Back from a Blog Break!

I can’t believe that I’m 6 months into my plan and things are going well…really well. My goal back in November was to be in shape for volleyball season. Volleyball is one of the few sports that I LOVE. I never thought that I'd be living at the beach, hopping on my beach cruiser, and meeting up with friends play volleyball on the weekends. Not to mention the fact that it’s a great workout and a very social sport. As I headed to class on Thursday (classes are the best way to meet new people), I was a little nervous. My friends were meeting me there, but I wasn’t sure who would be returning from last summer. It turns out that almost everyone was new. There were quite a few people (50 or so), and everyone was really nice. I had a blast meeting new people and refreshing my skills. I’m proud to say that I’m in pretty good shape now and the drills, which are somewhat challenging, were a piece of cake! Put a checkbox next to the goal of being fit for vball season : ) We all went out to the local beach bar afterwards and had a great time. I can’t wait until the next class this Thursday.

I am officially addicted to the sand dune workout. The first time I climbed it, I was able to go up 6 times and it was BRUTAL! Three weeks ago I climbed it 10 times!!! This was a more recent goal of mine, and I was able to repeat it the following weekend. Unfortunately my feet are really torn up and I only went up 5 times on Sunday. So I’ll have to take a little break from my addiction for the feet to rebound : )

I’m really proud to have stuck with it…I still have no idea if I hit my weight goal and I really haven’t thought about stepping on scale. I’m happy when I’m dripping with sweat after a 2 hour workout. I look forward to cooking with fresh foods. And I'm ecstatic when I reach the top of the dune after the 10th climb and I feel like I could keep going. Since I’m in a good place on the health front, it’s difficult to write about my health and fitness on a daily basis. Thankfully working out and eating right is a way of life for me again…there’s not much exciting news about hitting the gym, what I ate, small milestones, etc. And I’m bored with reading about what other people ate and calorie counts. I still love reading blogs that are about life and fitness...travel stories, love stories, career stories, etc. So for now I’ll refocus my blog : ) My first topic is...

Beach Bungalow Design
In two weeks I’ll be moving into a super neat apartment. I’ve had my share of pests/rodents in the tiny, garage-conversion I’m in now. So I’ve decided to step it up a notch and get a bigger place. Those of you who live near LA know that it’s really hard to find the perfect apartment, especially near the beach. I knew the minute I walked in that it was meant to be. It has a full ocean view, bigger kitchen, dishwasher, and washer/dryer. It’s a studio, but I’ve come up with some creative ways of designing the space (stay tuned) and would love your input. I’m obsessed with designmyroom.com, polyvore.com, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. I have so many ideas and can’t wait to move in in 2 weeks.

Bored with blogging & ups and downs

Yep, I'm bored with blogging (gasp). There hasn't been much new to report this week. I don't talk about it much, but my lupus started to flare last Sunday, and I've been sleeping 12 hours a night to recover & make it to work in the morning. My joints are sore and all I can think of is sleep. So I've been bummed on the fitness front, but hopefully that will change starting tonight (gym time). In the meantime, I had 2 extreme days this week...thought I'd share how funny it is when days go from fine to horrible and then great...just like that.

Monday - I had the day off so I slept in and started cleaning my apartment. As I searching for info. to complete my taxes, I found a check that hadn't been cashed. As I read the amount, $902.41, I couldn't believe it! Right below it it said "VOID after 180 days." It had been almost a year...my heart sank. I'm really good at managing my finances, and I couldn't believe I never cashed my escrow reimbursement after selling my condo last year. I honestly thought I couldn't cash it now or get the money. It ruined my whole morning until I called the bank. Dummy me...of course they were able to reissue the check. Woo hoo. The day went from bad to good in an instant.

Today - I call my boss W*** the Weasel (terrible, I know). He steals ideas from other departments and asks his staff (me) to recreate the concept and pitch it as our own. Today he was especially sly and forwarded me the design concept of someone I really respect. Of course I'm supposed to reinvent this wheel and put my name on it. No can do, boss. I discussed it with a trusted co-worker and I made some off-handed remarks about W*** (something I RARELY do in the office). I take a lot of pride in being a hardworker and coming up with my own ideas/concepts. I didn't realize it, but it turns out that several managers were in a nearby cube. My co-worker thought they could hear us, and my jaw fell open. Did they hear us? Yikes. One of the mgrs came over a few minutes later and acted as if he heard everything. My blood started to boil and my day was ruined. I was so disappointed in myself for letting my guard down and venting. (Although I will note that W*** has a terrible reputation in our dept.) To make a long story short, I did some damage control with the mgr after lunch...asking for advice and whatnot. Turns out he didn't hear a thing. Thankfully he knows me well enough (I keep a VERY low profile and W*** is the toughest one to work for) and reassured me that even if he had heard the conversation, "it's probably nothing I haven't heard already." Whew. Another good lesson learned.

Happy Friday!!!

A World Away from LA

So what the heck am I doing in LA?  That was my question after driving down a dirt road in the Santa Ynez Valley.  Chugging a Coors Light to calm the nerves, I wondered what this little adventure would be like.  Sure enough, the 3 guides were pretty uh rugged hot.  And all engaged.  Shucks!   I had high hopes anyway...some other people showed up & we had a group of 10 or so... 2 pro surfer girls, a photographer, a wealthy ranch owner and his girlfriend, and 2 random guys.  So much for a laid back camping trip!  Other than that, the scenery was breathtaking...vineyards, green hills, and wildflowers.  We were one ranch over from Neverland...seriously. The cattle drive part was pretty easy...it was fun being on a horse and figuring out how to direct the cattle (including a huge white bull!). A bunch of people showed up for the branding (I guess it's a big deal when cows are stamped and castrated...ewww) and there was a bbq afterwards.  I made a connection with one of the guys who said I can come out and ride anytime.  This made my day...I'll be back up there as soon as I can get my butt out of this cubicle again.  

Cows and Camping

Thanks for all your comments...yes, as usual I'll continue to politely ignore her pushy tactics : ) Too bad, 'cause she now has one less client!

I'm really excited for tomorrow. It turns out that they're offering an overnight campout with the trip. I know it won't be true "roughing it" with dirt camping in the woods, but I can't wait to sleep in a tent and have the guides cook gourmet meals (I remind myself that this is still California after all!). I'll drive up tomorrow, ride all afternoon on the cattle drive, stay up late by the campfire, and do wine tasting on Saturday. The guide promised me it would be a fun group and that I'd have lots of riding time. This is the photo from the website..he he. Just what I need...get me out of LA already :)

Ms. Bootcamp is a sales stalker

I received a 4th email yesterday from my former trainer ("Ms. Bootcamp"), and I'd like to share it : ) Some of you guys may remember earlier postings where she was super pushy to get me signed up on a 2-3 times/wk training program. She was a good trainer, but way too aggressive and never gave me any info. so I could continue training on my own. Since then, it's been a polite battle every time I see her at the gym. I HAVE considered training again, but I'm now ruling it out because she's not being very professional. Ugh...enough pestering already! (My thoughts in bold).

Hi Laura! It good to see you at the gym working out from time to time. (from time to time???...uh, more like when I see you at the gym almost every night and politely say hello...working my ass off without your help) I hope you are doing well. I meant to get in touch with you again to see how things are going for you and to follow up on the conversation that we had earlier this week. You had asked me then and a few times before if I had some 7 and 8's open for training because you said that you wanted to get back on a training program with me. I told you yes, I do as of now. But then, you changed your answer and went back to the financial thing. (Uh, yeah because you charge a FORTUNE, you're too sales pushy, and I can do this on my own!) So let me know when you are going to start up. It end of march, and I know that you said in Feb/Jan that you wanted to start up in March. (Thanks for reminding me, but this sales pitch is getting OLD). Let's not wait any longer (-; Let's get the ball rolling! (-; It's your program, you decide how successful you want to be and I'll be your guide! (-; (That's right, I've chosen to be successful and save a few dollars in the process.) Take Care, Natalie (Please leave me alone already).

Any advice on how to respond? Or not at all?

Cattle Drive!

Lately I've been really missing horseback riding. I called my instructor, but the lessons are only in the ring...there's no potential for trail riding. I decided to wait a few days to decide if that's what I really want (lessons are a little pricey). As I was checking my facebook yesterday, I spotted an ad that said "wine tasting on horseback near Santa Barbara." Since I have a four day weekend coming up, I checked out the website and it looks amazing. It turns out that they need at least 2 people to do the wine tasting tour...darn...none of my friends can make it (most of them aren't interested in horseback riding anyway). And a gorgeous cowboy hasn't been in the picture since I left Oregon : (

Then he mentioned that I could come along for a cattle drive. Huh? They have cattle in Santa Barbara? (Well, it's actually closer to wine country). Woo hoo. Oh my gosh. Yep, that's was what I was thinking. Turns out that the guide is a former polo player and just started the business. And...um, he's very very handsome. Just when I thought it was going to be another beach weekend at home, I got restless and found this opportunity. Gotta love it...I've always said you have to make life happen : ) So this cowgirl's headed up to SB Friday morning...gettin' out of the city and back on a horse. The solo spontaneous adventures continue! Wish me luck : )

Detox Tuesday

I’m back from a mini break…last week was all about late nights, eating crap, and drinking too much. Somehow I managed to avoid a trip to Vegas this past weekend and fit in a few lackluster workouts, but I still haven’t quite put myself back together. Laundry was building, taxes looming, and I chose sleep over getting things done. I’m finally starting to have more energy today, so I need to start pushing my limits again. Volleyball starts in 3 weeks, so it’s a great motivator. And it’s supposed to be 77 degrees this week!!! I have 4 days off, so the timing is perfect for working out and relaxing. I might check out a few local spots like the Getty Villa.

I went to see Duplicity with friends last night…good but not great. I’m not a huge Clive Owen fan, but I’m a sucker for these type of flicks. Yes, my movie dry spell seems to be ending.

Feel Good Wednesday

Some things I’m loving this week:

Peanut butter pancakes

Vintage black and white heels

My co-workers (I finally found a few that I can relate to…government is a strange, strange world!)

Orange tic tacs

Pillows…threw a few extra fluffy ones on my bed and have slept better all week

Lack of a hangover….what?! All that green beer & staying out late didn’t wreck my Wednesday like I thought it would…weird.

Biological clock – I held my co-worker's newborn thinking “I want one of these little guys.” Sigh.

Going to work every day - grateful for employment

My complete lack of focus on diet/exercise. I need a short break : )

My weekend - stellar & melodic with lots of surprises

I have to write this post late tonight so I remember what a stellar weekend it was. I just came back from one of my favorite local spots for live music. I saw Joe Purdy (one of my all time favorites) there a while back and fell in love with the place. Tonight Emily Wells and Meico were playing, and I was blown away by Wells. The violin/bass combo was fantastic...I could listen to the violin forever.

Earlier today we tried out sand dune park...such a great workout! I had already done 3 climbs by the time Stefanie got there, and I ended up doing 6 total...wow. The hill was really challenging...much steeper than I expected. I'll be doing this more often for sure.

On Friday I put on my boots and headed to my favorite country bar with Trisha. Everything about this bar reminds me of home. We got there too late for our line dancing lesson, but had fun watching all of the honky tonkers 2-step and slide. I'm hoping to go there more regularly to get the hang of line dancing again. Next stop on Friday night - Viper Room. Yep, LA is one crazy place...from cowboy bars to the "IT" spots in Hollywood. We met up with our friends to see their band play, but it was definitely an off night. So I spotted a cute guy, chatted it up, and gave him my number just for the heck of it. I was a little surprised when we set up an actual date for Saturday night - wow, am I actually going out with a wannabe actor who I met at a Hollywood club? Hey, it's all about spontaneous experiences, right? : ) Of course I had a backup plan just in case...

I couldn't believe it when he rolled up on Main Street in Santa Monica on a motorcycle! (Grin, grin). Now this way a great way to start the night off. Let's face it...most girls have wanted the James Dean type at one time or another, and I got mine on Saturday night. Not only was he in a leather jacket and helmet, but he was genuine, smart, and a gentleman. Turns out he's a "newbie"...just arrived from Tennessee. We had a blast. The leprechauns in town had already started celebrating St. Patricks Day at the irish pub we were at...hilarious. Good conversation, great guy, and a really fun time. The night turned out to be a short lived rainbow...unfortunately there was no pot of gold in the end for this leprechaun.

Blinded by Grumpiness

Geez, I have been so grumpy this week. I must be having Cabo withdrawals! A workout or two will usually lift my spirits, but the gym hasn’t helped much. Thankfully I have tomorrow off, so I’ve decided to leave this annoyed attitude at work today when I head out the door. The sand dune is definitely on my list for the weekend, along with Strand walks, gym time, happy hour tonight, and Saturday night out with friends.

In other news, I’ve decided to get lasik in April. I have terrible vision, and I’ve been wanting the surgery for a long time. When I was diagnosed with Lupus, I was advised not to get lasik. I was really bummed because I literally can’t see a thing without glasses or contacts…I am completely dependent on them. But then I discovered that my specialist may be biased because her husband had an unfavorable outcome with his surgery. Hmmm… I’ve always been one of those people that takes the plunge before I worry myself with everything that could go wrong. So tomorrow I’m going to schedule the surgery, sign all the paperwork, and know that I will have amazing vision after April 10th! So this means that I’ll need to get plenty of sleep every night (8 hour rule), use the eye drops, and not wear contacts for 2 weeks prior (including gym time..aagh). Any lasik patients with advice?