed room. No, scratch that: he did sit by the door and cry pathetically in the middle of the night. I woke up, opened the door, and he rushed back under the bed.
I'm being patient and letting him get comfortable at his own pace, but I'm worried that it's going to take weeks to months. The good news is that he's eating and using the litter box. Hef is curious and sometimes sits by the closed door outside new kitty's room, but for the most part carries on his usual routine of napping by the window or on the couch.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
05. days left
Tomorrow is the last day of work until next fall and it'll only be a half day. Freedom! Today was "teacher institute day" which means that the kids aren't around, but you have the time to get organized, clean, file, etc. I'm thrilled.
I also want to report that I was really proud of myself during my training session last night as I did for the first time something I wasn't able to before. See, my balance and stability is kind of my weak point. One of the things my trainer always tried to get me to do was to be able to roll with your belly on one of those giant exercise balls. Eventually your shins are resting on the ball, and the rest of your body is in a plank position. From there, you move your hands up from the ground so that they rest on the barbell. The ending result is that you're kind of in push up position, except your legs are straight out. Before, I would always fly off the ball or push the barbell away trying to get balance. After one false start, I did it last night! I was psyched.
Tomorrow is the last day of work until next fall and it'll only be a half day. Freedom! Today was "teacher institute day" which means that the kids aren't around, but you have the time to get organized, clean, file, etc. I'm thrilled.
I also want to report that I was really proud of myself during my training session last night as I did for the first time something I wasn't able to before. See, my balance and stability is kind of my weak point. One of the things my trainer always tried to get me to do was to be able to roll with your belly on one of those giant exercise balls. Eventually your shins are resting on the ball, and the rest of your body is in a plank position. From there, you move your hands up from the ground so that they rest on the barbell. The ending result is that you're kind of in push up position, except your legs are straight out. Before, I would always fly off the ball or push the barbell away trying to get balance. After one false start, I did it last night! I was psyched.
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