FutureSarah

Under the wire, 5 minutes ’til midnight!

We interrupt this viewing of Pineapple Express to say, well, it’s a pretty bad movie.  The only good part for me is Daryl from The Office as one of the henchmen.  And the doctor from Knocked Up.  Aside from that, not really doing it for me.  Maybe it would be different if I were high.

I went to the gym tonight!  Two nights in a row!  It hurt, again, but I went anyway.  And as soon as this movie is over, I am totally going to sleep.  I am gonna sleep the shit out of tonight.  I don’t even know what that means, but it sure sounded cool in my head!

An unfortunate side effect of a weekend of gluttonous socializing:  tight pants.  Back to the gym!

It has been a while since I actually went to the gym to lift weights.  I went a few times in the last month for Pilates class, but I need to get my ass in gear!  I have a five-pound range where i am “just okay” with my weight.  Below that, I’m very happy.  Above it, I want to shoot myself.  In that five-pound range, I can live with it, but I’d like to do better.  This morning, I was at the very tippy-top of the range.  Sigh.

So anyway, despite feeling like utter crap today (a combination of weekend overeating and airplane sinus issues), I dragged myself to the gym.  I ran was on the treadmill for 30 minutes, did chest press and row exercises, and some abdominal work on the exercise ball.  So.  Painful.  I’m glad I did it, though – no way to get fit without starting from the beginning. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, right?

I did get two Shiva Nata practices in over the weekend, thanks to my trusty laptop!  It sounds so silly now, but as I was working through the first transquarter exercise on the DVD on Sunday, these words actually came out of my mouth: “Huh.  I couldn’t do this yesterday.” Still no more life epiphanies, but progress in the practice is always good.  It couldn’t have helped that Jon was sitting on the bed 5 feet from me, playing on his Nintendo DSi.

I definitely am more aware that my life is what I make it – and if I want it to be better, I have to do it myself.  Awareness: check.  The next step, changing things for the better, is an ongoing process with a lot of bumps in the road.  I’m still working on getting out of bed.  I still spend a bit too much time watching TV and not doing anything else.  I did, however, buy food for the week on my way home from LVAC, and look forward to fresh steamed veggies for the next few days!!

And, we’re back! In Vegas, that is. Today wrapped up my post-birthday trip nicely, with a lunch at Cliff House! For Iris! Happy birthday, Iris!!

My favorite part was the Giant Camera, a working camera obscura (look it up) that offered panoramic views of Ocean Beach. I was amazed at the resolution of the projection, and then realized how silly that was – there is infinite resolution when you’re just refracting light!

Photo!!

I see the train! And we’re here waiting for it! Much better than last night, which featured me running at top speed in heels and an overcoat, only to watch the train pull away when we were just 10 feet away.

Regardless, dinner was fabulous. I highly recommend 54 Mint in San Francisco – though if you are there on Friday or Saturday, you probably want reservations. It’s all sustainable, local, organic homemade Italian food. If you get to sit in the wine cellar room downstairs, it ceases to feel like a busy restaurant. The dessert I ordered, panna cotta with aged balsamic vinegar, was unbelievable. Enough superlatives for you?

Tonight! Town’s End, down near the ballpark. Tomorrow! Cliff House Bistro. Then I have to go back to Las Vegas, with all the crappy no-name chefs like Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, and Thomas Keller. I will surely suffer.

Crap – missed the train. Now we have 20 minutes to sit on the platform at the BART station, and will be late for dinner.

On the other hand, yay blog! And between dinner and another friend’s birthday party afterwards, it should be a full and memorable evening.

Had lunch with my sister and her best friend today. They’re 28, and this is the closest I’ve been to my sister since we were kids – maybe ever. It is really cool to see both of them being grown-ups. Good to see our parents both realizing this, too! This Thanksgiving and Christmas will be the first we celebrate as a nuclear family in the last 6 years – I am very much looking forward to it.

OMG blogging from my phone!!

I just landed at SFO – looking forward to a great weekend! It is after 11:00, though, so this has to be brief for me to keep up with the Nablammo.

To all of my friends that are not on the Visit List for this trip, never fear! I’ll be back for Thanksgiving and a good long week at Christmas.

One more thing – happy, happy birthday to Kendra!!

Tomorrow, squeeee!!!  Tomorrow I go back to California!  I’m gonna see my boyfriend, and my sister, and my parents, a whole buncha friends, and…. I’ve got to pack!

Now!  A list!

1. 30 Rock is a fantastic show!
2. I love sushi!
3. Vegas is gorgeous in the fall!
4. I am sick of leftover Halloween candy!
5. Especially candy corn!
6. Man, I really need to pack!
7. Does anyone have any fun-size Butterfingers they can bring me?

It started at 12:01 AM  (last night, I was still up watching 30 Rock episodes from Netflix):

phone ringing – she looks and sees that it is her boyfriend
S:  (answers the phone) You’re calling late.
J: Happy Birthday!
S: Oh, it’s my birthday now, isn’t it?  Yay!
J: Yay!

I don’t know why I don’t get a thing about getting older.  I feel like I should, being <ahem> twenty-eleven years old now (as in, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, twenty-ten, twenty-eleven).  Mostly I was just really, seriously happy to get all the well-wishes from friends near (bought me lunch!) and far (hooray for Facebook!).  I tend to feel isolated here in Vegas.  I only know people I work with and people they are married to.  It is great to know that friends in the Bay Area haven’t forgotten about me!

Now, well, I’m just tired.  As promised, I downed an Irish Car Bomb at the pub for our regular quiz night.  Followed by two more cocktails.  Think I’ll hit the hay pretty soon; I’ve got lots to do before OMG THURSDAY!!

Oh, and to my birthday buddy Evan, Happy birthday!

First off, a very happy birthday to Andrei!  I shall see you this weekend, I think.

Second, well, it’s a weekday, so that automatically reduces the number of exciting things that can happen.  Let’s investigate.

I had a great sandwich at lunch!  Capriotti’s Bobbie sandwich – fresh roasted turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on a bun.  It’s rich, though, so this Thanksgiving sandwich can’t happen too often.

I finished season one of Dead Like Me!  I had seen most of it before, but got a hankering to watch again.  I’m also in mid-catch-up on Mad Men, Dexter, and The (British) Office.  Hooray for Netflix!

Other than that it was just programming, web surfing, laundry, and hey!  Blogging!

I promise more exciting entries in the coming days.  T minus 2 hours until my birthday!  And just 3 more sleeps until I get to go to San Francisco!!  Exclamation!!!

Attempt number 3 at NaBloPoMo, begin now.

Yesterday morning I had my first Shiva Nata practice.  I waited until the weekend so I could get familiar with the practice DVD at my own pace.  I set my intention to find my energy.  Where is it?  Who knows?  It’s been gone for years.  Maybe I’ve never had it.

Anyway, 15 minutes or so of flailing my arms about like a crazy person, and the answer appeared.  Your energy, miss?  It’s RIGHT HERE.  Yeah, part of it was the energizing practice itself, but most of it was the epiphany (!) that my energy is always there, I just have to ask for it.  I cleaned myself up for the day, and ran around the house straightening things up in the hours before Amy arrived.

Then Amy arrived!  Birthday pedicure at Red Rock, wooo!  Most luxurious pampering I’ve had in a long time.  It was delicious!  I spent Halloween night by myself for the first time in a long time (ever?).  I was surprisingly okay with it – I just felt like this was my year to sit back and watch the kiddies enjoy themselves, fawn over babies in costumes, and then go home and watch scary movies in the dark.  A totally valid way to celebrate – and much better for your waistline and teeth.

Today was Shiva Nata practice #2.  No new epiphanies, but that is okay.  Then, BBQ!  I made two cole slaws, recipes from the beautiful Smitten Kitchen blog (here and here).  Broccoli slaw was delicious.  I think the green onion slaw was missing something.  Anyway, I’ve got a week’s worth of red cabbage left to figure out how to make it better!  I ate turkey burgers, then roasted marshmallows, played some Beatles Rock Band, and generally had a fantastic time.

Then!  OMG!  Birthday phone call from my bestest friend, who despite the fact that we only talk twice a year, remains my closest friend.  We talked for 1 hour and 40 minutes, according to iPhone.  Good end to a good weekend.  Now I need to wash these dishes before I go to sleep, so I can wake up early and get Shivanautical again!!!

Exclamation point!!