tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15375377035851824332024-03-19T07:31:23.198-04:00Diary of a Dental School WifeJust the story of a girl who loves a boy... who happens to love teethAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-31956010387061283352015-02-23T16:27:00.000-05:002015-02-23T16:27:10.712-05:00New Chapter, New BlogHello readers!<br />
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Thank you all so much for following my blog and caring about what I have to say. With Joe approaching the halfway point in dental school, I've realized that a blog with the name <i>Diary of a Dental School Wife</i> has a pretty clear expiration date. And with the baby coming in 10ish weeks, I thought it was the perfect time for a fresh start.<br />
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Please head over to my new blog: <a href="http://www.katebrier.blogspot.com/"><i>Brushing Up on the Briers</i></a>!<br />
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<a href="http://katebrier.blogspot.com/"><img alt="katebrier.blogspot.com" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39be8q3TYbee929wVQg3ipOY2Y2GUo3iKsw1Ir9OsO7CKGnv3XE7C7sVgOdVkNpMoiHNn2IwwSwGJLhBtVyHaM3XS4CnFI_hy3Gjo939RQaXzL-GMV1B_aBaR60rkmrd-OU9LBBZjlX4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-23+at+4.14.30+PM.png" height="173" width="400" /></a></div>
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It can be found at <a href="http://katebrier.blogspot.com/">katebrier.blogspot.com</a> (see?! I learned my lesson. That's a URL that will always be relevant and in the future I'll be able to "start fresh" without actually needing to create a whole new blog). <br />
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Again, thank you so much for your support!<br />
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Hope to see you over at <a href="http://katebrier.blogspot.com/"><i>Brushing Up on the Briers</i></a>!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-16499286499096694212015-01-19T21:42:00.000-05:002015-01-21T16:13:08.379-05:00It's A......Wow - it's almost been a whopping two months since I last posted. I hate being an inconsistent blogger and will try to be better (though anyone who has followed me for a while knows there are two things I always strive to do better: #1 diet/exercise and #2 blog).<br />
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While a ton has happened in the last two months, the most exciting thing is that we had our anatomy scan on December 15 and found out we are having a little boy!!!<br />
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Joe and I were a bit surprised, because we both had a feeling that the baby was going to be a girl (I was even having dreams about it). But a couple weeks before the anatomy scan I started feeling like maybe I was having a boy after all. Then, a night or two before the scan I had a dream we were having a boy. My subconscious must have been convinced, because without thinking I wore blue to the appointment. (I also noticed a bunch of "It's a Boy!" balloons in the window of the hospital gift shop as we headed toward the ultrasound office.)<br />
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When Joe heard we are having a son, he lit up and the first thing he did was wind his arm up like he was going to pitch a baseball and he said something like, "I better get warmed up so I can teach this kid how to play catch!" My heart melted. It was adorable.<br />
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I wanted to do something fun to announce the gender online, so the day before the scan I made a pink and a blue picture frame and posted this on Facebook:<br />
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As it turns out, our friends and family were pretty evenly split with their guesses. To announce, the next day I posted:<br />
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I have to give credit to my mom for the picture frame idea. I was looking for something pretty easy (my lack of energy has made me exceptionally lazy) and inexpensive. This was both! All I did was buy cheap/lightweight wooden frames from Michaels. They were only $1 and were the same brand as these (but fancier, I can't find the shape I bought on the website):</div>
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Then I just used a foam paint brush to put Elmer's glue all over the frame and sprinkled glitter on top. That's it! :) </div>
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It's been so much fun knowing the gender of our baby! A couple days after the appointment I flew home to California for 3 weeks and did a ton of shopping with my mom. LOTS of maternity and baby clothes were bought. While it is a little harder to find cute clothes for a boy than it would be for a girl, I've found several things that are absolutely adorable and I can't wait to see him wear. I just imagine holding him close and cuddling him... I truly cannot wait!</div>
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For the longest time, I didn't "feel pregnant" (despite the constant nausea of the first trimester and the fatigue of the last 24 weeks). But the last couple of weeks I have FINALLY begun to feel him kick and that has helped some (though I am still in utter disbelief that in 16ish weeks I'll have my baby boy in my arms). I was getting worried that I hadn't felt movement, but it turns out I have an anterior placenta (it's in the front). That means that instead of kicking me the baby is kicking the placenta so it muffles things quite a bit. At this point, the kicks feel nothing more than muscle spasms in my stomach... but last night they were finally just hard enough for Joe to feel them! Seeing Joe's face light up with excitement, shock and pride was so awesome :) He loves feeling my tummy now and I'm sure it'll only get more fun as those kicks get harder.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-54383885921787798212014-11-24T14:07:00.001-05:002014-11-24T14:37:35.597-05:00Repli-Kate: Easy-to-Make Fall GarlandThanksgiving is just a few days away, and as I prepare for <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2013/12/thanksgiving-2013.html">two of our favorite people to visit again</a> for the holiday, I'm dusting off some of the decorations I made for last year's festivities. My favorite is my leaf garland, so I figured I would share how you can make your own!<br />
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Last year, in anticipation of hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner, I went to <a href="http://www.papersource.com/">Paper Source</a> to check out their decorations and to stock up on some craft stuff (I.love.that.store.). While there, I saw this adorable garland of felt leaves. Thinking it would make an adorable addition to my decor, I checked the price tag and winced... it was much more than I wanted to spend. My disappointment quickly disappeared when I realized that this would be an easy thing to replicate - all I would need is felt, some brown thread, and a sewing machine. Easy peasy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6KnD6lA8bPFwEWT3JnLQw4oES9s5c93msoac1zjngQWGMJLEHa9ADSNuRkjs3W1_APv1pw4vJ35hPkhg1EY5AGJgdCFk9AcTUNj-GmYTNhkL90jlkoc2EwO8ZYUR6s3MLBnvnQxR6yM/s1600/easy+fall+garland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6KnD6lA8bPFwEWT3JnLQw4oES9s5c93msoac1zjngQWGMJLEHa9ADSNuRkjs3W1_APv1pw4vJ35hPkhg1EY5AGJgdCFk9AcTUNj-GmYTNhkL90jlkoc2EwO8ZYUR6s3MLBnvnQxR6yM/s1600/easy+fall+garland.jpg" height="640" width="412" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">While I don't have step-by-step photos, I don't think you need them to be able to replicate this yourself. It's incredibly easy - even if you don't know how to sew (I had to look up how to thread my machine, that's how knowledgable I am). Here's what you do:</span><br />
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1.) Decide on one leaf design for each color of felt that you have and make a stencil out of something like a manila folder. On the folder, you'll either want to draw leaves yourself or you can use images from the internet. I went the internet route, since my drawing skills aren't fantastic. I searched "leaf coloring pictures" and had several simple designs to choose from. I printed them out on regular computer paper, cut them out, put them on the manila folder, and traced around the edges. Then I cut out the leaves from the manila folder and had my stencils :) It's possible you could skip the folder and just make a stencil out of computer paper, but I thought the thickness of the folder made it easier to trace onto the felt.</div>
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2.) Use your leaf stencils and a sharpie to draw the outline of leaves on your felt</div>
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3.) Cut the leaves out</div>
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4.) Thread your sewing machine with brown thread and pull out several inches of thread before you start sewing on the first leaf (so you have an end to use for hanging). Then, put down your first leaf and sew straight down the middle and off the leaf. Continue sewing for a couple of inches to provide some space and then put another leaf down and sew in a straight line over that leaf. Repeat over and over again until you get through your leaves and have a large garland.</div>
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That's it! That's all you do :)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr83ErYejUfYj1hhkVJmYA1ml_Qqvjmv1NKC1o9CLkj6UoNF5p1WOQ87z_sATqdZtP8ESeq8zyFtO9lpwAF4MuIU1R_kOsVdZQSU7O6G-J9NWVAw5D6GESdVSqD-TYr77tjjhP9zGxI5c/s1600/014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr83ErYejUfYj1hhkVJmYA1ml_Qqvjmv1NKC1o9CLkj6UoNF5p1WOQ87z_sATqdZtP8ESeq8zyFtO9lpwAF4MuIU1R_kOsVdZQSU7O6G-J9NWVAw5D6GESdVSqD-TYr77tjjhP9zGxI5c/s1600/014.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last year's Thanksgiving table</td></tr>
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If you have leftover leaves, you can sprinkle them on your tabletop like I did above :) </div>
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In case I don't blog before Thursday, have a fantastic Thanksgiving!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-69280813330257809552014-11-18T14:10:00.001-05:002014-11-18T14:16:02.497-05:00Zombie DateIt's been far too long since Joe and I had a date night, so we decided to do one on Saturday night. Instead of pulling from the <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/p/weekly-dates.html">date jars</a>, though, Joe thought we should have a zombie date night. As a lover of all things zombie, I was definitely on board.<br />
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For dinner, we had ribs and tater "toes." Joe had the idea to make homemade chips to use as toenails. So gross... yet so good :) For dessert, we had eyes (grapes) and chocolate pudding.<br />
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Fans of <i>The Walking Dead</i> should remember Carl going to town on 112 ounces of chocolate pudding :)<br />
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A zombie movie would have been the obvious choice for entertainment, but all it seems we do is watch TV or movies ever since pregnancy turned me into a couch potato (okay, okay... MORE of a couch potato). Instead, we decided to play <i>The Walking Dead Season 2</i> video game. We REALLY like the Telltale <i>Walking Dead</i> games because it's like a Choose Your Own Adventure book (<a href="http://gizmodo.com/the-choose-your-own-adventure-books-were-the-first-inte-1659017465">R.I.P. R.A. Montgomery</a>) where you are faced with lots of choices and interactions with characters that can change how the game progresses.<br />
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<i>(Warning slight spoilers for The Walking Dead video games ahead. So slight that probably only me, the Queen of No Spoilers, would be annoyed if I read it haha).</i><br />
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We had already played and finished the game a few months ago, but we were in the middle of playing it through again and making all bad/mean choices. I have to say, as fun as it is to play the "correct" way and make decisions we feel like we would actually make in the situation, it is REALLY fun to say and do the meanest things the game will allow you to do (we even let a totally defenseless character die... just because that's what "Mean Clementine" would do). It's kind of like how it's fun to build a swimming pool on <i>The Sims</i> and then remove the ladder while some unsuspecting houseguest is doing laps (<a href="http://www.dorkly.com/post/55347/5-games-that-actually-prove-how-messed-up-kids-are">R.I.P. countless Sims</a>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This time around I'm "Mean Clementine" - watch yourself.</td></tr>
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It was also interesting to see how the game really does change its story based on your choices. For example, a character who dies much later in the game actually died pretty quick the second time we played (sorry dude). It's also interesting to see how strongly Joe and I want to make the "right" choices at certain parts. While playing Saturday night, the main character was faced with a pretty big moral dilemma and, true to our vow of playing "mean" this time, we went the immoral route. It actually made us feel really bad! We know there is another choice coming up that is going to be incredibly hard to make, but we will suck it up and be as mean as possible :)<br />
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It was a low-key date night, but that's about what I can manage right now. So it was perfect :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-349708289956291972014-11-11T09:41:00.000-05:002014-11-18T14:11:04.920-05:00An Excuse and a Surprise <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday I promised an excuse for why I've taken such a long break from blogging. Those of you who are my Facebook friends already know, but here it is for my other readers: I've been too busy dealing with fatigue, nausea and barfing. </div>
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That's right - I'm pregnant!</div>
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Baby Brier is due May 7, 2015 and Joe and I are so excited! </div>
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Lots of people were surprised because they thought we were waiting until after dental school, but we talked at length about it and realized that we could make it work financially, emotionally, etc. as long as we didn't have a baby during the first 2 years of dental school. From what we have been hearing from friends in D3 and D4, Joe's last 2 years will be much easier since he'll mostly be working in clinic. Yes, there will still be some classes and tests, but nothing compared to D1 and D2. Plus, we have been very good about saving money ever since we got engaged with the hope that we would be able to have a baby before he graduates. I want to be a stay-at-home mom, so the financial aspect of this was considered very carefully.</div>
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Anyways, now that I have assured my dear readers that Joe and I are responsible and not totally nuts for having a dental school baby, I'll spill some of the fun details :)</div>
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Although it was a few days earlier than a sane person would take a pregnancy test, I realized that it was technically possible for me to get a positive the morning of Joe's first day of school. I went into the bathroom, took the test, and honestly didn't expect much. There was no guarantee, of course, that I would be pregnant. And there was no guarantee that even if I was I would get a positive at that point. So when the "yes+" popped up on the screen, I was gobsmacked. </div>
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I originally planned to give Joe a little back-to-school gift bag with stuff like coffee and pens inside, but now I was able to add something even more exciting! A couple of months earlier I ordered these shirts for Joe and me:</div>
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I folded his shirt up and put it at the bottom of the bag. Then I put my shirt on, put a robe on, and slid the pregnancy test up my sleeve.</div>
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I brought down the gift bag and Joe started taking out his back-to-school goodies. Then he got to the shirt. He opened it, read it, and looked up at me with a confused look on his face. I took that as my cue: I ripped open my robe Superman-style and pulled out the test from my sleeve. Joe was shocked, and very happy.</div>
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The pregnancy started out very easy, and I was thinking that I might escape the first trimester without morning sickness. One of my grandmas had 4 kids and always said she felt her best when she was pregnant - so it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Then week 6 hit, and IMMEDIATELY I became exhausted and constantly nauseous. </div>
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From then until week 14 (just a few days ago), I haven't felt like doing anything. For two months I've been in bed or on the couch trying to fight the nausea and exhaustion almost 24/7. You'd think all that time just laying around would mean that I'd have tons of time to blog. Well, technically I did, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything I didn't absolutely have to do. But I am finally feeling more like myself! I still don't feel awesome, and the food aversions are still strong, but I do have more energy. So hopefully I can become more consistent with posting again. </div>
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Despite all of these symptoms, though, I can't actually wrap my mind around the fact that I am pregnant. In fact, I keep joking that I'm like one of those crazy ladies who tells everyone she is pregnant, gets a belly, and then kills a pregnant woman and steals <i>her</i> baby. It honestly feels like that is more realistic than that fact that I'll be giving birth in 26-ish weeks. </div>
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And that's even with THREE ultrasounds!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tFGRpezoASjk9wXM9mhIVruWYpVmJIplcs7yDBwj8by3_clt2JsX14J6Wwm2X7pCUDFWBSBwqJjHmmhYgAhb2PZzCG1mlDmKP78LDTSQ2Yr9p3OkCSlvRvYE1lVszzsPqSY9dLAK4d0/s1600/Baby+Brier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tFGRpezoASjk9wXM9mhIVruWYpVmJIplcs7yDBwj8by3_clt2JsX14J6Wwm2X7pCUDFWBSBwqJjHmmhYgAhb2PZzCG1mlDmKP78LDTSQ2Yr9p3OkCSlvRvYE1lVszzsPqSY9dLAK4d0/s1600/Baby+Brier.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Yes, you heard that right, I am 14 weeks and have already had 3 ultrasounds. That's because our little bean likes to scare mommy and daddy. At my 8 week appointment, we had a routine ultrasound to determine how far along I was and the baby measured about a week and a half small. So we were referred to the UPenn hospital for a follow-up the next week. </div>
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At that appointment, the baby measured exactly on track, and it seems as if the doctor just made an error or the machine at the doctor's office wasn't as good as the ones at the hospital. It was fun to get to see the baby again so soon, and we marveled at the difference a mere week made in what he/she looked like. Plus, the baby was jumping all over the place, which was funny to watch. The tech called it a "jumping bean."</div>
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Ultrasound number 3 was the scariest, because it took place at my 12 week appointment when they couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler thing. While the doctor had mentioned that sometimes the heartbeat can be tough to get this early with the doppler, it was still terrifying. When she started the ultrasound, though, we immediately saw baby. Turns out, he/she was just jumping around so much that the doctor couldn't pinpoint the heart. An addition to the jumping, this time baby was flailing its arms back and forth. It looked like our little one was having a dance party or something. </div>
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We had already thought about nicknaming the baby "Bean" because that was Joe's nickname as a kid. But after the antics of our little "jumping bean," we decided that it's the perfect nickname until we know if it's a boy or girl.</div>
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Speaking of gender. YES, we are absolutely going to find out. The wait to week 20 is driving me crazy, no way could I wait until week 40! I'm wondering if I'll finally start feeling pregnant once I know if it is a boy or girl since it'll be easier to imagine a real baby in my arms in May. I guess we'll see! We should find out somewhere around December 16-18. </div>
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So that's my big news, and my excuse for being a terrible blogger lately. I think it's a pretty good excuse ;)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-7418822732389300932014-11-10T11:45:00.000-05:002014-11-10T11:48:50.386-05:00Better (Extremely) Late Than Never - Cruise Part 2Hello again everyone! It has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I have posted and I apologize for that. There is actually a good reason for my absence, but I'll make you wait until my next post to find out what that reason is ;)<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** Don't worry, I won't make you wait 6 weeks again to hear from me. I'll post it tomorrow - promise! ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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Last I wrote, I was filling you in on our cruise to Bermuda and I left off after we docked on that picturesque, wonderful island. There is no exaggeration with my description of Bermuda - I was floored at how beautiful it is there. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to go back.<br />
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(<a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/09/better-late-than-never-cruise-part-1.html">Click here for the first half of the cruise story</a>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship docked<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluo9ArQ8pcQwcOzJwWvms1okMUMSMHCe2Tfl85PLSaOZJkCQL8NJxtqLz_uYEm0LgcSJZ6ZQueBm7ZIAjhpoUsffbrE4Tnl6xMnhV4QFdqGY9Fh-nJKMSP_iLr5YhKpyfBlkU9NWuWAo/s1600/IMG_9628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluo9ArQ8pcQwcOzJwWvms1okMUMSMHCe2Tfl85PLSaOZJkCQL8NJxtqLz_uYEm0LgcSJZ6ZQueBm7ZIAjhpoUsffbrE4Tnl6xMnhV4QFdqGY9Fh-nJKMSP_iLr5YhKpyfBlkU9NWuWAo/s1600/IMG_9628.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">View of the Royal Navy Dockyards - this is what we would see when we walked off the ship</td></tr>
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One of the first things we noticed when we got into the tourist area was the distinct British feel of the island (which makes sense because it is a British Overseas Territory). Not only were people driving on the opposite side of the road than they do in the U.S., but many accents sounded a bit English AND they had those awesome red phone booths.</div>
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Our first stop off the ship was to the <a href="http://www.bmm.bm/">National Bermuda Maritime Museum</a>, which is located at the island's oldest fort. </div>
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We had no idea when we paid for the admission, but there is an area with dolphins inside - and somehow we ended up stumbling on that before any of the other parts of the museum. I have loved dolphins since I was a little kid, and have always wanted to do one of those dolphin encounters where you swim with them. But they are always so expensive! </div>
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This dolphin area at the National Museum is designed specifically for those dolphin encounters, but with admission to the museum you are able to watch the dolphins and get right up to the water (just not <i>in</i> the water - that costs $200+). Trainers would even come around and answer questions. I couldn't believe our luck... we must have watched them for a good 45 minutes. Oh - and there were even some BABY DOLPHINS! </div>
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After saying goodbye to the dolphins, we started exploring the grounds of the fort. We liked getting pictures with our boat in the background haha.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe "attacking" the other cruise ship. It may have been larger (and had water slides), but we thought ours was better :)</td></tr>
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The building behind this sea god statue was the Commissioner's House and featured exhibits on the Bermuda Navy and island history. It was really interesting, but unfortunately it was EXTREMELY hot and humid that day so I didn't feel like taking notes.</div>
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<i>***Side Note*** I am such a nerd, and have such a terrible memory, that I usually write notes on a little notepad when on tours or at history museums. That way I can remember all the cool details. Tour guides always give me the side-eye. ***End of Side Note***</i></div>
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One of the coolest things in the museum was the Hall of History Mural, which measures 1000 square feet and is 2 stories high! It depicts 500 years of Bermuda history and took 7,000 hours for the artist to complete! Queen Elizabeth II, herself, came to Bermuda to officially open the hall.<br />
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After the museum, we decided to check out a miniature golf course that was basically right next door. We had read some awesome reviews about it online, and knew we had to play a round.<br />
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This mini-golf course was awesome. The holes were designed after famous holes at real U.S., Scotland and Bermuda golf courses. Each country had 6 holes, and every 6 holes led players back to the bar. A pretty clever design ;) What made it even better is that the seaside course boasted amazing views of the ocean. PLUS, the owner was one of the nicest guys ever.<br />
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The next day, we decided to try kayaking. Next to the miniature golf course is a manmade beach area with a bar, volleyball courts, and other amenities - plus kayak rentals. We didn't get any pictures on the water (I didn't want to get my camera or phone wet), but it was a ton of fun and very relaxing. Well, relaxing for me at least ;) Joe was doing most of the rowing since we didn't do very well trying to maneuver the kayak in sync. He enjoyed it though :) We did get a couple of pictures at the beach - I couldn't resist the giant chair photo-op.<br />
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That afternoon, we decided to visit Bermuda's capital city, Hamilton. The city is quite small, but it's the island's business and shopping hub. It has some amazing architecture and, of course, pastel buildings.<br />
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One of the more interesting things we noticed was the huge number of feral chickens. Apparently, the island is home to around 30,000 of them!</div>
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That night, we went on a glass bottom boat tour into the Bermuda Triangle to look at some shipwrecks! It was a really cool tour and, though it was a bit tough to see the ships at night, the darkness really added a level of creepiness of us being on a little boat in the Bermuda Triangle! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the ships that is poking out of the water</td></tr>
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The tour was especially interesting because the guide was born and raised on Bermuda, so he told us a ton of interesting facts about the island in general. For example, the roofs of most buildings in Bermuda are white. This is because Bermuda has no fresh water sources, so roofs are painted with a special kind of paint that sanitizes rainwater which is then collected into giant underground basins for residents to use. He also mentioned that Bermuda's cost of living is one of the highest in the world. Even the affordable housing units are over $500,000!<br />
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We wanted our last day in Bermuda to be a quick one since we had to be back to the boat by the late afternoon. Plus, that was the day that our 2-day unlimited drink package on the ship started and we wanted to be sure that we got our money's worth ;)<br />
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So we decided to head to Horseshoe Beach to check it out. We aren't big beach people (I know, why the heck would be do a tropical vacation then? haha), so we honestly considered skipping it completely. I am so glad we didn't! The bus ride there and back was worth the excursion, since we were able to see more of the island and we had the nicest bus driver ever. Seriously, the man friendly honked to nearly every passing car or bus and would say, "oh, that's my buddy so-and-so" or "oh, that's my uncle." It was really funny.<br />
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The beach, itself, was awesome. I would LOVE to bring our kids back there someday as there was this awesome cove area where kids could play in shallow water and look for seashells. We ended up walking around a bit, taking pictures, and dipping our feet in the water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice husband to hold my pink bag.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wishing I had brought my swimsuit, I could have laid on this beach for hours!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4vjWPY5Q7b7526K0A4eoFj-xt165FSNzF08-QyRM_xuUXAU4aAOz0WbM4xGVI6yizpJGXL5U8tTNrX5E04-oEymvKAEOK0rpHyl-GoqdYUIaf1M6mg3qvt_Nt2OMFbcioBfBZqhTnzo/s1600/IMG_9608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4vjWPY5Q7b7526K0A4eoFj-xt165FSNzF08-QyRM_xuUXAU4aAOz0WbM4xGVI6yizpJGXL5U8tTNrX5E04-oEymvKAEOK0rpHyl-GoqdYUIaf1M6mg3qvt_Nt2OMFbcioBfBZqhTnzo/s1600/IMG_9608.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's keep this one small... I'm not wearing makeup ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCzoq-qxvwQd3E1xOpzurBj_9xsLXvo7Cls3rzpkmCxqTm-rX-CgT1ubskysgSU3GJRJzGcp2aYGOMSLttV43RBnXD8sLoPkdhKSHxmVhOmEn7Ek84c4QZ_fJv5kPP2QeBlv_goGTv6E/s1600/IMG_9612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCzoq-qxvwQd3E1xOpzurBj_9xsLXvo7Cls3rzpkmCxqTm-rX-CgT1ubskysgSU3GJRJzGcp2aYGOMSLttV43RBnXD8sLoPkdhKSHxmVhOmEn7Ek84c4QZ_fJv5kPP2QeBlv_goGTv6E/s1600/IMG_9612.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water was so clear! It was gorgeous</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUDFm3CAldA0-TZ-cNsjVMF_5qXJFmnd2Vu4cBMtRdqcqlf_ySJ3qP_kXdzUNYHzPEq22-EM6zHSXMy16_NkYFSQ5aotuEU58O5N6CJtig449BEMT4RMy0JStxpzPyIUvq1yXhMjROMk/s1600/IMG_9615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUDFm3CAldA0-TZ-cNsjVMF_5qXJFmnd2Vu4cBMtRdqcqlf_ySJ3qP_kXdzUNYHzPEq22-EM6zHSXMy16_NkYFSQ5aotuEU58O5N6CJtig449BEMT4RMy0JStxpzPyIUvq1yXhMjROMk/s1600/IMG_9615.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe wanted some of the famous "pink" sand, but wasn't sure if you were allowed to take any. So he hid behind a trash can to collect some in a baggie.</td></tr>
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When we got back to the boat, we immediately put on our swimsuits, grabbed our books, and hit the bar for our first (of many) unlimited drinks.<br />
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Now that I've reached the end of our Bermuda days, I realized that I forgot to mention a few other parts of the trip. I wanted to write about.<br />
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First, the trip was for our 3rd anniversary so we had to get our traditional chalkboard photo :) They got confused and served us a "Happy Anniversary" dessert at 3 separate dinners. We didn't mind ;) The dinners were always fun. Getting dressed up every night and being able to choose anything on the menu in a fancy dining room was such a blast. Celebrity cruises is known for having good food, and the food did not disappoint in the dining room or at the buffet. It was always yummy. (And probably made me gain 10+ pounds).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyLaMuL93Gh7tpsT22DhDYD6lnjafXEZTHjvsvKQPanzakq8NgUH86H3Zvz23qzrJq79BzVfWHZ24yadoq0CZiFsC9Es-nfa8EjhYYvATuTjIlYRdWP_68uPvjgpEcKxKepPY2uBRPno/s1600/10462657_10100159650775643_367776059090451774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyLaMuL93Gh7tpsT22DhDYD6lnjafXEZTHjvsvKQPanzakq8NgUH86H3Zvz23qzrJq79BzVfWHZ24yadoq0CZiFsC9Es-nfa8EjhYYvATuTjIlYRdWP_68uPvjgpEcKxKepPY2uBRPno/s1600/10462657_10100159650775643_367776059090451774_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09-4fuiglKaKdARzidK-km4vGBA11sXKGryqjtuKg4oP97uKbKiH7x7PM_AhDgDzr4JQGD0WyfgoJlJfcyyww1Jlkg4wc4-IrHg_Bz2QjZmlyJNNAtQpPZI54gYhqkQ5F1yiu-hQYk_Y/s1600/10450899_10100159650366463_4157670923234745106_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09-4fuiglKaKdARzidK-km4vGBA11sXKGryqjtuKg4oP97uKbKiH7x7PM_AhDgDzr4JQGD0WyfgoJlJfcyyww1Jlkg4wc4-IrHg_Bz2QjZmlyJNNAtQpPZI54gYhqkQ5F1yiu-hQYk_Y/s1600/10450899_10100159650366463_4157670923234745106_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Second, Joe and I became semi-celebrities as we were the captains of Battle of the Sexes one night on the boat! It started out as a little group of men and women playing, and exploded and filled the entire lounge. It was a blast - and the women won! (I don't know why they still gave Joe a medal haha). I was actually recognized later on in the cruise as the captain of Battle of the Sexes. I felt famous, and loved it haha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa5u-zE9PklZgCh8q6MNXUToeo_7l9gqGMvoz86UtAecmyjYKHnpvKy4f5cf7zeKXaBgGr3MOBvO1nTu68W41UnTg1bZOk2xtrdJ3LPvTj93Xe18eLUJIJdsIX7EX0FnY3cjghiLMOP8/s1600/10518988_10100159650720753_2573685415352751171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa5u-zE9PklZgCh8q6MNXUToeo_7l9gqGMvoz86UtAecmyjYKHnpvKy4f5cf7zeKXaBgGr3MOBvO1nTu68W41UnTg1bZOk2xtrdJ3LPvTj93Xe18eLUJIJdsIX7EX0FnY3cjghiLMOP8/s1600/10518988_10100159650720753_2573685415352751171_n.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eeek. Very unflattering light.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may or may not have worn my medal the rest of the night</td></tr>
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Finally, this trip made us big fans of Celebrity cruise line. Yes, their boats are smaller so there are less extravagances like water slides and superstar entertainment, but we still had a blast. And we preferred the more intimate atmosphere, as it was easy to navigate the boat and there weren't TONS of people. The cruisegoers were older, so it didn't have a party feel at all - which we definitely did not want. Plus there weren't a ton of kids. I love kids, but given that we wanted a more relaxing vacation and we are going to have kids of our own on vacations with us in the not-too-distant future, this was definitely a perk :) </div>
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Also, I mentioned this before, but Celebrity is known for having above-average cruise food. And we were really impressed. Of course it wasn't as good as a fancy restaurant on land, but for the number of people they have to cook for it was solid (at worst) to surprisingly good (at best). While they didn't stage a Broadway show or anything of that magnitude, the entertainment was also really solid. Every night there was a different main show and then they would usually have some kind of late-night entertainment. Usually these were game shows such as the Battle of the Sexes (that I won, remember haha), The Newlywed Game, and Family Feud. </div>
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We had SUCH a great time on this trip, and hope to take lots more cruises in the future :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-54477912954235164602014-09-23T16:12:00.001-04:002014-09-23T16:12:24.019-04:00Better Late Than Never - Cruise Part 1The morning of our cruise, Joe and I were so excited to get to the boat. While I've been on a few cruises before, Joe hasn't ever had the chance and so it was exciting to know that I'd get to experience his first cruise with him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moments after we stepped on the ship: FREE champagne in hand :)</td></tr>
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Because the staff needs to clean the rooms from the previous cruise, you can't just head to your cabin once you get on the ship. So Joe and I did the next best thing, we hit-up the buffet and took some pictures while we were still docked. It's hard to tell, but behind us in the picture below is New York City. We had a great view of the Statue of Liberty.<br />
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Once we got to our cabin, we laughed at how small it was and started unpacking. We couldn't believe how efficient the rooms were despite their size! There was a ton of storage - so much, in fact, that we had more than enough space for our luggage and its (many) contents. </div>
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We discussed signing-up for the unlimited booze package, but since we aren't in college anymore we didn't think our bodies could handle 7 days of hardcore drinking. Plus, we knew we'd be off the boat for 3 of the 6 full days and didn't know that we'd drink enough on the boat to make it worthwhile. We got lucky, though, and overheard a bartender tell a passenger that you can sign-up for the beverage packages with as few as 2 days left on the boat and only pay for those days. SCORE! Our plan was set, and we decided that we'd drink what we wanted the other days and have the unlimited booze to look forward to at the end of the trip.</div>
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That night, we went to dinner in the main dining room and attended the opening night performance which was a sampling of the various talent on the ship. There was singing, dancing, comedy, piano playing, etc. It definitely got us excited for what we were in store for the rest of the week! </div>
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The next two days (Monday and Tuesday) were spent "at sea" so there were a variety of activities to keep the cruise goers entertained. One of the activities that was most interesting was a Q&A about cruise dining and a tour of the kitchen. It sounds a little lame, but it was actually really interesting. During the Q&A we learned a ton about how they feed so many people, how they decide on menu items, where the chefs and waitstaff is from, etc. It was also really cool to see the kitchen. I couldn't believe how big it was!</div>
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Joe and I also liked playing progressive trivia, where there were three rounds of trivia done over three "at sea" days. The team that had the most points at the end of the cruise would win. Though we were only a team of two, we ended up getting third place on the boat! And that was behind teams as big as 6 people. Yes, we are THAT smart ;)</div>
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Wednesday we arrived in Bermuda bright and early! I'll write more on that next time :) </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-45372680227757571252014-09-07T17:10:00.002-04:002014-09-07T17:16:39.039-04:00Better Late Than Never - Brian's Visit to PhillyAnd now begins my <i>Better Late Than Never </i>series... which could also be called, <i>I Was Too Lazy This Summer to Bother Blogging</i>.<br />
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Summer fun started almost as soon as Joe's classes were finished for the year. Our cruise was booked for June 22nd, and we had asked my brother Brian to fly in and watch Buster while we were gone. Since I don't get to see Brian often, he came a week before our cruise so we could hang out.<br />
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The three of us (Brian especially) are really into history and politics. Joe had never been to Washington D.C. before and, with it being only 2(ish) hours away, it was a no-brainer that we'd go while Brian was visiting. We booked a hotel near the city so that we could spend Monday and Tuesday exploring the sites.<br />
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We spent the first day looking at the monuments and other D.C. landmarks. It was incredibly hot and humid... nearly unbearable. Plus I made a stupid shoe decision and my feet started hurting literally 10 minutes after we left the car. It was still fun, though :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to apply some bright red lipstick to distract from my sweat-drenched hair</td></tr>
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After we were all too exhausted to continue, we decided to head to the hotel. Upon arriving, we noticed that many of the rooms had balconies with rocking chairs. Leave it to Joe, he somehow charmed his way into a free room upgrade. SCORE! The guys were thrilled :)<br />
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We ate dinner at the hotel bar. The food was cheap and surprisingly good.<br />
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The next day we focused on the Smithsonian museums. Joe is a huge fan of aviation and space, so he was most excited for the Air & Space museum.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOfS1eWVhKaxS0TlYbMm4Y5_5c3OkeG1cFPicjvESd0wtwWzUkGBlZY_TTy4VaHH2io4WRTXEhArvWR7DHZTQxjzc7LkJz59ZRWx3oHaLehDqtdxazOg-ZCEWOJ8axcNX2Chni7aYfTs/s1600/IMG_9191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOfS1eWVhKaxS0TlYbMm4Y5_5c3OkeG1cFPicjvESd0wtwWzUkGBlZY_TTy4VaHH2io4WRTXEhArvWR7DHZTQxjzc7LkJz59ZRWx3oHaLehDqtdxazOg-ZCEWOJ8axcNX2Chni7aYfTs/s1600/IMG_9191.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, of course, the obligatory shot of Joe somewhere he is too tall for</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIYa36DuDrHsEGAUQGxMKQfQvwYfupDAcbT-3Ieu6LFqGYfDga9dzs955Edum-Ul2IY6C3HufuEWAUjXe_w0iopWsKKeoHeGY_GktJzdqwmtuQlDQ5-dr_sA5fkmEZIRbQggfhDnS7hg/s1600/IMG_9176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIYa36DuDrHsEGAUQGxMKQfQvwYfupDAcbT-3Ieu6LFqGYfDga9dzs955Edum-Ul2IY6C3HufuEWAUjXe_w0iopWsKKeoHeGY_GktJzdqwmtuQlDQ5-dr_sA5fkmEZIRbQggfhDnS7hg/s1600/IMG_9176.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was just thrilled to see Dorothy's ruby slippers</td></tr>
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After exploring the museums, we headed back to Philly and spent the next couple of days recuperating and playing <i>The Last of Us</i>. Actually, I should clarify. Brian played and Joe and I watched... we aren't that good at shooting video games. But it was a lot of fun to watch and to follow the story.<br />
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Thursday night, we had another fun thing on our docket. We were going to be trapped in a room with a zombie!<br />
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Yes, you heard me right :)<br />
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<a href="http://roomescapeadventures.com/">Trapped in a Room with a Zombie</a> is this cool attraction (for lack of a better word) where you have 60 minutes to solve a series of riddles and puzzles to escape a room. There is a "zombie" in the room attached to a chain, and every 5 minutes the chain releases a little bit so that the longer you are in the room the closer the zombie gets to you. If you get touched by the zombie, you are "eaten" and you have to sit out for the rest of the hour.<br />
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Although it was just the three of us in the room, Joe, Brian and I were optimistic that we could solve the puzzles. We realized pretty quick that we were in trouble. It was tough! Being a fan of scary stuff, I really didn't think the zombie would phase me. But I was desperate to not get "eaten." So much so that I actually pushed Brian in front of me at one point when the zombie got close.<br />
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Yes, I am a terrible sister.<br />
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Luckily he did not get "eaten."<br />
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In the end, we did not solve the puzzles and escape. They walked us through how to get out of the room once the hour was up, and we would have needed more people, more time, or clearer brains (we were all exhausted) to have had any hope of getting out of that room. But it was still a blast. I would LOVE to go again when they change the puzzles (which they are supposed to do soon).<br />
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Our last major event was the Philadelphia Comic Con on Friday. We were really excited to go because there were supposed to be several actors from <i>The Walking Dead </i>in attendance. Unfortunately the two we were most excited for (Daryl and Maggie) were slated to be there on Saturday, not Friday. Boo :(<br />
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Before we went to the convention center, though, we hit up Reading Terminal Market for some sandwiches from <a href="http://tommydinics.com/">DiNics</a>. While known for their pork sandwiches, their Italian beef brisket sandwich is one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. It's not pretty, but it is FABULOUS.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2dp3w0oRtekLBlniEZSDIb6k3WrGgpSC5DKmuG9-PryAXlCD__5bNknBRrt15je53lDm1fDjQi9w6RM4ojdNeyTEN2crkYfKy4sDBWjP_9OlfZZN0H4Aci5C47ir0vpGwGPZQGBc8DY/s1600/frameShareFile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2dp3w0oRtekLBlniEZSDIb6k3WrGgpSC5DKmuG9-PryAXlCD__5bNknBRrt15je53lDm1fDjQi9w6RM4ojdNeyTEN2crkYfKy4sDBWjP_9OlfZZN0H4Aci5C47ir0vpGwGPZQGBc8DY/s1600/frameShareFile.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MMMMMMMMMMM.....</td></tr>
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Comic Con ended up being fun, despite not seeing Daryl and Maggie. Lori, Shane and Herschel were there - so that was pretty sweet. I took a couple of sneaky pictures of Herschel, which is strictly against the rules so I won't post them ;) We didn't get any autographs or professional pics, because we are too cheap for that haha.<br />
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It was really cool to see all of the vendors, especially the artists. There were so many talented people! I ended up getting two T-shirts:<br />
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That's it for our adventures with Brian! Tune in next time for a re-cap of our cruise :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-68623301615123453892014-09-04T16:26:00.002-04:002014-09-04T16:26:53.696-04:00Back to School, Back to BloggingIt's almost been 3 months since I have blogged, and during that time Joe and I had a FABULOUS summer. I plan to share details of our adventures, but I'll save those stories for future posts :)<br />
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Last Monday Joe went back to school and it has been less of an adjustment than I expected. While I hate that he's gone for so long (he's already spending more time in class and lab than last year), I feel like I grew during D1 and I'm better able to entertain myself in his absence. I still hate it, of course. I definitely got spoiled with Joe-time this summer.<br />
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To keep busy, I am re-watching <i>The Walking Dead </i>in preparation for the season 5 premiere on October 12, crocheting, and reading book 1 of the <i>Game of Thrones</i> series. Oh! And I am in not one but TWO fantasy football leagues. Go Broncos! I've still been going to the gym... but let's just say that a cruise and 2+ weeks in Missouri set me back a little bit.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-89853315410877864202014-06-08T09:45:00.001-04:002014-06-08T09:45:59.071-04:00Our Summertime PlansAs of last Thursday, Joe officially finished his first year of dental school! I am so proud of all that he has accomplished this year and SO excited to have my husband school-free for the next 2+ months.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, technically it is here. But I couldn't resist a GoT reference. <br />Or that throne made of pool noodles.</td></tr>
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It still seems unreal that he has time on his hands. We went out to lunch and shopping on Friday, and both kept thinking that we needed to hurry home so he could get back to studying. After every meal we eat, show we watch, walk we take with Buster, etc., we both expect us to have to part ways (him to study, me to try to entertain myself until his next - brief - break). I'm not sure how long it will take for us to adjust to his new, totally free schedule, but it is such a great feeling every time we remember that he <i>doesn't</i> have any studying to do that I don't mind this adjustment period.</div>
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This summer will be his only sizable break from dental school during the entire 4 years. Next summer (between years 2 and 3) will be spent studying for his boards and in clinic. Once clinic starts, that is a year-round commitment until dental school is complete. </div>
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Knowing this, we want to take advantage of these next couple of months and have some exciting things to look forward to. My youngest brother, Brian, is coming to visit next Saturday. While he's here, the three of us will head to Washington D.C. for a couple of days. Joe has never been to D.C. and is a big history buff (especially U.S. and Presidential history), so he is really excited. Brian and I have both been twice, but never together. I'm sure we'll be spending lots of time looking at monuments and visiting museums. </div>
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The following Sunday (June 22) is our cruise! Brian will be staying at our place and taking care of Buster while we are gone. I am SO EXCITED for this cruise. Unless you count our road trip out to Philadelphia or trips to visit family, the last vacation Joe and I took together was our honeymoon 3 years ago. This is long overdue :) The cruise is a week long, and we will sail from New Jersey to Bermuda, dock there for 3 days, then sail back. I know that most cruises involve island- or city-hopping, but I actually like the idea of having a long period of time in one place. Most of the other cruises we looked at only docked for about 4 hours at each locale, which doesn't seem like nearly enough time. I've been on 3 cruises in my life (at ages 5, 9 and 22), so I know what to expect. Joe, on the other hand, has never stepped foot on a cruise ship, so it will be so much fun to get to experience his first time cruising together. </div>
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Just 13 days after we arrive home from the cruise, we will be heading to Missouri for a little over 2 weeks so we can visit Joe's family. We don't want to leave Buster again, so we will be driving and bringing the dog with us. It's about a 15 hour drive and Buster hates the car, so that should be really enjoyable. Despite the dreaded drive, I am so excited for this Missouri trip! I love Joe's family and when we visited during our road trip out to Philly last year, I was SUPER sick. Like, the sickest I have ever been (I had to sleep on his mom's recliner for 10 days because I would have extended coughing fits if I laid down at all). I felt so miserable that we ended up cutting our road trip short and heading straight to Philly after Missouri (with a couple of short detours) instead of driving through the south and then up the East Coast as planned. I feel like I didn't get to spend enough quality time with his family, so hopefully this trip can help make-up for that a bit.</div>
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After we return from Missouri, things slow-down a bit. All we have planned for August is to see <i>Book of Mormon</i> and to go to a Phillies vs. Cardinals game. </div>
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I know that I have been terrible at blogging lately, but I am hoping that all of these exciting adventures will give me something to write about :) Then again, maybe I won't want to waste a second of time that I could be spending with Joe. I guess we shall see...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-60107646973222225372014-05-27T17:30:00.001-04:002014-05-27T17:30:34.943-04:00I REACHED MY POINTS!Last week I finally did it: I hit 2500 points! (<a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-years-resolution-point-system.html">Click here</a> if you have no idea what I am talking about).<div>
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With such an awesome reward (new clothes for next month's cruise!), I was pretty excited when I finally racked up that 2500th point. To celebrate, Joe and I went out to lunch and spent much of last Saturday shopping. Unfortunately, I found nothing (how anti-climactic!), so when we got home I browsed Modcloth and put a large order in :) THAT was fun. </div>
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I'll be honest, I did cheat a little with my reward. I was at the point a few weeks ago where I knew for a fact I was going to hit my points by the cruise so I started buying some dresses on <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/">Modcloth</a>. I justified it because they were almost sold out of a few things I wanted, so I decided that if something was almost sold-out I could buy it early. Here are the dresses that I have so far for the cruise: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBfOcCsLtSD7Jsl9bIF1c8848dy0BIWzzAreRhAPwBwvNLMEk9v1O8YSopEDcZIyJHDuqPSbN_rA3SeewikztxEtyK6TCWgm6KQHtJ20ytx5lTiU3XvmV4wLSULV_d2gxt7ilbUnzoOc/s1600/dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBfOcCsLtSD7Jsl9bIF1c8848dy0BIWzzAreRhAPwBwvNLMEk9v1O8YSopEDcZIyJHDuqPSbN_rA3SeewikztxEtyK6TCWgm6KQHtJ20ytx5lTiU3XvmV4wLSULV_d2gxt7ilbUnzoOc/s1600/dresses.jpg" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to see which ones work out from the order I placed Saturday :) </div>
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Now that I have hit my point goal, however, I am in danger of not FITTING in these dresses. I didn't realize how awesome the points were at curbing my bad behaviors until I stopped tracking them. Suddenly I am once again the gluttonous, booze-addicted person that I was pre-January. </div>
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Not good.</div>
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And all the other things I earned points for? Totally slacking on those too. I haven't flossed in days (sorry Joe) and I haven't been taking my vitamins. Joe thinks I am rebelling since I had to be so good for so long (he's probably right), but with less than a month before the cruise I don't have time to rebel. I need to get back in the swing of exercise, healthy-eating, and taking care of myself in general. So, starting tomorrow, I am going to start logging points again. I just need to think of a new motivation :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-76530436917802838022014-05-26T09:21:00.000-04:002014-05-26T09:21:06.443-04:00Contact Paper CabinetIt looks like making my <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/05/giant-chalkboard-project.html">giant chalkboard </a>wasn't a fluke - I am finally back in craft-mode! Yesterday, I decided to work on improving a file cabinet that I got for free from a 2nd-year dental student.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** I really, truly cannot turn down anything free or super cheap. It has been painful to drive/walk through University City and see all the mattresses and furniture sitting on the curb as the Penn kids move out of their apartments. If it wasn't for our <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2013/06/wedding-anniversary-2.html">mattress debacle</a> last year, I am sure we'd have at least 2 or 3 new *treasures* in our apartment just waiting for a little TLC. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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I have had this cabinet sitting in our room since around Easter, and I knew that I wanted to cover it with cute contact paper. I still remember my mom covering a cabinet in contact paper for my room when I was a little kid, so I knew that I should be able to make it work. And, unlike the late-1980s, there are websites like Amazon with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Self-Adhesive-Shelf-Liner-Graphite/dp/B009SB49UY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401109543&sr=8-1&keywords=chevron+contact+paper">lots of cute options</a>. I, of course, had to go with a chevron print.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSsmDhSG2_g1sPReaAHrOCHXhI1hLayNFZ45ggskw_LBGVxotFfjNVlakrsq5sxZpdkKm8ldzkptBa38o6hfNK5frwB9V4ZK1Mr5BOxvp-1SZNe1a3j04J8w3amNSQLvImVbQK-ABEY8/s1600/Cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSsmDhSG2_g1sPReaAHrOCHXhI1hLayNFZ45ggskw_LBGVxotFfjNVlakrsq5sxZpdkKm8ldzkptBa38o6hfNK5frwB9V4ZK1Mr5BOxvp-1SZNe1a3j04J8w3amNSQLvImVbQK-ABEY8/s1600/Cabinet.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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I figure that with the light grey and white, this will be PERFECT in a nursery someday (no, I'm not pregnant). If we happen to have a boy, I can remove the pink Washi tape and replace it with yellow or blue. (One of the great parts about Washi tape is how simple it is to remove without messing up what is underneath it).<br />
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Speaking of which, the Washi tape was one of the things that made this cabinet project so easy! It was the exact size of the lip on the cabinet, and it was too hard to perfectly cover the lip with the contact paper. So, instead, I just cut the contact paper and tucked it over the side of the lip a little and then put the Washi tape on top of it. It covered the "icky" parts, saved me lots of time, and added a pop of color.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** Though you can buy Washi tape on Amazon, it's probably cheapest to buy individual rolls at a store like Staples or Target. The last time I was at Target, they had a whole little section with different Washi tapes. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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Another thing I realized was how much easier the contact paper went on if I sanded the cabinet first. I saved the top for last and it took a while to get the rest of the cabinet covered without air bubbles (the worst part about contact paper). When I tried covering the top, those grooves/scratches were really noticeable so I decided to sand down the top to make it more of a smooth surface. I couldn't believe how much easier it was to cover - MUCH less bubbling. Not sure why this is, but I'll definitely sand before any similar project in the future.<br />
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I'm having a lot of fun crafting lately, so hopefully I can come up with more projects soon :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-81710647228049313312014-05-22T17:57:00.000-04:002014-05-22T17:57:24.460-04:00Giant Chalkboard ProjectChalkboards are SOOOO in right now. Despite that (or maybe I am more of a sheep than I realize), I decided that I wanted to make a giant chalkboard for our apartment.<br />
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There are other crafts on my to-do list (I've had an unfinished cabinet and a can of paint ready to be put to use for the last year), but when a new idea strikes all older craft plans get bumped down on the list. (Joe is convinced that can of paint will never be used.)<br />
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I had planned on hitting up thrift stores to find a large picture that I could paint over, but we hit the motherlode when one of the dental school frats had to sell their frat house and the contents within. Among the various items up-for-grabs were some giant dry-erase boards.<br />
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JACKPOT!<br />
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For just $5 a piece, we bought three whiteboards of varying (large) sizes. I'm not sure what I'll do with the other 2 (I'll figure out something), but the biggest one I flipped over and took a can of chalk paint to.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomcZGnHYcLe-W7rP2a3IhzExmCIZZZhLuJWWj_JEDWhXeQY92UFzC5QwN89ivEr5pqOhRltstmBSpsB8fpl1C-gIB9WsmSO7Ubx9qLdORdA2IAWs1lCJHmAXeeENWmT7rqgeFGxvZV0E/s1600/IMG_9062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomcZGnHYcLe-W7rP2a3IhzExmCIZZZhLuJWWj_JEDWhXeQY92UFzC5QwN89ivEr5pqOhRltstmBSpsB8fpl1C-gIB9WsmSO7Ubx9qLdORdA2IAWs1lCJHmAXeeENWmT7rqgeFGxvZV0E/s1600/IMG_9062.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to remove a sticker with some nail polish remover (hence the discolored spot)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmde7sLRXjOPFVymWSi7q3S8IBHxDi4xyynuLq8eMHA-voTitdJEPtca1jkQoohxlJdxgcjdoIr4s1x8KWUlz7tPINkIxlR85yiaU7Kodi2g_vZwaQe-VaxcGgn4-bDRtokLQ6ksbeBA/s1600/IMG_9066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmde7sLRXjOPFVymWSi7q3S8IBHxDi4xyynuLq8eMHA-voTitdJEPtca1jkQoohxlJdxgcjdoIr4s1x8KWUlz7tPINkIxlR85yiaU7Kodi2g_vZwaQe-VaxcGgn4-bDRtokLQ6ksbeBA/s1600/IMG_9066.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-206540-Chalkboard-Brush-On-30-Ounce/dp/B0006BAEI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400795334&sr=8-1&keywords=rust+oleum+chalk+paint">Pretty pleased with this chalkboard paint</a></td></tr>
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It only took two coats of paint:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-0JmpF_SFPEhMWXCOH5B-goDpi46gtB07zocmB2wJsABsXOqje0CbpVHOUI_V-5h8L4Ajmc8NcAelA-xF1p-oha3f2j4OC5O3dXL8zQi3RlkYSOk6_lHveWytTTdN26GRJFqClauku4/s1600/IMG_9067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-0JmpF_SFPEhMWXCOH5B-goDpi46gtB07zocmB2wJsABsXOqje0CbpVHOUI_V-5h8L4Ajmc8NcAelA-xF1p-oha3f2j4OC5O3dXL8zQi3RlkYSOk6_lHveWytTTdN26GRJFqClauku4/s1600/IMG_9067.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coat 1 </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2f1aR_2bgNfGfYDzGzOz5Lgs7ARHRoAyOumho-peeFKIaa4kDAAI3bs9PIOp0u6as65u0dpyUl01xTpOty0Dcz-aFXIsVVTXU3a7ju-0tGpTO7JnWhMvzkeNMrrHIa_sIE5z_gqLxx8/s1600/IMG_9069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2f1aR_2bgNfGfYDzGzOz5Lgs7ARHRoAyOumho-peeFKIaa4kDAAI3bs9PIOp0u6as65u0dpyUl01xTpOty0Dcz-aFXIsVVTXU3a7ju-0tGpTO7JnWhMvzkeNMrrHIa_sIE5z_gqLxx8/s1600/IMG_9069.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coat 2</td></tr>
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It's not <i>perfect</i> (which annoys me) because you can sort of see brush strokes. But because my arms weren't long enough to get the roller to go down in one straight shot, I figured it would still be a problem whether I did 2 or 20 coats (maybe not, I know nothing about painting). For that reason and in the interest of conserving the chalk paint for another (currently undetermined) project, I decided to stick with just the 2 coats.<br />
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I was so excited to start drawing, but finished reading the instructions and realized I had to wait THREE WHOLE DAYS to write on it.<br />
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THE SUSPENSE ALMOST KILLED ME.<br />
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But Joe helped me hang the chalkboard today and I was able to test it out :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeHCKl-Qypr2e2CLuz_sGf-kLernqpOOyTsU0i229k-skxvG8j80qIQcJB7u1mRuq7mpWsnG2u-07TTFGcIRTJFqT1x8-9YVWw_T1bGzyBeN-NhcTb82TTku6omR7WrNYN_An88en8_g/s1600/IMG_9112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeHCKl-Qypr2e2CLuz_sGf-kLernqpOOyTsU0i229k-skxvG8j80qIQcJB7u1mRuq7mpWsnG2u-07TTFGcIRTJFqT1x8-9YVWw_T1bGzyBeN-NhcTb82TTku6omR7WrNYN_An88en8_g/s1600/IMG_9112.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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SOOOOO LOVE THIS. I couldn't believe how easy it was :)<br />
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It's also inspired me to do some more crafts, so maybe I'll finally put that can of paint to use :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-32873712854340606522014-05-21T11:45:00.000-04:002014-05-21T14:21:50.832-04:00Happy Birthday Joe!Yesterday, Joe turned 30-years-old. I took it a lot harder than he did. After all, Joe is the level-headed one in our marriage and I am the <strike>slightly</strike> dramatic one.<br />
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As a Christmas Eve baby, I tend to go a bit Birthday crazy. My parents always took painstaking measures to make my Birthday as special as possible so I wouldn't feel gypped, and I think that led to me thinking that Birthday boys and girls <b><u>must</u></b> be treated like kings and queen.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** One symptom of this craziness is capitalizing the word 'Birthday' because I think it is deserving of the honor. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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When you combine my case of Christmas Eve Baby Syndrome and the huge milestone Joe was celebrating, it should come as no surprise that I went a <strike>little</strike> overboard this year.<br />
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We started off the festivities on Sunday night by going out to dinner at a fancy steakhouse. I chose the place because they have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak_au_poivre">steak au poivre</a> (which Joe and I LOVE) and a swanky atmosphere with art deco decor, mahogany walls and lots of maritime art (thanks to our upcoming cruise, I'm into anything sea-related right now).<br />
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Dinner was DELICIOUS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR1WpUddkYccTgG13YkIYirFpJkY2B8PVEYyxZecrcaGtXtoKjqatM5RlPgiR-EqupNmlYVhI9S_escP86Qw0V5xC8RSCELLiEoat2C66zMEO-yr_zbwdb3SSaKlmWyQTrN-D6TIohI0/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR1WpUddkYccTgG13YkIYirFpJkY2B8PVEYyxZecrcaGtXtoKjqatM5RlPgiR-EqupNmlYVhI9S_escP86Qw0V5xC8RSCELLiEoat2C66zMEO-yr_zbwdb3SSaKlmWyQTrN-D6TIohI0/s1600/photo-8.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I also used it as an opportunity to give him his first present: tickets to <i>Book of Mormon, </i>which is coming to Philadelphia later this summer. Joe is a big <i>South Park</i> fan (as am I), and has been talking for a long time about wanting to see this play. The tickets were stupid expensive, especially since I decided to spring for Orchestra seats, so I did extra work to pay them off (I am so grateful to have that ability with my freelance job!).<br />
<br />
<i>***Side Note*** Joe and I always get nosebleed seats, but when we saw </i>Phantom of the Opera<i> Joe had a hard time following the story because he couldn't tell the Phantom and Raoul apart. Yes, I understand this should be impossible because the Phantom wears a mask, but that's how far away we were sitting. It was honestly hard to see he had a mask on, made more difficult by the fact that the actor playing the Phantom was kind of pasty. </i><i>***End of Side Note***</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It was an excellent night, and a perfect start to Joe's Birthday festivities.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, Joe awoke to a decorated living room and a wife willing to drive to McDonald's to get him a breakfast sandwich (I got a diet coke out of the deal, so I was happy). Joe decided the night before that he wanted to do presents in the morning before class, so we started with gifts that family and friends mailed to us and then I brought him a bag of gifts from me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYofn3M2K60HN97qJ8b_xFI_tTjNzpKUbYshetrJuvs0Sl9H2CMKrI93uR_mdVuFBW0wDUBhVgrBJDXaKwkIMQkUmZu2P-udCWN4Q2XMUk4j3JU-0qUU3labr6GDD-BQPYoZv2gccKhE/s1600/photo+1-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYofn3M2K60HN97qJ8b_xFI_tTjNzpKUbYshetrJuvs0Sl9H2CMKrI93uR_mdVuFBW0wDUBhVgrBJDXaKwkIMQkUmZu2P-udCWN4Q2XMUk4j3JU-0qUU3labr6GDD-BQPYoZv2gccKhE/s1600/photo+1-3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He got spoiled with some awesome gifts, like Phillies vs. Cardinals tickets from Stacey. Buster thought all the gifts were for him, so he stuck close to Joe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Joe didn't want a party for his Birthday, so I wanted to try to figure out something special to do in honor of him turning the big 3-0. Thanks to some internet inspiration, I decided to buy him 30 presents. Though a pricey endeavor, I figured I was saving a lot of money by not throwing a party and I could do most of the shopping at Dollar Tree, Ross and other discount stores.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6P39oKh4okLZrZw5kkULbXN0acQjAgwKiFx8RH8L5klekI4BR0E0jTDYUtml_G3AVLVJmAwWhYVnElSS5AP-POKSCs30dpETMa7LMtEwn9gwy9vsgh7oCv-kdsOSm21hiKPxIiJqhuM/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6P39oKh4okLZrZw5kkULbXN0acQjAgwKiFx8RH8L5klekI4BR0E0jTDYUtml_G3AVLVJmAwWhYVnElSS5AP-POKSCs30dpETMa7LMtEwn9gwy9vsgh7oCv-kdsOSm21hiKPxIiJqhuM/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's what he wound-up with:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Play tickets (not pictured)</li>
<li>$10 Kindle gift card for a book he's been wanting</li>
<li>Used PS3 game from GameStop</li>
<li>See Above</li>
<li>See Above</li>
<li>See Above</li>
<li>Tie</li>
<li>Cards Against Humanity</li>
<li>Joystick </li>
<li>Flight simulator game</li>
<li><i>Men in Black 3</i> (got this on Black Friday for like $3)</li>
<li>Heisenberg magnet</li>
<li>Earbuds</li>
<li>Portable ping pong set</li>
<li><i>Walking Dead</i> puzzle</li>
<li>Book with stats about 30-year-olds</li>
<li>Pack of his favorite pens (that I always steal)</li>
<li>Card game</li>
<li>Reeses Pieces</li>
<li>Gummy Worms</li>
<li>Gummy Bears</li>
<li>Big League Chew gum</li>
<li>Eclipse gum pack</li>
<li>Dan Brown book</li>
<li>Fun dress socks</li>
<li>Checkers</li>
<li>Board game </li>
<li>Gadget to amplify his iPhone speaker</li>
<li><i>Seinfeld-</i>related t-shirt</li>
<li>Philadelphia-related t-shirt</li>
</ol>
<br />
I was a little worried he would think 30 presents was overkill (he's very frugal), but he actually loved the idea and had a ton of fun opening his presents. If you can swing it, it's a great idea for a milestone birthday like this.<br />
<br />
After presents, he had to get ready for class at 10. I met him on his lunch break and we went to Chipotle for lunch. That man loves him some Chipotle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMgIVmMXxp4YI4SV_SVqyMkx_lNzKFELT9HYh7koXAXkY2JCF21oQP_Qzrhd5VmtB8D_9cfEtTU4hd5X2ea4n9aTu_eOw1jEEUxeeyZH8s3Zm9nvfPtlgzNUj_ze7maVKRPvoDC3J16U/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMgIVmMXxp4YI4SV_SVqyMkx_lNzKFELT9HYh7koXAXkY2JCF21oQP_Qzrhd5VmtB8D_9cfEtTU4hd5X2ea4n9aTu_eOw1jEEUxeeyZH8s3Zm9nvfPtlgzNUj_ze7maVKRPvoDC3J16U/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
He had to go back to class for an hour (yay for not having <i>too</i> much class on his Birthday!), so I stayed on campus and did some work while I waited for him to be done. On our way home, we stopped by an arcade that he's been wanting to go to ever since we moved here almost a year ago.<br />
<br />
We had SO MUCH FUN and Joe got a couple of big-ticket wins. We'll definitely have to go back more often, especially since it's across the street from the dental school.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN18qQux9TRuuxvxESJHDjXmUrY2-ukOcpmYwzEh39RtCIURqq0DeKiPVeCg1g1JP1bEutjoPOzubmAoJKkoJcnkWRRU2acUn0Kdr39r76SXbzwjrdbkf_ilmnfxjCkQAHhdZZ_3idaxA/s1600/Arcade+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN18qQux9TRuuxvxESJHDjXmUrY2-ukOcpmYwzEh39RtCIURqq0DeKiPVeCg1g1JP1bEutjoPOzubmAoJKkoJcnkWRRU2acUn0Kdr39r76SXbzwjrdbkf_ilmnfxjCkQAHhdZZ_3idaxA/s1600/Arcade+Collage.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After the arcade, we ate cake and ice cream (because 30-year-olds don't have to wait until after dinner). Joe then installed his flight simulator game and I did some more work. For dinner, we had pizza from Papa John's and WAAAYYYY too much wine.<br />
<br />
It was a great end to a great day :)<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-59854144136856408102014-05-12T20:14:00.001-04:002014-05-12T20:14:57.863-04:00Bye Bye ScaleOh what a tease I am. I mention in my last post that I am a few days away from my monthly weigh-in, and then I don't bother to blog until a week <i>after</i> said weigh-in day. I am sure you are all <i>dying</i> from the anticipation ;)<br />
<br />
Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I only lost 0.6 pounds.<br />
<br />
Yup. You read that right. After a MONTH of busting my butt in the gym and being <i>very </i>careful with food and alcohol (I honestly don't think I have ever worked so hard to lose weight in my life), I didn't even lose a whole pound.<br />
<br />
I was livid.<br />
<br />
Until my trainer measured me.<br />
<br />
Then I found out I lost a TONNNNNN of inches. FIFTEEN to be exact. Here's the breakdown:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILwy7RCIGKlSgP5zdNg9hNkXznFuIIJtOWSxgIq2GXDAmKFHMF67vWmPVqRBBl517qShltssL5CFyQTL2eCjiOc-smTxNvoLGnlPJBMSYnOGS47gqbAA_sUHE_OcwZoI1FKztmn5sD4g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-12+at+7.49.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILwy7RCIGKlSgP5zdNg9hNkXznFuIIJtOWSxgIq2GXDAmKFHMF67vWmPVqRBBl517qShltssL5CFyQTL2eCjiOc-smTxNvoLGnlPJBMSYnOGS47gqbAA_sUHE_OcwZoI1FKztmn5sD4g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-12+at+7.49.55+PM.png" height="165" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Not too shabby for four weeks :)<br />
<br />
The measurements helped calm me down A LOT, but I can't stop thinking about the scale. My pride at getting such amazing results is constantly tempered because every time I think about the inches lost or put on an article of clothing that is looser, my brain snaps me back to that moment when I stepped on the scale and it read 195. How unfair is that when I worked so hard and EARNED the right to be proud of myself?<br />
<br />
So I'm done. I don't care what the scale says anymore. I want to lose weight because I want to look better and I want to get stronger. People don't see my weight tattooed to my forehead when I walk down the street, they see what I physically look like. And I am kicking butt in the gym, getting stronger every single time I train.<br />
<br />
I'm sure I'll eventually weigh myself again, but for now I don't want anything to do with the scale.<br />
<br />
Instead, I'll just keep flexing in the mirror (my new favorite pastime) and reminding myself of this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiQLomEickzG3-pBZNuwh6P598goKDdulaQ0ACba7O5MqWerCVjPVtHcV5BuP0vQlT_JLbKnyugbrRgCPb8UWFbzS3ZmTaQBxF5v11WiRFnlYhmXWGyydcftBAGKnx_U1DCd503BdcHo/s1600/fat-vs-muscle-burn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiQLomEickzG3-pBZNuwh6P598goKDdulaQ0ACba7O5MqWerCVjPVtHcV5BuP0vQlT_JLbKnyugbrRgCPb8UWFbzS3ZmTaQBxF5v11WiRFnlYhmXWGyydcftBAGKnx_U1DCd503BdcHo/s1600/fat-vs-muscle-burn.jpg" height="246" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://bodyconsciousnessblog.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-25001044577867543762014-04-29T13:03:00.000-04:002014-04-29T13:44:21.797-04:002000 Points!For those of you newer to the blog, you may not know that at the beginning of the year I created a point system for myself to help keep me accountable with my health. You can read the whole post <a href="http://www.dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-years-resolution-point-system.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The gist is that I would reward myself points for making healthy choices (exercise, drinking water, taking vitamins, flossing, etc.) and I would lose points for making unhealthy choices (drinking booze, eating sweets, etc.). In the past I have done point systems and they have helped keep me accountable, so I figured I would try it again.<br />
<br />
There have been some tweaks here and there, but I finally arrived on 2500 as the final number of points I needed to earn my reward: new clothes for our cruise in June! I'm excited to say that as of today, I have surpassed the 2000 point mark and am less than 500 points away from a shopping spree!!!<br />
<br />
Honestly, I wouldn't be where I am today without my trainer. As helpful as the point system can be, I was getting pretty lazy in the weeks leading up to taking the plunge and signing up for personal training. Not only that, but even if I had somehow motivated myself to exercise for points, there is no way I would be as strong as I am now... or have some of the muscle tone that is developing (and making me do double-takes in the mirror). She is amazing - and training is one of the best investments I have ever made in my life.<br />
<br />
The hardest part about having a trainer is that I had to promise her I would only weigh myself monthly. For someone as obsessed with the scale as me, that was rough. And it also means that I have no clue what I weigh right now. At last check, I was down 12 pounds since January 1, but that was 3 weeks ago. I'll have a better idea on Monday when I get to weigh myself again :)<br />
<br />
But even if I can't weigh myself, I see a difference in pictures:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bc7zI_bA8UWTi4n3q2P2zeB1TLP_YwzWyOvs_TilWyFNWjUA5diwewKgO9cKoOuBX9kNy7Kh4pNp3CnAaZ1BRs1_COXyxsbVWL1Io6Ee5LgBDarRJXK-PEglpo_SOq1znLpK3AQH7Xo/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bc7zI_bA8UWTi4n3q2P2zeB1TLP_YwzWyOvs_TilWyFNWjUA5diwewKgO9cKoOuBX9kNy7Kh4pNp3CnAaZ1BRs1_COXyxsbVWL1Io6Ee5LgBDarRJXK-PEglpo_SOq1znLpK3AQH7Xo/s1600/photo-7.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdTVrrKU_lvfQOFJkjlS2gKBZ9jh1BvklUTEbtAKgtXbtPRVbNxNhRq7nucYq3KEkYmYVJjbE89Rn2ffnkuM74IexWF8BEzKl-l8_WDrT_v8z7YV69Zu5ED4X5So7WGKa3vP7NGXElKk/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdTVrrKU_lvfQOFJkjlS2gKBZ9jh1BvklUTEbtAKgtXbtPRVbNxNhRq7nucYq3KEkYmYVJjbE89Rn2ffnkuM74IexWF8BEzKl-l8_WDrT_v8z7YV69Zu5ED4X5So7WGKa3vP7NGXElKk/s1600/photo-5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
These aren't the best comparison shots, but I didn't have many pre-point pictures where my whole face was visible. I realize looking back that I cut off part of my face in almost every single picture I have of myself. I was too embarrassed by how puffy it was getting and thought I could disguise my weight gain. Sad.<br />
<br />
Another difference I can see is with my strength. Every single time I train, I am able to do more and push harder than the previous session. One thing I am particularly proud of is that I'm almost ready to transition into "real" push-ups (as opposed to the push-ups where you are on your knees). I remember back to doing the 30 Day Shred and how I couldn't make it through 10 push-ups even on my knees. Now I can bust out 10 knee push-ups like nobody's business :)<br />
<br />
I am so proud of myself, and I can't wait for my shopping spree! I have a feeling that, unlike typical shopping days, this one won't involve me crying in the fitting room... unless I happen to cry tears of joy ;)<br />
<br />
Just 53 more days until we set sail! I can't wait to see how much more progress I can make.<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-43336334360414112182014-04-28T18:51:00.001-04:002014-04-28T18:51:39.998-04:00Nickelodeon Date Night!Woo hoo! We successfully completed another date.<br />
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This week's date was Nickelodeon night where we were tasked to watch all the classics.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** I realize that this is another date where I designed the night around sitting on the couch and eating. Is it any wonder I need a trainer? Just kidding (kind of). When I wrote these dates I tried to think of ones that wouldn't cost a lot of money since I planned for us to do one each week. Eating dinner made at home and watching TV is about as cheap as you can get. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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We figured if we were watching shows from our childhood, we should eat kiddie food. So dinosaur nuggets, tater tots and orange slices were on the menu:<br />
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And, like any children, we played with our food a little:<br />
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For dessert, Joe had the great idea to make pistachio pudding since it looks like slime (and if you've ever watched a Kids' Choice Awards, you know how much that station digs their slime). The pudding didn't turn out green enough, so I added a bit of food coloring and voilà :<br />
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As far as shows for the night, here was the line-up:<br />
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<i>Are You Afraid of the Dark?</i><br />
<i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i><br />
<i>What Would You Do?</i><br />
<i>Doug</i><br />
<i>Double Dare</i><br />
<i>All That</i><br />
<i>Hey Dude</i><br />
<i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i><br />
<i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i><br />
<i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i><br />
<i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i><br />
<i>Family Double Dare</i><br />
<i>Family Double Dare</i><br />
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If you couldn't tell, we decided that <i>Legends of the Hidden Temple</i> was our favorite... and we couldn't stop watching! I kept hoping a temple guard would get punched or a kid would pee his pants when a guard grabbed him. No luck on either count and I was bummed. (Does this make me a bad person?)<br />
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<i>Family Double Dare</i> was good too. We lucked out and saw an episode with DJ Tanner and Steve Urkel! They looked like babies! And it was hilarious to see what the fabulous 90's prizes were. I have a feeling our future children won't even be able to identify 1 out of 3 of them.<br />
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But it wasn't all good...<br />
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Honestly, I was SUPER disappointed with <i>Are You Afraid of the Dark? </i>(And not just because I guessed the "twist" a mile away...). It was super cheesy. The acting was terrible. The camerawork was even worse. I'd hazard a guess that every amateur video on YouTube is better produced than this show. Plus, it annoyed me that these children, *ahem* members of the Midnight Society, were allowed to go into a forest in the middle of the night and light a campfire. Where are their parents?!<i> </i>Where is Smokey Bear?!<br />
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I was also disappointed with <i>What Would You Do?</i>. Though we got to see Marc Summers slide down the pie slide, the rest of the episode was *meh.* Speaking of the pie slide, I don't understand why everyone pretends they don't want to go down it. Be real folks - you know you want to slide face first into some whipped cream. Who doesn't?!<br />
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<i>Hey Dude</i> wasn't much better. I LOVED that show as a kid, but Danny's "acting" was so awful that it distracted from the show. (I feel a little bad criticizing him because there are rumors the "actor" died of liver failure... but no one can confirm this because no real record exists of him after the show. I know, I am as shocked as you are that his "acting" career didn't take off.) Anyways, in this episode Ted and Brad challenged one another to a battle of the sexes (of course) and the boys and girls did a cook-off. The girls made tuna noodle casserole (WTH were they thinking?) but the judge was allergic to tuna. This forced them to choose another challenge. You know, because there is only one human being on that dude ranch who could judge. What? The only adult staffer (a.k.a. Lucy) doesn't have a refined enough palate to be your tuna noodle casserole back-up judge? At least Ted and Danny made cupcakes. <br />
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Alright - enough complaining about children's shows. I loved ALL Nick shows as a kid, and it was a blast to revisit them the other night with Joe :)<br />
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P.S. If you ask why <i>Salute Your Shorts</i> wasn't viewed, it's because my dad wouldn't let me watch the show as a kid. He thought the title was dirty. At 28 I agree with him, but I still maintain that the show was perfectly fine for youngsters.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-44207351892624811032014-04-24T21:33:00.001-04:002014-04-24T21:34:33.327-04:00200th Post... And Mexican Fiesta Date NightWhile I may have been a pretty pathetic blogger lately, on the whole I totally rock because I have officially made it to post 200!<br />
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Every time I hit one of these big milestones, I am shocked that I've kept up with this blog for so long. I'm not exactly the <i>best</i> at sticking with things, so the fact that I have hit "publish" 200 times is a pretty impressive feat for me. </div>
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Speaking of poor follow-through, <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2013/08/repli-kate-date-jars.html">my goal of doing a date a week</a> while Joe is in dental school hasn't been the most successful. So far he has been in school for 34 weeks and we've done a whopping 11 dates. For those of you who aren't math geniuses, that's a 32% success rate (don't worry - I'm not a math genius either. I used my favorite <a href="http://www.onlineconversion.com/percentcalc.htm">online conversion calculator</a>). </div>
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<i>***Side Note*** The closer Joe and I get to starting a family, the more I start viewing things in terms of how long pregnancy will be. The fact that Joe has been in school 34 weeks and pregnancy is 40 weeks is absolutely mortifying. That is a very, very long time to have another human being inside my body.... and to give up wine. ***End of Side Note***</i></div>
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<i>***Clarification Side Note*** No we are not starting a family soon. In fact, babymaking has been postponed. We chose a date, I accidentally spilled to several people (thanks, wine), and then we re-evaluated things. So when I say "closer to starting a family," the word "closer" only means one fewer day. You know, in the same way we are "closer" to death every day. Fun thought.***End of Clarification Side Note***</i></div>
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Anywhoo, we completed our eleventh date on Saturday night and it was a fun and relaxing one: a Mexican themed night! </div>
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Of course, that meant dressing up in clothes we might wear in Mexico plus a dinner consisting of tacos and margaritas. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7b9gKxSNLqWxQKsOs-A-xVVqjdSgYGfFW5hyphenhyphenDIy5qhYXhowVY65QFH8eXBY_cUY4HPMXYA8-HfsGJHJgnJR4bzRR9oQLQllY9ze9GhBXMiJM99uubs82KkJvfSZNurIoxvQgAhQG88eQ/s1600/IMG_9034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7b9gKxSNLqWxQKsOs-A-xVVqjdSgYGfFW5hyphenhyphenDIy5qhYXhowVY65QFH8eXBY_cUY4HPMXYA8-HfsGJHJgnJR4bzRR9oQLQllY9ze9GhBXMiJM99uubs82KkJvfSZNurIoxvQgAhQG88eQ/s1600/IMG_9034.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
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Joe thought it would be fun to put a Mexican blanket on the coffee table to make the room more festive. Buster has <i>never </i>gotten on the coffee table before, but apparently he figured that a table with a blanket on it is fair game to use as a chair:<br />
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While we ate, we wanted to watch a movie that takes place in Mexico. All we could think of was <i>Nacho Libre</i>, so we watched that (well, about half of it and I got bored and <strike>demanded</strike> requested <i>Game of Thrones</i> instead.)<br />
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I may not have liked the movie, but I do dig these adorable babies in <i>Nacho Libre</i> costumes :)</div>
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It was a fun night, and I am excited for this week's date! We've already drawn it, and it's an easy (but FUN!) one :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-81366570410975102592014-04-16T15:29:00.002-04:002014-04-16T15:30:48.696-04:00Stacey's Visit to PhillyIt's springtime in Philadelphia! (finally)<br />
<br />
I had forgotten how much I love this city thanks to the record-breaking snowfall that trapped me in our apartment for several months. But with Stacey visiting last week and the sun shining, I was able to re-visit some of my favorite places with one of my favorite people :)<br />
<br />
Stacey arrived last Wednesday night and we promptly hit up a cheesesteak joint with Joe. Tony Luke's is still our current favorite, but it's hard to complain about eating beef piled onto roll and covered with whiz and onions.<br />
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Upon returning home, we watched some <i>Full House</i> (of course) and were reminded again and again that Michelle Tanner is a spoiled brat.<br />
<br />
Seriously. Hate her.<br />
<br />
Michelle didn't really annoy me as a kid, but now I want to smack her butt and send her to her room for, well, ever. I feel for D.J. and Stephanie, as Michelle is the <i>clear</i> favorite of Danny, Jesse and Joey. Frankly, who cares what Joey thinks, but if I were in that house I'd be vying much harder for Uncle Jesse's attention.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoh15CAxhGSkg9AWjm2G8beZ0bHilwtkmh-bVDcNhM-AEoomYDDyolRTZbM1NVlsQxBJB0N6BEwztB7qq6NfEo78gu135EuzqCzsPO8a7Y52FbTQpXcbK4KRkouES_xA0gOdedG67qF0/s1600/uncle+jesse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoh15CAxhGSkg9AWjm2G8beZ0bHilwtkmh-bVDcNhM-AEoomYDDyolRTZbM1NVlsQxBJB0N6BEwztB7qq6NfEo78gu135EuzqCzsPO8a7Y52FbTQpXcbK4KRkouES_xA0gOdedG67qF0/s1600/uncle+jesse.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One constant and the biggest reason to watch Full House ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Plus, Michelle gets away with saying the most rude, smart-mouthed things ever. I can't imagine how much soap I would have ingested if I talked like her as a child. And the eye-rolling? I swear, if she rolls her eyes at an adult one more time I'll throw a shoe at my T.V. with the hope that it'll act like a voodoo doll and one (or both!) of the Olsen twins will get a swift kick.<br />
<br />
And don't get me started on how she is always lying and stealing things. And DEFINITELY don't get me started on her getting to be princess for the day in the Disney World episodes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNghElzzb_sI4wd-YC_AN3_rEgJX6eUEsaJlNh9ATcP-z5BtaHaE-uhHvzDycTTQMfhw8yh7Vnmqtjpxi0qSD6VMCpoe3rYFvC8vgkkGn8CQvFVuy5xScnpJK-T3JDgBAJrKgInluqZw/s1600/Screen-shot-2013-01-23-at-2.31.43-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNghElzzb_sI4wd-YC_AN3_rEgJX6eUEsaJlNh9ATcP-z5BtaHaE-uhHvzDycTTQMfhw8yh7Vnmqtjpxi0qSD6VMCpoe3rYFvC8vgkkGn8CQvFVuy5xScnpJK-T3JDgBAJrKgInluqZw/s1600/Screen-shot-2013-01-23-at-2.31.43-AM.png" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What happened before part 1 of that episode ended? Oh, that's right. Bratty Michelle didn't like being called out for her rude behavior and decided to run off. This led to everyone frantically looking for her and wasting valuable ride and turkey leg time. How RUDE! Of course *SPOILER ALERT* they found her.</td></tr>
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<br />
But I digress... ;)<br />
<br />
On Thursday, Stacey and I decided to head to Germantown for a little shopping. I discovered this area right outside Philadelphia when my parents visited for Christmas and knew that Stacey and I needed to visit when she came. We had some lunch and hit up some shops. I scored a great deal on a couple of purses and a nautical-themed scarf that will be perfect for our cruise :)<br />
<br />
Since quaint shops are just one side of the shopping coin, we also headed to a nearby mall for a little H&M, Charming Charlie's and LOFT action.<br />
<br />
Friday morning we worked out with my trainer and, because that wasn't enough sweating for one day, we decided to walk to Rittenhouse Square and do some more shopping. (Rittenhouse Square is a major shopping area in Philadephia and is a few miles from my apartment.) Though my feet got tired, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and it was great to walk, chat, and buy more stuff :)<br />
<br />
That night, we went to a restaurant called City Tavern. Although the original burnt down, the tavern was where historical figures like George Washington would drink and dine. The servers here wear historical garb and the menu includes old-fashioned recipes that the founding fathers enjoyed. Of course, I had to ask the busboy if the building was haunted. He and the waiter then went into a several minutes long historical overview of City Tavern - and it was AWESOME. As a history semi-buff I couldn't imagine a better ending to the meal, though they were both a little wish-washy on the presence of ghosts in the building :(<br />
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Saturday was our Reading Terminal Market day and I shared one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten with Stacey. Seriously - if you are a food fan (and, really, who isn't?), you MUST go to Reading Terminal Market if you visit Philadelphia. Grab a sandwich from DiNic's (I recommend the hand-cut beef brisket with sharp provolone) and finish up with an Amish donut for dessert :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUPGU3mIXOFy8tyYdB9K1hHU0lFBAO7P9v0kIGnLkGG1No3WC45BXfGJ3tO7I_139wlME9Jt-9QbJ12-sz2Yq-1wu8yfggHhO1mQT0VXT_0vOJXmeeJ7Z9l9jNqz8tJx14ziTtQ-UN1E/s1600/IMG_38261-1024x682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUPGU3mIXOFy8tyYdB9K1hHU0lFBAO7P9v0kIGnLkGG1No3WC45BXfGJ3tO7I_139wlME9Jt-9QbJ12-sz2Yq-1wu8yfggHhO1mQT0VXT_0vOJXmeeJ7Z9l9jNqz8tJx14ziTtQ-UN1E/s1600/IMG_38261-1024x682.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2014/02/21/5-things-philly-weekend/">Photo credit</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After Reading, we chilled out at home and watched <i>Tangled. </i>Well, Joe and Stacey watched and I dozed - shopping and eating had worn me out ;)<br />
<br />
That night, we went to a Phillies game. Honestly, I'm not a big baseball fan and the game was BORING, but it was still fun to hang out with Joe and Stacey. The weather was also nice, and I enjoyed soaking up the sun and fresh air. We ended up leaving a little early and watched some <i>Toddlers and Tiaras</i> when we got home. It's not a true visit with Stacey unless we watch a guilty pleasure TLC show.<br />
<br />
Sunday we did a little more shopping (this time with Joe!) and then we brought Stacey to the airport.<br />
<br />
Thus ended Stacey's visit to Philly - but I'm sure she'll be back soon :)<br />
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What didn't end is my marathon of <i>Full House</i> viewing. I've been watching it daily since she left, and my feeling on Michelle aren't changing in the slightest.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-14667955906381618112014-04-08T22:15:00.003-04:002014-04-08T22:20:15.942-04:00Weigh-In Day!Per my trainer's request, I've ceased my weekly weigh-ins and promised that I will only weigh myself every month or so. This is hard for me, as sometimes the difference between me saying "yes" or "no" to some fat-filled snack is knowing that I am weighing myself in the morning.<br />
<br />
I do have to say, it's been freeing to forget about the number for a while and to just focus on changing my diet and exercising more, but it also builds up the actual weigh-in because so much time has passed and a big number is expected (by me, at least).<br />
<br />
I last weighed myself about 3 weeks ago, and this morning I had the okay from my trainer to weigh-in so we could see where I am at. To be honest, I didn't expect much. This weekend was quite depressing as I tried on clothes that fit in the not-too-distant past but would barely (if that) zip now. I pictured my fat hanging over my Lucky Brand skinny jeans that I retired on the first leg of our road trip last year, but had served me faithfully in the months leading up to that trip. I know what I weighed then, and if the pants weren't fitting now I was undoubtedly going to be in for some bad news on the scale.<br />
<br />
Prepared for the worst, I didn't even bother bringing my cell phone into the bathroom so I could take a picture of the scale. But I wish I had, because when I stepped on it I saw 195.8 flash before my eyes.<br />
<br />
UNDER 200! SCOOOORRREEEEE!!!!!<br />
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And not <i>just</i> under 200 - almost halfway to the 180's!<br />
<br />
PLUS that means that I have lost a total of 12 pounds since January 1. I know that is <i>very</i> slow going, but it's a solid loss and I am thrilled to be back in onederland.<br />
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I still don't get the jeans thing. I KNOW these pants fit better when I was this weight before. But I seem to be losing from my face and limbs much more quickly than my middle (unlike previous weight-loss where it was almost like someone pricked me with a needle and I deflated all over like a balloon). This isn't a terrible thing, because when summer comes I can disguise a middle with a dress. And it won't be long before my tummy is forever shot thanks to pregnancy anyway. But I hate that I still only have one pair of jeans that fit.... and that those jeans are about to fall apart in certain places thanks to some good old fashioned thigh-rubbing.<br />
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I'm not going to dwell too much, though. After all, my trainer thinks it is realistic for me to lose about 2 pounds a week from now until the cruise. If that happens, I'll be around 175 for Bermuda! Frankly, if I can just be in the 170's as we pull out of the port, I'll be so happy!<br />
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Now I just have to focus on continuing to earn points so I can buy a new wardrobe for the cruise :)<br />
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I won't lie, I have <i>maybe</i> bought a dress (or two) that I am saving for the cruise. Hey - sometimes deals are too good to pass up ;) But I have promised myself that I can't wear them until the cruise and if I don't get all my points, I have to return them.<br />
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My bestie Stacey flies into Philly tomorrow for a few days, and I am sure that we'll be getting our shopping on (in addition to watching copious amounts of <i>Full House</i>). Though I hate to buy another pair at my current size, maybe I should try to find some in-betweener jeans. After all, I don't want a wardrobe malfunction.<br />
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And I am sure some of you are sick and tired of hearing about weight. Heck, I am sick and tired of talking about it. But life is pretty boring right now.<br />
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Can't wait for Stacey to come spice it up for the next 4 days :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-51960220610911899612014-03-29T14:29:00.000-04:002014-03-29T14:34:45.863-04:00Allow Me to Fill You In....It's been quite an absence - sorry about that!<br />
<br />
Here's what I've failed to fill you in on lately:<br />
<span id="goog_261303431"></span><span id="goog_261303432"></span><br />
<br />
<b>SPRING BREAK</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Going back to California for Spring Break was a lot of fun!<br />
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Joe joined me in California for the first 5 days of my 11 day va-cay. Since he was only in town for a handful of days, we had a pretty packed schedule because we wanted to visit as many friends and family as we could. It was so much fun to see all the familiar faces :)<br />
<br />
After he left, things slowed down and I spent most of my time either working or shopping with my mom. I was so strange to be away from him for almost a week - it's the longest we've been apart since we've been married - but I'm still going to try to make it home more often in the future. Since I can work from anywhere, I should take advantage of that.<br />
<br />
It was also fun to be home for two Sundays because I was able to watch two new episodes of <i>The Walking Dead</i> with my parents - who are obsessed (especially my Dad). My brother, Brian, was home for the first Sunday and is a big fan as well. He convinced me to read the comics, which I started a few days ago and am TOTALLY hooked on. They are incredibly twisted so, being me, I obviously can't get enough of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYUvr24wNAiGZc8m4kXIMI8sSbMFcfWkdgKOI28BYoYLbn2YHaiLUo4OMAHk-yvzR3bYVUBsE5nM2DcLdXoi0ziTeElyNonYXjNpXxXS8TiXOSwhGlYCJghbxH4CYlDAGdkSreus7sn0/s1600/Walking+Dead-+001-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYUvr24wNAiGZc8m4kXIMI8sSbMFcfWkdgKOI28BYoYLbn2YHaiLUo4OMAHk-yvzR3bYVUBsE5nM2DcLdXoi0ziTeElyNonYXjNpXxXS8TiXOSwhGlYCJghbxH4CYlDAGdkSreus7sn0/s1600/Walking+Dead-+001-002.jpg" height="307" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>***Side Note*** This is the first comic I've read, so I don't know if this is true for ALL comics, but I am SHOCKED at how many "adult situations" there are! Now I finally understand why some guys are totally obsessed with comic books ;) ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
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While I ate too much on my trip and only exercised a couple of times, I was still down 0.4 pounds when I returned... so I consider that a win. And that's after TWO visits to In N Out ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLfjOKWYPX6umZj5IT_76BmA8Y_JwW1ntV0_79eNNiN2niNJjZ8lDb9N3_Y_kskbS6H9IMezkTFmbdGTjRdxWKd8unxANdILzxXFNiMPjZoU-7QNY3HI90M3ydvtTPyY516OvDKA9aX8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+1.50.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLfjOKWYPX6umZj5IT_76BmA8Y_JwW1ntV0_79eNNiN2niNJjZ8lDb9N3_Y_kskbS6H9IMezkTFmbdGTjRdxWKd8unxANdILzxXFNiMPjZoU-7QNY3HI90M3ydvtTPyY516OvDKA9aX8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+1.50.19+PM.png" height="400" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, I HAD to <a href="http://instagram.com/katebrier">Instagram</a> my first meal there :) And, yes, I do eat a ridiculous amount of ketchup.</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>BUSTER'S BIRTHDAY</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
One downside of staying in California longer than Joe did was that I missed Buster's first birthday with us. He's four now, and his birthday was March 14. Not only did his mommy miss his special day, but the poor guy had to go to the vet for some shots!<br />
<br />
I made it up to him by bringing home some presents. He also got a special doggy cookie in the shape of a squirrel (he loves chasing them) and Joe made him some chicken and rice to eat.<br />
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I'm impressed - the dog knows how to open a present...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFRsK9Y0dBpbhMprOhQJBXDZPXbgCb1upreiRBU-B9p772wKcUEf16xDKcZ9J8pwP-xLTMhi5uyPy6tkNEaa9WgswvJVV8tXaXm4L6BG6SLsS3uBCOVVO6vLFGUCCsl5TyjktvCc4y3w/s1600/IMG_8996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFRsK9Y0dBpbhMprOhQJBXDZPXbgCb1upreiRBU-B9p772wKcUEf16xDKcZ9J8pwP-xLTMhi5uyPy6tkNEaa9WgswvJVV8tXaXm4L6BG6SLsS3uBCOVVO6vLFGUCCsl5TyjktvCc4y3w/s1600/IMG_8996.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IIRs1HUIttHprKIXlcDx5DbaofjZJ7CfOg1_qawfNJB-W7fDmvg6ZyEVoTdbnmGjYvWtqlizVFu-JTl3mR4cPIcLekXzi-erigFkdzkg9nDKzHtkiGNZz_qWPuvwrmBxE-39c-0_huw/s1600/IMG_8974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IIRs1HUIttHprKIXlcDx5DbaofjZJ7CfOg1_qawfNJB-W7fDmvg6ZyEVoTdbnmGjYvWtqlizVFu-JTl3mR4cPIcLekXzi-erigFkdzkg9nDKzHtkiGNZz_qWPuvwrmBxE-39c-0_huw/s1600/IMG_8974.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE this picture because he looks like he dropped his mouth in shock at his present. Really, he was just yawning - something he does approximately 15,324 times a day.</td></tr>
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<b>DENTAL SCHOOL</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The second semester of dental school has brought a shift for Joe. Instead of being in lecture all day learning science stuff, he's now doing more hands-on stuff! He's excited to finally roll his sleeves up. Not only is he assisting 3rd and 4th year students when they work on patients, but he is in lab doing things like making wax teeth and filling cavities on dummies.<br />
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Sometimes, he can bring stuff home. And then I get to take pictures :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab-KeaW8yymOGlfMka33204Q4MYsLED0uptuu-njyLU8VFFH58wwPvr904lc7giRhu7jVrF9AfOJ5-3kqojn4USrz5sGUiiuiZvbcDDZptL26DT20_4iSTNCrrkdI359LXM8ay8YAyxg/s1600/IMG_8938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab-KeaW8yymOGlfMka33204Q4MYsLED0uptuu-njyLU8VFFH58wwPvr904lc7giRhu7jVrF9AfOJ5-3kqojn4USrz5sGUiiuiZvbcDDZptL26DT20_4iSTNCrrkdI359LXM8ay8YAyxg/s1600/IMG_8938.JPG" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's carving a tooth out of wax for this project. I don't understand the point, but nearly every (if not all) dental schools require this. Some make you do the entire mouth! It's incredibly time consuming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VPfvIRE1BxaqE-3tWCl6rLSKWE6ySwuP2nQ-FFNCMEFVUt0uqRHYBuYZ9CwnTmdM_g2eHSlAXfDKWP0vtS-NpTrrvCcBdrZsdiMCl_CRAnsc9tqcNK-ib9GWby9X2h0xOc3K9VWnCrE/s1600/IMG_8919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VPfvIRE1BxaqE-3tWCl6rLSKWE6ySwuP2nQ-FFNCMEFVUt0uqRHYBuYZ9CwnTmdM_g2eHSlAXfDKWP0vtS-NpTrrvCcBdrZsdiMCl_CRAnsc9tqcNK-ib9GWby9X2h0xOc3K9VWnCrE/s1600/IMG_8919.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard at work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWwD7X7cO7zXJ2s74udDYitkc6hadwk7I3RXSOIwVtXfcKeHcfqjLfNLo-poOO5BDKC_U4fbr-YaGxevZjOi2CcD9BpugaMtTznip75M1rMgS2swsZRUrq-rQlL7lZ6FBLhzeaIstIqA/s1600/IMG_8941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWwD7X7cO7zXJ2s74udDYitkc6hadwk7I3RXSOIwVtXfcKeHcfqjLfNLo-poOO5BDKC_U4fbr-YaGxevZjOi2CcD9BpugaMtTznip75M1rMgS2swsZRUrq-rQlL7lZ6FBLhzeaIstIqA/s1600/IMG_8941.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But happy to be carving instead of having his head buried in a book.</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>TRAINING</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Upon returning to Philly, I've been really focused on eating right and hitting the gym hard with my trainer. Though I have been lazy and haven't made it to the gym on non-training days, three extreme workouts a week is definitely a step up from what I had been doing. I'm going to aim for 5 days a week next week (3 with the trainer, 2 cardio days) - which is what she wants me to do.<br />
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Although I am not a fan DURING training, I am LOVING that I made the decision to do this. I can tell that I am getting an incredible workout, and I am already seeing some arm definition that I haven't seen in FAR too long. I'm so dedicated that I've even starting drinking protein powder drinks after workouts to help build muscle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AQa6o0qhQam4wuw4LzHXA-S59YIwYajh7c6FohPh6zyRkYgD_PGjzQTTIQWf9PY7j17dO2dYx5pVsXxJvHeVxuWTtNB-7pRkSeTLuccG2rkkU0Ve5HGoxIsLTyu2VFPiMKsVo3QmaoU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+2.16.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AQa6o0qhQam4wuw4LzHXA-S59YIwYajh7c6FohPh6zyRkYgD_PGjzQTTIQWf9PY7j17dO2dYx5pVsXxJvHeVxuWTtNB-7pRkSeTLuccG2rkkU0Ve5HGoxIsLTyu2VFPiMKsVo3QmaoU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-29+at+2.16.05+PM.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my trainer! She knows how much to push to make me red-faced, sweaty and sore the next day <br />
- but not in a ton of pain.</td></tr>
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The only thing that really stinks is that she wants me to weigh myself just ONCE a month. This is going to be VERY difficult, and it also means that you'll have to say goodbye to Weigh-in Wednesdays, but I'm going to be a good trainee and listen to her.<br />
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Welp. That's really about it. Life has been crazy busy with work and training, and there haven't been too many exciting things going on. That said, I hate inconsistent bloggers, so I am going to try to up my game :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-36969151210897784782014-03-13T01:27:00.003-04:002014-03-13T01:27:50.322-04:00Spring Break 2014I always feel so guilty when I don't blog for a while. Generally the reason is because not much has happened, so saving my (few) readers a detailed play-by-play of the mundane goings-on of my life is actually a favor ;) But the past week has actually been BUSY. Which means I have things to report on, but no time to actually report.<br />
<br />
Last week I successfully completed two more training sessions (on Wednesday and Friday). I'm a fan of my trainer so far. She knows how far to push me without making me so sore that I can't sit on a toilet (which has happened before, and I pray never happens again. It's not pretty). The weight room was also far less crowded on Wednesday and Friday (hmmm... maybe men also subscribe to the whole "I'll start again on Monday" thing?), so it was much less embarrassing.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** Apologies to my parents for using the phrase "popped my weight room cherry" in my last post. Apparently they were horrified at my choice of descriptive language. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Joe and I left on Saturday afternoon for our Spring Break trip to California. It's been nearly a year since I've been home to visit my family, so I was super excited. What I was <i>not</i> excited about, though, was leaving my poor baby:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPme-kzLR6HtA_XNqvrXCLppsUxyxS_GPhJDWMKJaOWMZOCHnY7DGDFyEcEfbQg-TKSNCf-eLODPRuPKtWtYjK0ZkXwbkiQKHmV9ybpuSHk80JxCUuBbZsf6kKMQhkSbebyS7FEPSwL8/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPme-kzLR6HtA_XNqvrXCLppsUxyxS_GPhJDWMKJaOWMZOCHnY7DGDFyEcEfbQg-TKSNCf-eLODPRuPKtWtYjK0ZkXwbkiQKHmV9ybpuSHk80JxCUuBbZsf6kKMQhkSbebyS7FEPSwL8/s1600/photo.PNG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean - seriously - who could leave this adorable face?!</td></tr>
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Instead of boarding him at the vet (which is what we did the last, and only, time we left him), we hired another dental student to stay at our house and dog-sit Buster. It was actually comparably priced to boarding, and I hate the idea of putting a former shelter dog back in a shelter-like setting. Reports from Buster's sitter have been good so far - much less crying than we expected.<br />
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<i>***Side Note*** The lack of crying was on Buster's end, as I bawled before the sitter got to our house on Saturday. I am a legitimate crazy person. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
<br />
Coming home has been such a surreal experience. It certainly does NOT feel like we have been gone for a year, and it makes me realize how quickly dental school has been passing. This is definitely a good thing, as I am ready to ditch this chapter of our lives. While I like Philadelphia and am proud of all that Joe is doing, I miss living by family and I want to feel more like a grown-up and less like a college student. While it's Joe doing the studying, we live on a college student budget. The shopper in me cannot stand that ;)<br />
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Speaking of chapters in our life, I lately have developed an obsession: reading every single fertility / pregnancy book I can get my hands on. To be clear, we are not currently trying. After all, we have the unlimited booze package booked for our cruise, so that would just be crazy ;) Also, D2 (the second year of dental school) is the most difficult, so having a newborn during D2 would be pretty ambitious. But, I am nothing if not a planner, so I am devouring everything I can in prep for baby-making and baby-growing.<br />
<br />
To be honest, it is terrifying me.<br />
<br />
But I can't stop.<br />
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I really had no idea that pregnancy was so horrific. I knew you got fat. I knew your boobs ached. I knew morning sickness existed. Little did I know that these things barely scratch the surface of the ailments a poor pregnant lady must endure.<br />
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Of course, it will all be worth it.<br />
<br />
But WOW.<br />
<br />
While there is more to say about the trip, I am exhausted and now I feel a little sick thinking about my not-too-distant future. Time to get back to my latest pregnancy book and hope that this one is a bit more positive ;)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-87203835540007327132014-03-04T20:47:00.001-05:002014-03-04T20:50:42.540-05:00Sore TuesdayForget Fat Tuesday; today is Sore Tuesday.<br />
<br />
There was no way that after busting my butt in the gym yesterday I was going to overindulge today - despite the built-in excuse ;) I was actually surprised that I wasn't in more pain, because I legitimately thought there was a chance I was going to barf, pass out, or die during my first official workout yesterday. But none of the above happened, so I consider that a HUGE win.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I DID Jillian, I swear!</td></tr>
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<br />
I can't imagine how embarrassing it would have been if I <i>actually</i> puked or passed out. Heck, it was <i>already </i>an embarrassing experience because I had to train in the men's training area.<br />
<br />
<i>***Side Note*** By "men's training area,"I mean the co-ed free weight room that few women dare step foot in, either because they don't know what to do, are afraid of getting hit on, or don't want to "bulk up" (which is stupid, because weight-training is so important in slimming down). ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Instead of easing me into the "man zone," my trainer popped my weight room cherry by making me do lunges the entire length of the room and back. Twice.<br />
<br />
I was SO MORTIFIED.<br />
<br />
Not only have I just recently been re-taught <i>how</i> to lunge (I apparently forgot every single thing my trainer 5 years ago taught me), but my balance is terrible, and my endurance is pathetic.<br />
<br />
This led to me huffing and puffing down the length of the room and probably appearing half-drunk. All the men watched, of course.<br />
<br />
I WANTED TO DIE.<br />
<br />
I told myself then and am trying to tell myself now that maybe they admired my moxie? After all, I was obviously out of my comfort zone and I was pushing through. But they probably were thinking, "What is this chubby chick doing? I really hope she doesn't have a heart attack. I have more reps to do and a crew of EMTs would disrupt that."<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I get to go back and do the whole thing all over again. I am so not looking forward to it. But I keep browsing the internet for cruise clothes and I really, <i>really</i> want to feel more comfortable with my body before that trip. So I shall press on.<br />
<br />
Only 35 more sessions left ;)<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-47476919985057594292014-02-27T18:02:00.001-05:002014-02-27T18:09:04.797-05:00It's Official - I'm Going to Hate MyselfI did it! Yesterday I signed up for 36 pre-paid sessions with a trainer (3x a week for 3 months) and we did an assessment workout.<br />
<br />
My assessment is that I am going to HATE myself. I am really glad that I bit the bullet and made that commitment, but there are going to be MANY, MANY times when I will surely question my sanity for subjecting myself to this torture - especially 36 promised sessions of torture.<br />
<br />
I've already felt twinges of regret. They come, for example, every time I use the stairs and my butt feels like someone is going to town with a chisel on each cheek.<br />
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But, in the end, I'd rather hate myself for pushing myself than hate myself for being lazy and taking no action whatsoever.<br />
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I think it is pretty clear from my yo-yo dieting and constant vows of "I will improve" and "this time will be different," that I am currently incapable of committing to changing my body on my own. I'm furious at myself that my health and my desire to look better isn't motivation enough, but I clearly need something more.<br />
<br />
Maybe feeling accountable to my trainer will help give me the added push I need (after all, I <i>am</i> a people pleaser). Maybe knowing how disgusted I'd feel with myself if I wasted this money will do it. Maybe the very fact that I bet this large sum of money on myself will empower me and I'll switch into kick-butt mode.<br />
<br />
Whatever the case, I truly believe that I will be better off once these 36 sessions are complete. It's just up to me how <i>much</i> better off I'll be. And I know that I'll be mad at myself mid-workout when I am exhausted and in pain, but I know it'll be worth it.<br />
<br />
I may just have to avoid stairs as much as possible for the next 3 months. I wonder how Joe would feel about moving our bed downstairs to the living room ;)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00739264184801193476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537537703585182433.post-91098864532844476812014-02-26T10:07:00.000-05:002014-02-26T10:07:04.326-05:00Weigh-in WednesdayI am FINALLY the lowest I have been in 2014:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTnIFL7bNQiN6yzMMDhcI72dM_0r6aDUKcy2MXAWM9b7cTcFCQr9MND3NDLqI0aIQHYbjL7B01lOUumPow-wQOVlnV-2Y6VtQAGoCjx4s8qyzR5_gPH1HhrmuEVWVJnrpzc891_Kv9es/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTnIFL7bNQiN6yzMMDhcI72dM_0r6aDUKcy2MXAWM9b7cTcFCQr9MND3NDLqI0aIQHYbjL7B01lOUumPow-wQOVlnV-2Y6VtQAGoCjx4s8qyzR5_gPH1HhrmuEVWVJnrpzc891_Kv9es/s1600/photo-10.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's taken me nearly a month to make up for my two weeks of sloth and gluttony following my toe incident, but here I am :) In two months I am officially down 6.8 pounds.<br />
<br />
I have also made two big decisions with regards to my weight loss.<br />
<br />
The first decision was to rejigger my points and to make 2500 the goal before the cruise instead of 3000.<br />
<br />
<i>***Side Note*** For anyone new to the blog, <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-years-resolution-point-system.html">here's where</a> I explain my point system. The big prize I get for hitting my points is new clothes for our <a href="http://dentalschoolwife.blogspot.com/2014/02/our-cruise-is-booked.html">June cruise</a>. ***End of Side Note***</i><br />
<br />
I feel a little like I've cheated, but there is ZERO way that I was going to be able to attain the 3000 points. So it's either abandon the points all together, or re-evaluate them. Afraid that I was justifying something that shouldn't be justified (after all, this WAS an attainable goal when I first set it), I talked to Joe. He pointed out that Paparazzi has been taking up such a HUGE amount of time, that when I predicted my point-earning ability per day I had no idea that I was essentially going to be working a full time AND and half time job. There are also things that I've dropped earning points for (like going to church, since I felt wrong giving myself points for that), and I didn't adjust my original goal to reflect those changes.<br />
<br />
So 2500 points it is - and according to Joe I am NOT allowed to change this again. No new clothes if I don't hit it. Given that I've been doing some online perusing of cute outfits lately, I refuse to let that happen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OpjLI8NpUsb2wZtiNpKaxBe62QKfOJD8mfFZvMz6syYfZDQiU65NAIg5lAbVvLPtdCmXkLl0qJwoDXbXojSZN2sQkO0osV7WblTkst3pkSKp_mkbJBOPBJOa-bPJIVBOyYLAPTaELqo/s1600/Fotor022693811.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OpjLI8NpUsb2wZtiNpKaxBe62QKfOJD8mfFZvMz6syYfZDQiU65NAIg5lAbVvLPtdCmXkLl0qJwoDXbXojSZN2sQkO0osV7WblTkst3pkSKp_mkbJBOPBJOa-bPJIVBOyYLAPTaELqo/s1600/Fotor022693811.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a little inspiration courtesy of ModCloth.</td></tr>
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<div>
Also, since I shouldn't be let <i>entirely</i> off the hook, I've eliminated my mini-rewards. I figure a new cruise wardrobe is motivation (and expensive) enough, and it's not fair that I get everything I promised myself when I haven't fully committed myself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My other big change is that I have decided to hire a personal trainer. I had a trainer for several months about 5 years ago, and it really kept me consistent with going to the gym. I couldn't just back out because I didn't feel like going. I was also able to push myself a lot more, especially with weights, because I trusted he knew that what he was asking me to do was possible.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yesterday while I was half-assedly using the elliptical machine and thinking of all the cute clothes I wanted to buy for the cruise, I realized that even if I earn the points to get the clothes - who says I'll actually look good in them. To-date, I've earned nearly 1000 points and lost 6.8 pounds. With only 1500 more points to go, if I lose at the same rate I won't even hit a total of 20 pounds lost before the cruise. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not cool.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My ability to hire a trainer is twofold:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
a.) Trainers are surprisingly cheap in Philly. The cost is about half of what it would have been to have a trainer in San Francisco.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
b.) My job pays based on output and I am able to work as much as I want. This means I have the unique opportunity to "pay" for extras just by working extra hours. While it stinks to increase my workload even more, I feel like I would be a fool to turn down what I am viewing as free training (since our monthly income vs. expenses will work out to the same thing). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So today I go in for my free consultation (30 minutes of goal-planning, 30 minute training session) and I'm going to just bite the bullet and officially sign up.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I planned to wait until after I got back from California to start training, but the last thing I want is to go into vacation-mode early and start eating bad in anticipation of the fact that I won't be eating the best while I am there (I ALWAYS do that). Plus, knowing I have someone who I will be accountable to when I return may mean that I am able to be more disciplined while I am gone. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wish me luck! I am sure to need it today.</div>
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