look forward to more fabulous abs!

hooray! i found out last night that i'm going to get to be a bootcamp instructor! i am so excited to start encouraging everyone else-even more. i feel like if i'm an acutal instructor no one can be annoyed of my encouragement. where now they can be sorta like "who does this girl think she is!?" now, it'll be my job to be encouraging! i'm also excited because once you become a volunteer, you get to work out for free! now i'll have some room in the budget for yoga! i can't wait!

i was thinking about lonnie and christina's wedding yesterday evening and i just feel so honored to have been a part of this step in their lives. i often feel that way after weddings, honored and humbled. weddings also always make me think of what i would want my wedding to be like. and i really would like something really low key. the best wedding i've ever been to was webby & moss' in miami. not only did they have a 8 team kickball tournament for their rehersal dinner, but they also had a quaker ceremony. i'd never attended a quaker wedding before and i was really struck by how much it truly focused on what was going on: the bride groom making a commitment to each other. plus, there was no bridal party, and i like that too.

other news. i am trying to go to DC next weekend to see mason jennings and kel, of course. kel is starting her internship this week, or maybe next monday? i can't remember, but i'm super proud of her for getting it. yesterday was my second belly dancing lesson. it is hard!!! much harder than i thought it would be. i mean, i knew it would be a challenge, but i figured that since i am already capable of moving my hips without moving my upper body it would be easier. i'm a little worried about my knees. they really hurt during/after belly dancing. i need to drag out all my old knee stuff from v-ball.

oh, i also read an interesting article from slate.com. it's entitled "The Conscience of a Carnivore, It's time to stop killing meat and start growing it." it was really interesting. i think the reason it struck me is it's not from PETA or other seemingly more radical sources. it is from a liberal thinking site, but not a hippie, tree-hugging one. the most interesting part of the article, to me is the comparison to eating meat & slavery/subjugation of women:
" With all the problems facing humanity—war, terrorism, poverty, tyranny—you probably don't worry much about whether it's right or wrong to eat meat. That's understandable. Every society lives with two kinds of moral problems: the ones it's ready to face, and the ones that will become clear or compelling only in retrospect. Human sacrifice, slavery, the subjugation of women—every tradition seems normal and indispensable until we're ready, morally and economically, to move beyond it.
The case for eating meat is like the case for other traditions: It's natural, it's necessary, and there's nothing wrong with it. But sometimes, we're mistaken." very innnnnnteresting.
so, with that in mind, i present my top five fav veggie options:
1. amy's palak paneer (i mean i'll take the "for real" version from the restaurant too)
2. gimmie lean sausage (this is definately the BEST sausage subsitute)
3. lentil soup / split pea soup made with better than broth's no chicken chicken base (so important for the vegs to get their protein!)
4. hummus w/pita
5. tempeh

3 day weekend, always fabulous

whew. the weekend is over! it was a little hectic with Lonnie & Christina's wedding and Richard being in town for the last time in addition to it being his birthday. but, when monday rolled around i had nothin' to do. and it was amazing. i slept in until 10, went to JC Penney and used almost all of my gift card and got great deals, then went home and fell asleep on the couch for about 3 hours. beautiful. i also watched Kinsey. which was interesting.

i can't believe how freakin' hot it is. you can't really be outside between 10-6. it's just too hot.
anyway, the wedding was great! lonnie and christina are officially mr and mrs weatherby. seeing everyone was awesome! i'll get to see bob-o and lee-lo again this weekend for my cousin Joe's wedding. i think that one will be pretty different (read: less fun). i wonder if they'll have a soul train line? i dunno, i just hope it's not a full mass. eek.
top 5 things on my mind today:
1. dating, in general what do i want, do i prefer being alone, am i ready to be in a serious relationship
2. belly dancing tonight!!!
3. should i sign up for another month of bootcamp? i have the enthusiasm, just not sure about the funds and if i don't do it and they call me up to volunteer, will i be able to keep up?
4. my summer travel-WA state, Bonnaroo
5. my cat. i wish i were sleeping with her right now.

<----i'm in a good mood today. i had a great workout; we did the relay work out today and it was loads of fun. any of the workouts that encourage cheering peopleon are always way more fun for me. tonight is lonnie & christina's rehersal dinner. it's at my mom and dad's house so, eventhough i'm not in the wedding, i get to go. i'm noticing some real differences in my arms. unfortunately, for whatever reason my pants are not fitting. my thighs are just too big. i don't know if its because the muscle is bulky or what. becuase my legs are more defined. i'm getting pretty frustrated though. i cannot afford to buy all new pants. i was thinking i might hit up the thrift stores and see if i can find some things. because i have no money! and, honestly, i don't want to be bigger. i want to be the size i did weight watchers to get to! and i remembered one other thing i'd like to do this summer. make my kappa t-shirt quilt. it wouldn't take long, i just have to decide to do it! top five things i'm excited about this weekend:
1. lonnie and christina's wedding festivities
2. seeing old friends
3. richard in town
4. bob jen winston in town
5. sleeping in!

mo' money mo' problems

not much rattling around in my cabesa this afternoon. i've been trying not to buy anything this week for two reasons. one, i spent a lot of money last weekend with kel, kindel and emily in town. honestly, it was all on food. and two, i heard about a group of women who decided not to buy anything but food and used items for one year. i thought that sounded interesting so i'm givin' this week a shot. hopefully, it will turn into more than that. i've already joined the library and looked into free events and classes. but with that in mind here are the things i've been thinking about buying this week: new dixie chicks album, dixie chicks concert tickets, bellydancing coin sash, and getting a spray tan for the wedding this weekend. the coin sash is, evidently, a belly dancing essential. not just something for flare. you use the sound they make to know if you are doing it right. the class last night was fun. it was just a lot of info mostly. it's too crowded though. i don't know what their cap is but they have a very small space and a lot of dancers. it should be fun though. i have some sunless tanner at home, maybe i'll just do that as to not spend any money. i challenge you blog readers, to try and not buy anything but food-from the grocery store (not eating out)- for a week.

i'm excited it's summer! here are five things i want to do this summer:
1. start volunteering somewhere
2. read
3. learn how to rock climb (GSU has $2 classes)
4. go to WA state
5. camp

tatt-tastic

so this past weekend i finally got my tattoo! and you may notice that it doesn't look so much like what i had posted earlier as what i wanted. i brought that picture in, but came out with something else. so, Phil at Liberty Tattoo is going to tweak it in a couple of weeks to make it a little more like what i wanted. i was pretty upset all weekend about it. i mean, i like what i got, it's pretty and all, i LOVE the placement (lower ankle) and size, it's just not what i asked for. so, in a couple of weeks i'll get it tweaked then it'll be even better. i came to the realization that it's just a tattoo. no one's sick or hurt or dying. so, who am i to be so upset about something that doesn't even really matter? so that was a good reality check.

other news, i'm really enjoying having a roomie (kindel) and am staring belly dancing classes tonight with monisha et al. supa-fun. oh, oh and this weekend i saw some killer shows. the top being Dwight Yoakum, Sara Evans and The Flaming Lips. the lips were awesome. i mean they had a singalong to bohemian rapsody and santa claus' on stage. who can compete with that? no one.

top 5
1. it's my one year anniversary at work!
2. belly dancing
3. makin' some new friends
4. marla got a new job in San Francisco
5. tattoo

missing a blog? not fabulous.

i am so sorry to have missed yesterday. i know, i know. the only person who reads this is my bff from 4th grade and my brother if i can force him. BUT, in my worldview (how ever distorted) i let down the masses by missing a blog! yesterday i saw Wicked at the Fox Theater. It was fantastic! or FABULOUS! you choose your F word. i really enjoyed it, and it got me pumped up for the season tickets T and i got for the Fox.

Kindel and Kelly came into town yesterday as well. see, people i was busy! and we watched will and grace's series finale. it was very well done, and hanging with the k's on the couch felt like days back on the kkg couch. loverly.
top 5:
1. kindel and kelly in town
2. emily coming in tonight
3. all sorts of music this weekend
4. beautiful spring weather
5. sushi for lunch!

fab = Water

i enjoy acting as though people actually read this, so with that i must apologize for taking so long to get this up this morning. today felt like a saturday because i got to sleeep in until 7 a.m.! This felt like oodles of sleep compared to my usual 5:15 wake up. i also slept undisturbed as richard left the other day. i'm usually awaken by him coming in later or his jaw clicking in his sleep. weird. but, alas, i'm free of him! ;) last night i went to see Water with Shyam. http://water.mahiram.com/ it was amazing. sad and beautiful. i have a hard time with suffering, the amount of it in our world, and my feelings of helplessness in doing something about it. it was a beautiful movie and took a long time to make with all the set-burnings and death threats.

Shyam invited another friend of his and i was really suprised at my reaction when she told me she was planning on converting to Islam. my reaction was not visible but in my head i just thought "WTF?" i immediately began to think of my knowledge of Islam and it's oppression of women. now, this is not to imply Islam is the only religion that is oppressive towards women. and argubly they are all oppressive in different degrees. and sometimes not so much actively oppressive but historically. anyway. i was suprised. and do admit there are women that find comfort in the things i find oppressive and wrong. sigh. anyway, the film was beautiful, i would really like to go to India one day. i wish i had more money for travel. so, the top 5 places i'd like to go (in no particular order):

1. vietnam

2. thailand

3. australia

4. costa rica

5. africa (real specific, i know)

feminists are fabulous

so i've decided to earn a certificate in women's studies in addition to my master's degree in public administration. i love women's studies and read a lot of the studies/literature on my own anyway. i don't think i should get a masters in it though, i feel for my what i want to do with my life (develop programs that increase girl's self-esteem) the PA with non-profit concentration is probably best. some psychology classes probably wouldn't be bad either... i got my grades today and A and a B. not bad, not bad. you know, considering i'm working full time as well. school was fun this semester, i'm really happy i decided to go back. other news, Richard left this morning. we had such a fun morning dancing around the apt. to my "songs to dance to in your underwear" playlist. he's normally such a grump in the a.m. it was nice for us to have so much fun together for his last morning.

top 5 for today:
1. free movie pass to (what i'm sure will be) an awesome movie with Shyam
2. i think i know what tattoo i want (see pic.)
3. the flamig lips are playing on Sunday, not Saturday so i can go!!! (and it's free!)
4. bootcamp II started this morning
5. feeling like i'm finally losing weight!

so here are the before and after of my buttocks. i was torn as to post them or not. on the one hand i'm excited to see the difference, and on the other i just think i shouldn't be advertising my nastiest feature. oh well. i'm really looking forward to seeing the next 4 weeks. i think this next bootcamp session is really going to give me the results i'm looking for.

so, this weekend i split my time between peachtree city and the momma and atl for par-tays etc. David is 30 today and we spent saturday night at he and Tonya's loft celebrating. celebrating him and his old balls. there was a c0uple there who i really enjoyed. mostly because they're married with a 3 year old and they still seem to really enjoy each other. i guess that's what we all want for ourselves: to still find joy in the company of the person we've committed to. they also seemed very different (he had birks on with a beard and she was more conservatively dressed) but really thought each other was funny and fun. it was nice to meet all of David's friends, and to learn more about him in general. Angie made it out and looked great so it was all and all a good time. hope your weekend was good!

here's the top five for today:
1. going to a braves game
2. 2 more weeks until i get my vacuum
3. country fest and flaming lips this weekend
4. get to see wicked on thursday
5. weather is gettin' better

Fabulous PT Test Results

so, this is my pt (physical training) test card for bootcamp. the first column is from April 18th and the second is from today. the push-ups and sit-ups are from one minute tests. you count how many regular you can do and if needed you switch to the assisted (knees) and keep going, but start count over. my partner and i forgot how many assisted i did after my 41 (!!!) regular; she said 20 i felt like it was less so we said 10+. i'm pretty proud of myself. i've signed up for another month so we'll see what the overall difference is in a few weeks. i'm so excited. hopefully, i'll get some before and after pictures up.
i've also been thinking about food. specifically natural foods and what is natural or not. i'm a vegetarian who eats fish and am thinking of doing more soy in general. i stumbled upon a veggie website http://www.goveg.com/ and it was pointing out that humans are the only animals that drink milk past infancy, as well as the only ones that consume other animals milk. so its finally hit me how unnatural drinking cow's/goat's milk is. so, i bought a small soy milk carton. we'll see how it goes.

fit=fab

so last night i was thinking about this blog thingy and wondering what i was going to talk about. there's so much on the internet, how dare i to clog it with more useless information. well, i'm going to anyway. i made a site with a purpose, it's right over there in the links. this thing is just for me.
i am enrolled in a fitness bootcamp (the pic is of a hill we run up and down a trillion times) and it was awesome this morning. i usually burn between 450 & 515 calories (by the time i get home) but today i rocked out at 600! whew! it was awesome. i've noticed changes in my bod, mostly toning stuff. and i seem to be missing 3/4 of my "bonus ass." that's what i call the little extra under your bootay. by the end of next month it will be a distant memory! all this working out has been bomb. it's also really made me realize how important it is to me to have a partner who puts a high priority on fitness. the thing is dudes my age are mostly doing reps of beer to mouth, and think they can always just "run it off." unless they're gay, then they take such good care of themselves because they know guys are so visually fixated, they know their own basically. so here's 5 characteristics of an ideal guy for me:
1. conscious-as in politically, environmentally, socially, not just breathing
2. interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle
3. tall (over 6'2" i'm 5'10" people)
4. liberal
5. kind as a practice and in his nature
ok, start applying or referring.

arm hair=fab, ignorant co-workers:not fab

so, i work with someone that continously makes comments that are offensive to everyone in the office, however they get away with it because everyone knows they are an idiot when it comes to thinking before they speak. this has recently come to a head with me when they pointed out my arm hair (a la natural, baby) and said i "needed to shave it." um, i don't need to do anything, and how dare you imply i should conform to your standard of beauty. this is especially annoying because they themselves are not fulfilling general norms of beauty (ie smokes, is overweight, wears ill fitting clothes). it took everything i had not to point out these things to her. we were in an elevator with the rest of our co-workers (yes, they are also rude enough to say something like this in front of a crowd) so i held my tongue except for my one comment of "i know this girl did not just say that to me." i am also annoyed because i think it's ridiculous to care one way or another whether anyone shaves anything, mind your damn business and keep your judgements out of my pits.

gloomy=not fab

So, it is gloomy again in ATL and i'm sick of it. if i wanted this kind of weather i'd still live in Seattle. i'm trying to be positive (read: i put a picture of a flower), but alas i seem to be trying and failing. i have been feeling kind of lonely lately. i feel like i'm ready for a good relationship to come along, but at the same time when coworkers/friends talk about their relationships i'm so glad i'm not in one. maybe that's unfair, but i think it's unrealistic to think your realtionship would be so much better than someone else's: are their problems so unique? doubtful.
so, top 5 things for today:
1. i was deleted as someone's friend on myspace-and impressed by the balls it took to do it. and depressed that i care about whether someone deletes me as a friend on myspace.
2. i'm excited about my fatburning class today
3. i'm out of school for the sememster
4. i get to see kelly next week
5. i'm getting a vaccum cleaner.