2013 Q2 Check Up

Alright, so we are at the beginning of the 2nd quarter of 2013. Figured this is a good time to check in on the whole beginning of the year goals sitch to see how it's going and check for any additions.

1. Listening to your body - I've been doing a great job at this! I have taken off many weeks (I'd rather not think of how many) from running since my knee has been hurting from that activity. I've also been foam rolling in an attempt to help it. My glute isn't at 100% yet, but it doesn't hurt during activity. I typically make sure to roll it out with a tennis ball before/after lower body workouts, or when it feels tight.
2. I have gotten more aggressive with my lower body weight, and am now working on trying to get the upper body stronger too.
3-5. Running - I'd rather not discuss. The knee is still a work in progress, so these goals (especially the distance one) will need to be adjusted once I am able to get in more than one mile without pain.
6. Domestication - I've been cooking the majority of my meals. #winning. So my nutrition is getting back on track, and I rarely skip dinner (this used to be a problem from a mix of being lazy and too tired).
7. I actually forgot about this...we haven't practiced this yet.
8. It has been hard getting back up to speed after having to take 2-3 months off (the studio got bought out and fixed up, its really nice now!). BUT I am finally able to invert the "right" way. It's not perfect, but it's getting there.
9. We'll see how class keeps going...competition is at the end of the year. I think the studio will also have a few showcases, so I might eventually man up and see about doing one of those.

Exactly.

Awesome & Awkward Friday

Linking up with From My Grey Desk to share the weekly happs!

• This week kicked off with my best girl having her first baby! I can't wait to meet Orion in a few weeks!
• 4 day work weeks are the best.
• Kristen Bell jacked my baby name. WTF! And then Steve got his first taste of me freaking out. 
• Made it to bodyjam for the first time in over a week. I sure had missed Stacey & Amanda. We should probably brunch soon.

• Holly found this gem on her phone:

She thought black and white would class it up. I don't know why she doesn't think it's classy already?

• Got the countdown app so I can track the important things in life.

Jack Dawsoned

Yes, I did just turn his name into an action.

A while back I was talking to Jess about my inability to meet people and make friends. She said that I needed to be like Jack from Titanic - referencing the scene where he and Fabricio first meet their bunk mates on the Titanic. He says something witty to them, then automatically sticks out his hand with a with a strong "Jack Dawson, nice to meet you."

Every since that convo, I have tried to embody the Jack Dawson state of mind. I've been sketching people like one of his french girls, started gambling, became homeless, and started introducing myself to more people. This primarily happens at the gym.

I've been making a pretty good effort and have met quite a few people...but a lot of them seem to disappear after they get jack dawsoned. What is that?

Since I have the whole meet and greet down, I Now need to work on remembering names!

I'm pretty sure that I know who Melissa, Sam, and Gina are....but there are many more that I totally blank on. I'm def being more friendly and not as much of a loner (as I type this up home alone on a Saturday night), at least when I'm at the gym. There is hope for me yet!

Lazer Tag

Every now and then I meet up with my friends for Lazer tag. Well, usually we make a day of it by attending Sven's flow class, grabbing lunch, then beating kids on the lazer battlefield.

We had bought groupons a few months ago and they were expiring, so we rallied the troops and got our lazer on.

We had lunch at Ruggles Green. They have really delish pepperoni pizza, and you MUST dip it in a side of mango ranch. They don't have regular ranch but the mango flavor has grown on me.

We made a pit stop at Lululemon where a strange guy hit on Sabrina. I'm pretty sure he was drunk or high. Maybe even both. His initial pick up line was asking us if we worked there. Then he started making suggestions about the shirt she was trying on. Sabrina just kind of acted like it wasn't happening...and then the guy said something inappropriate (that I can't remember) and went to high-five Sven. Sven looked confused (I don't think he got the comment) and hesitant as he put his hand out. It was quite amusing. Unfortunately for creeper guy, Sabrina's husband had walked up around the time of the inappropriate comment and he defended her honor. I'm sure S could have handled herself, but it was so nice to see her hubs take control of the situation and basically kick the guy out of the store.

I played Speed Racer with Sven on the way to Battlefield. I won, but I don't think he knew we were racing.

We played a few intense rounds of air hockey. I won my first bracket against Sabrina, then lost my second to Taylor.

We all managed to trick the system and get on the same team...except for Corey. My team ended up winning 3 out of four games. Things were extra intense since we are basically pros at this point. We don't have time for kids that want to lolly gag around. I witnessed Sven telling kids to get out of the way, Taylor got put in time out, and we got shot by the games keeper for running. Well, technically I wasn't running, so I got the punishment shot. I guess following the rules doesn't always work out. And I managed to bust myself in the face with my gun.

When they were announcing the score after the third game they started with the other team's score. They started cheering and I said (a little too loudly) that they should hold their celebration until they announce our score. I got the stink eye from a few kids. But my team did end up being the winner.

Awesome & Awkward Friday

This has been one of those weird weeks that seemed to drag on, but as I can't seem to remember what I did most days. I think I might need more sleep.

Linking up with From My Grey Desk & Life Rearranged.

• I have been killing it with the domestic stuff lately and cooking all but 2 of my meals each week. We are back in business!



Red Pepper, Lemon, Garlic Pasta

• Went to this:

• On Wednesday, B & I both brought out scissor hands to work...it wasn't pretty.
• My hip hasn't been sitting exactly right in the socket since Pole last night. Imagine doing things where you need hip rotation, but when you do it you feel like it's just going to completely pop out. Def not a good time, especially since it brought extra critiques from my teacher. #notwinning
• Halfway point until I see Steve! 2.5 more weeks. 
• Amazon made an excellent song suggestion, and it's been on repeat all week:

Pole R.2

After our warm up/conditioning (can I just take a quick sec to say that I hate the conditioning? I always have leg day before, so my body is already well worked) we started with head stands.

Way trickier than I anticipated. We set up base by clasping our hands together, placing them on the ground, and putting our head between the arms (forearms should be touching the sides of your head). Then you get on your tip toes and walk them towards your face until your hips are over your shoulders. Raise one leg so that it's straight above your body but bent at the knee like a tuck (say what?). Then slowly, using only your abs, you lift the remaining leg into the same position. IF you get this far, then slowly extend your legs straight up. AND DON'T LET YOUR BUTT TOUCH THE WALL!

I managed to get both legs tucked for a fraction of a second before I panicked. The first time I rolled out of it I almost kicked a girl in the head. Not a quick way to make friends. I def need to work one my lower ab strength.

For our pole tricks we learned the pike spin. You go to spin and keep your legs straight, parallel to the ground, with the pole between them above your knee, and you spin around the pole. Pretty easy, except I kept connecting with the pole either on my knee, or right below. Bruises galore!

Once we had that, we turned it into a combo spin: Pike, one legged fireman, spiral. It was so much fun!

Just when I started to get that down we pulled out the pins in the bottom of the pole and I had my first encounter with the spin pole.

That shi cray.

Actually it's fun...until you start spinning too fast and imagine all the ways that you are going to die. Apparently you can learn to control your spin or something...def didn't master that the first day. BUT the introduction of the spin pole explains a lot of questions I had, like "How is she doint the vertical splits on the pole and still spinning? Must be black magic." Turns out the pole spins, not your body, which seems pretty obvious now that I'm in the know about it.

I'm def excited to continue to learn how to work with the spin pole, so that I wont dislike it so much.

Valentine's Day

Oh Valentine's day. How I love thee, let me count the ways...

But seriously, who doesn't love a day dedicated to love?

This year I toned down my self love a little bit and celebrated with heart shaped macaroons and cherry donuts for breakfast.

And can we take a sec to discuss the cherry donuts? I've been in Houston for 3.5 years, and this is the first time I was able to get warm cherry donuts from Shipleys. Def not worth the wait. They were alright, but can't even compare to Donut Stop. 

BUT I did turn up the office love. I made them multiple treats throughout the week and handed out Justin Bieber and Hello Kitty valentines.

Red Velvet Brownies: recipe here

Donuts with Cherry Icing: recipe here

Valentine Cream Cheese Cookies: recipe here

 The quarterly blood drive was that day, so I shared the love and my blood.

Steve made me a Justin Bieber card that included and automated wink. It was perfect! And he sent flowers.

That night I showed my self a good time by pole dancing - err...I had class. After class I jetted over to Los Cucos to have dinner with Amanda, Brittany, and Taffan.

Pretty solid Valentine's Day.

Awesome & Awkward Friday

The last seven days have been quite lovely. Quite lovely? Who am I?

Linking up with From My Grey Desk & Life Rearranged.

• I'm sure you heard about Google Reader ceasing to exist on July1...so make sure to Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you don't miss out on the truly insightful things I cover here at idkmybffjes!

• P.S. I bought my domain, so you will need to update your subscription anyway...I'm now at www.idkmybffjes.com !

• So this happened. Can we please take a moment to enjoy the only picture that I have of us... from 7 years ago. Lookin good?

• I made this and almost went into a sugar comma. JK, my tolerance is so high that that could never happen!

recipe

• Enjoyed the treats table at Mandy's baby shower...

Me & the non-preggs Mandy

• Because Monday there was no more of this happening. I haven't had sweets in 5 days and I'm just about ready to #breakandshank someone. Kidding, I'm surprisingly not cranky about it.

But seriously, don't forget to Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Please and thank you!

Pole Refresher.1

Officially back.in.action!

Not enough girls signed up for level 4 (intermediate 1), so it was canceled. My options were the refresher or level 3 again. Been there done that with 3, so I opted for the refresher.

Basically my class is the island of misfit toys. Some of them know what they are doing, others have taken a year off. I also think my personality might be to aggressive for them.

We started out the class with introductions, why we pole, and what we want to accomplish. Everyone had super sweet stories about empowerment or something, and getting better at their spins, flexibility, and inverts. One lady commented that she prefers the pole workout to a regular gym because of the pressure the gym holds and the people there. I laughed to myself (internally of course) because I am always at the regular gym and I don't think I'm anything like what she described. She should probably come to QLF.

Others shared stories about how they are slightly offended when people refer to their poles (yes, they have them in their house) as stripper poles because it's really a fitness pole. I think it's obvious that we might not all become pole sistas for life. If I had one, I would totally call it a stripper pole. I refer to my shoes as stripper shoes...I did get them at the stripper store. Whatevs.

Anyway, so it's my turn.

"Hi, I'm Jessica. I like the challenge of the pole and it's a lot of fun despite my bruises. My goals for the class are to not just improve but perfect the skills I already know, and expand if given the opportunity. Also, after attending the last competition I would tentatively like to compete this year. And win."

Instructor - "We're proud no matter what place you get."

Me- "I know, but I prefer to do things where I win."

Crap. Not off to the best start.

After stretching and ab work (gotta love those dragonflies) we became reacquainted with the pole.

It's been about 3 months since I've done this, and I felt a little rusty. And nervous. What if it's not like getting back on a bike? Can I even still ride a bike?

It went alright. We worked on pole climbs. It's surprising how much better everything feels when your body isn't completely damaged.

The only spin we reviewed was the Front Hook (also, all of the names of the skills are different since it's a new studio). This was way better than riding a bike. I was nervous going into it - what if my arms forgot how to hold me? - but I basically owned it. Yeah, that sounds over the top, but everything that I did was right ...well, with the right side. When I switched sides it was a little sketchy. My left arm doesn't like to work as hard. But seriously, I was surprised at how my body seemed to remember what to do.

I'm happy to be back, even though I could barley lift my arms by the next night, and can't wait to expand my skill set!

Reese's Krispie Treats

Reese's were my favorite candy when I was little. On Tuesday's my Papa would pick me up from piano lessons and have Reese's and chocolate milk waiting for me when we got home. Oh how I loved Tuesdays!

Every time I visit my grandparents I know I can most likely still find a Reese's stash in the fridge bottom right drawer. Marshall is under the impression that they are for him (and we may have battled it out a time or two), but I know the truth.

I got a last min invite to a house re-warming party and wanted to make something quick and delicious. My first thought was brownies because they are usually a big hit, but since I'm not baking as often as I used to I figured I'd use the opportunity to make something new to me. I must have been craving chocolate and peanut butter that day.

Linking up with Buns In My Oven to share the sweetness.

Reese's Krispie Treats
1 bag marshmallows
2 tbs butter
1/3 c peanut butter
6 c rice krispies
16 Reese's cups (feel free to add more!)
1 c chocolate chips

• Throw the marshmallows, butter, and peanut butter into a large bowl. Microwave & stir in 1 min intervals until smooth.
• Mix in the rice krispies in two parts.
• Pour into a greased cake pan.
• Chop the Reese's cups (I did mine into 1/8 pieces) and sprinkles on top of krispie treats.
• Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle it over the Reese's treats.

RIP Jer Bear aka TVD Obsession Continues

source

Wow. Just wow.

Most of the season has been pretty sub par...and then they give you this: the death of a major character.

One thing that TVD does really well is death of important characters. Alaric last season was intense. And that candle scene? I get emotional just thinking about it.

I remember the first time Jer died. (yes, 1st. This is a supernatural show). Out of no where Damon threw a hissy fit because Elena didn't love him and he snapped Jer's neck. I was in shock. Like screamed then burst into tears. Then we got a big twist: the resurrection ring. He came back a few min later. And then that one time that he was shot and Bonnie brought him back. And that other time (gosh, I didn't even remember all of these at first) he sacrificed himself in order to capture Klaus, but bonnie was able to bring him back (and accidentally tap into black magic...awkward).

I was hoping that the ring would help...except he is now a supernatural creature (he's one of the 5 Hunters) so it's invalid. Or maybe Bonnie could do something...except she's kind of lost her mind.

Watching Elena go through the stages of grief was heart breaking. I hadn't cried like that for a while. And of course it hit extra hard because it made me think of Andrew. I didn't ever hit the denial phase, but every now and then I do forget.

Just last week I was thinking about how I hadn't talked to him in a while so I should probably give him a call...then I remembered why it had seemed like a while. I stopped mid motion while that sunk in, and then I felt really dumb.

Back to Elena: I'm just so sad for her (even though it's just a show) because she no longer has any family members left. And that must be the worst feeling in the world. And now Damon turned off her humanity. Good call? I'm very interested to see the direction the show will take the remainder of the season. I just hope that they are able to keep up the twists and turns that I've come to love..and sometimes hate.

Cupcake Love Affair

The rest of the New York weekend was spent with a few of my best girls.

Saturday morning I got up earlyish and hit the streets to enjoy the city and hunt for some bagels to sop up the remaining whisky and coke in my belly. I found a place a few blocks down Times Square (can't remember the name) that had delish everything bagels and hot chocolate. 

I also stopped by Crave - my previous favorite cupcake shop. I didn't see what I wanted (chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream) so I asked the lady for help. She didn't seem to understand what I was asking for and kept suggesting cupcakes that weren't even similar, so I left. I spotted Cake Boss bakery across the street and headed straight over. The cupcakes were alright, just nothing special.

Late afternoon we went to Tapps for an inadequate lunch (for me at least) and then spent the evening at a small bar.

Me, Taffs, Raca, B (thanks for the pic!)

 We left Sunday and had last meal was enjoyed at Five Guys. My first (and probably last) trip there.

On the way out I did manage to make a stop at Magnolia and Crave. I must say that Magnolia was my cupcake fave from the weekend. So good! I think it was the icing.

The main contents of my carry on.

Awesome & Awkward Friday

What a week. Highs. Lows. The usj.

Linking up with From My Grey Desk and Life Rearranged to share the weekly happs.







Helped Laura practice her partner carries for crossfit.



Lots of bitch work. I wonder if I could have minored in that at Tech? Unfortunately for me Starbucks is about a 10min walk from the office. But I did use my mad balancing skills while opening the office door with one foot. It probably would have been easier had I taken my shoe off and used my monkey feet.

 


Got the hook up from building management again!

 

Jess left for Boston and took a piece of my heart with her. I shouldn't be so dramatic because it's not forever.



#rideordiehouston

Loving on Taff

Back in January we had our Annual meeting (AGM) in New York. This was the first huge trip I had to book for the company. I thought I was going to lose my mind...and then I did.
Anyway, Houston office had a 6am flight Friday morning - this translates to leaving my house at 4a. Yeah, exhaustion ensued. I stopped by CVS on the way to the airport. The checker asked me why I was out so early and when I told her I was going to New York for work she fist bumped me. I think we shared a moment.

Thanks to my ability to sleep just about anywhere, I took a much needed nap on the flight.

B, Holly, and I hit up Shake Shack for lunch. This was a lunch date that Brittany and I had made about a year in advance after not fitting it in last year. I don't know what it is about Shake Shack but I love it. Actually, I think it's the perfectly proportioned burgers and the delicious malts. Malts while it's literally freezing outside isn't the best idea I've ever had, but it def wasn't the worst.

Shake Shack

The three of us headed out on foot to the meeting venue. I started to lose feeling in my legs and toes, so we grabbed a cab. It was great to make it to the venue and meet up with all of my fave co-workers that I had missed since we had been apart for a good 2 hours. (Seriously, I really do love these guys).

After the meeting we enjoyed cocktail hour before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the big night out. AND we got to enjoy our first snow of the season! (We barley even experienced winter here in Houston). The snow in New York is different from the snow here. It seemed more fluffy and all around more wonderful. Luckily it was a light snow because I'm not made for winter weather.

B and I enjoyed an upgraded room (perks of booking travel!) with a pretty nice view and chocolate turn down service. For dinner we ordered in Sushi and I had the best sweet potato roll.

Had a mini BJ reunion

Once ready B and I caught a cab to RDV to get our dance on. A 5 hour dance party ensued. It was awesome!

Bennida & Me

Stefanie, Marina, Me

Marina & Me

Holly, Marina, Ashley, AnnMarie, Me

Stefanie & Me

Me, Laura, Ashley

Taffan & Me

Around 2a I caught a cab back to the hotel with some of the girls. I got back to my room just in time to have the last (half) slice of pizza, and listen to Bob's evening adventures, proving why he was voted most likely to die that weekend.

B & Taffs

Bob, Derek, Jake