Wednesday, February 22, 2012

MTME: Winter Mix 2011

My playlist from Winter 2011:

1. Loud Pipes by Ratatat
2. Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3. Satisfaction by Allen Stone
4. Valerie (Glee Cast Version; originally by Amy Winehouse) from Glee: The Music, Vol. 4
5. Cherry Red by Ida Maria
6. We Are YOung (feat. Janelle Monae) by Fun.
7. When I'm Small by Phantogram
8. Tained Love by My Brightest Diamond
9. Kill! Kill! Kill! by The Pierces
10. Dress and Tie (feat. Darren Criss) by Charlene Kaye
11. West Coast by Nighttiming
12. I Wish I Was The Mood by Neko Case
13. Miss Magnolia by Matt Costa
14. Certainly Tonight by Widower
15. Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars
16. This LIfe (Theme from "Sons of Anarchy") by Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
17. Indoor Voices, Outdoor Dance Moves by Jubilee
18. Break the Chain by Oh Land
19. Strings by Young the Giant
20. Fell It All Around (Theme from "Portlandia") by Washed Out
21. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men


New songs I've really been grooving to include everything by Grouplove, and the new single from Jack White, "Love Interrupted"...or is that, Interuption? I don't know.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentimes!

I am almost done with the 39 homemade valentine cards I set out to make on Friday. Whew! Just 14 more to go.


I love V-day. It's not just about romantic love, and like my friend Kim says, I don't want to buy into single-girl cliche #1: Hating Valentine's Day. I have lots of people in my life whom I love, and who love me back.



Plus, homemade cards are like the only artsy thing I seem to be good at, and keeps my attention, and are the biggest bang for your buck for making someone feel special!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Biggest Loser progress

My new gym has a Biggest Loser program. They're actually the developers of Biggest Loser, and NBC purchased the rights to use the program as the basis for their tv show.

My first weigh-in was on 1/23, at 206 lbs. Just the week before I had been weighed in for joining the gym, and was at 199. Weird. Maybe staying in during Snowpocalypse was really really bad for me?

Our first official weight-in was 1/31. I came in at 203. I hope this is progress and not just the scale moving about. That week following weigh-in, I worked out 4 out of 7 days. That's what I'm shooting for. I want to get one personal training session in per week, and then two weight/cardio sessions at the gym by myself, and one weekend day when I ride my bike.

Riding the bike is important, because I need to be prepared for the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride this summer. I signed up for a few other cycling events, too, to get me pumped for STP. My first one is 2/26: the Chilly Hilly ride around Bainbridge Island. It's approximately 33 miles, and is both cold and hilly. It's not a race, which is good. Last weekend I rode for about 25 miles from my house to Gasworks, out to Ballard, and down to Elliott Bay before heading home. This Saturday, I plan to ride out to Woodinville and back to celebrate the re-opening of the Burke Gilman trail! I might go with my neighbors, who are also doing Chilly Hilly.

My next BL weigh-in is 2/13. I will have worked out 4 out of 7 days for two weeks, been taking care to make better food choices (though you know I splurged during Super Bowl and wine tasting in Oregon), and taking vitamins and supplements to help ensure my muscles are in top working order. Extended cardio (over 45 minutes) saps nutrients from your muscles; you need adequate protein to help your muscles repair themselves. I started taking a glutamine supplement, and have not been as sore as I was before. Coupled with an Active Multivitamin, I feel really good :)