Whoa..oh..aoh..aahoh..OH!

So, last night I ended at 14 glasses of H20- I had to stop an hour before going to the gym or else my trainer would have yelled at me for potty breaks every 4 minutes. Man, I was whiny yesterday at the gym- the workout was HARD! I even pulled out my “Doreen” voice (from mad tv’s stuart skit?) and started going, “whoa-oh ah oh oh OH! NO MORE SUGAR!” I guess if you have no idea what I’m talking about, then that won’t be as funny to you! Ha ha!

This morning, I’m starting strong with 3 glasses down by 9am. Now it’s 10, so I’m working on #4. My trainer wants me to enroll in this 8 week competition that the gym is sponsoring- there’s a bunch of categories: weight lifting, pull-ups, running, push-ups, and weight loss. He really thinks I can win the weight loss because it’s percentage, and I’ve been losing about 2lbs a week already. The prizes are cash AND 12 trainer sessions (which is like $1200 right there!) so it’d be pretty sweet to win it. I’d have to intensify my cardio and go hardcore protein diet. Plus, he would probably have me do cardio in the morning before work AND then my regular session at night- AGHHHH!!! Can I do it?

On another note, I’m super excited that I figured out a new feature on my iPhone- if you’re listening to music, and a call comes in, you can tap on this little box on the headphones to accept the call. There’s a built in mic on the headphone cords, and you can start talking just like that! It’s pretty cool- the music fades down, and then you hear the phone ringing. To answer, tap the headphone cord once- to decline the call, tap twice. You can also put people on hold just by tapping. When the call is over, you tap again to hang up, and then the music resumes right where you left off! Also, if you want to skip ahead to the next song, or pause the music, you just tap the headphones! I didn’t even know the headphones were different than the regular iPod phones! Crazy!

Question for you technical peeps- does it really matter if you put the “L” phone in the left ear and the “R” one in the right ear?

H2 OHHHHH

Hello and welcome to my 2 gallon water challenge day! I am in a competition against Carmen and Elizabeth at work to drink 2 gallons of water today. 2 gallons of water equals 256 ounces, which is 16 x 16 ounce glasses. It is now 12noon and I am on glass #6- 10 more glasses to go! Urgghh… I’m trying to get it all in before 4pm because I have a session with my trainer at 6, and I’m sure I’ll puke if my stomach is full of water like this. Normally, I try to drink 8- 16 oz glasses a day, which is 1 gallon. 2 gallons is going to be pretty ridiculous.

Carmen said that on celebrity fit club last night, Tina lost 11 pounds in a week by drinking 2 gallons of water a day. We’re putting this to the test, and seeing if that’s actually possible. I’ll keep updating you as the day goes on…


Update:

It is now 3pm, and I am on glass number 9 of 16. I have been the bathroom about 8 times- it's a little annoying. I wanted to finish all 16 glasses by 4pm so that I'd have 2 hrs to recover before puking my guts out at when my trainer mercilessly beats me into submission at 6pm, but I'm not sure that's gonna happen. Can I really drink 7 more glasses in 40 minutes? I think I'll drown. Ok, new goal- drink 14 glasses and then 2 more glasses after my workout. The water is literally sloshing around my stomach when I walk- it's ridiculous!

Update:

It’s 4:17 pm and I’m on glass #10. My stomach hurts and I wish I’d worn elastic waistband pants because everytime I sit down, I feel like I have to pee again! This is HARD! I think I have to quit at 10 because otherwise, I won’t be able to make it through my workout without running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. That would be super annoying! I will try to get the other 6 in after the gym. Hopefully the subways will be running smoothly; I’d hate to get stranded with a bladder holding 48oz of water! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Top 'o the muffin to ya

Why don't they make the muffin PAPER edible, with different flavors?

The Paparazzi even stalk me at WORK!!

I said NO PICTURES, Elizabeth!! Please, I just want privacy, just like everyone else!

Guy who didn't duck!

Right in the FACE!!! OWWWW!!!

You think your job sucks?

British humor at its' best!

I want bitty!

Watch OUT!

This is a COW (female) moose who is estimated to weigh about 800lbs. They are tranquilizing her to tag and monitor her for moose migration and conservation research. 800LBS! Now do you understand why I'm so afraid of moose? I sent this picture to my dad, and he said that a BULL moose (male) can get up to 1600lbs. These things are the elephants of North America! :)

Secret Tips for 30 minute house cleaning... CARMINE APPROVED!!

You're getting company in 30 minutes. Your house is a mess.

What Will You Do?

Secret Tip 1: Door Locks
If a room clearly can't be whipped into shape in 30 days - much less 30 minutes - employ the Locked Door Method of cleaning. Tell anyone who tries to go in the room that the door is intentionally locked.
CAUTION: It is not advisable to use this tip for the bathroom.
Time: 2 seconds

Secret Tip 2: Duct Tape
No home should be without an ample supply. Not only is it handy for plumbing repairs, but it's a great way to hem drapes, tablecloths, clothes, just about anything. No muss, no fuss.
Time: 2-3 minutes

Secret Tip 3: Ovens
If you think ovens are just for baking, think again. Ovens represent at least 9 cubic feet of hidden storage space, which means they're a great place to shove dirty dishes, dirty clothes, or just about anything you want to get out of sight when company's coming.
Time: 2 minutes

Secret Tip 4: Clothes Dryers
Like Secret Tip 3, except bigger.
CAUTION: Avoid hiding flammable objects here.
Time: 2.5 minutes

Secret Tip 5: Washing Machines & Freezers
Like Secret Tip 4, except even bigger.
Time: 3 minutes

Secret Tip 6: Dust Ruffles
No bed should be without one. Devotees of Martha Stewart believe dust ruffles exist to keep dust out from under a bed or to help coordinate the colorful look of a bedroom. The rest of us know a dust ruffle's highest and best use is to hide whatever you've managed to shove under the bed. (Refer to Secret Tips 3, 4, 5).
Time: 4 minutes

Secret Tip 7: Dusting
The 30-Minutes-To-A-Clean-House method says: Never dust under what you can dust around.
Time: 3 minutes

Secret Tip 8: Dishes
Don't use them. Use plastic or paper and you won't have to.
Time: 1 minute

Secret Tip 9: Vacuuming
Stick to the middle of the room, which is the only place people look. Don't bother vacuuming under furniture. It takes way too long and no one looks there anyway.
Time: 5 minutes, entire house; 2 minutes, living room only

Secret Tip 10: Lighting
The key here is low, low, and lower. It's not only romantic, but bad lighting can hide a multitude of dirt.
Time: 10 seconds

Secret Tip 11: Bed Making
Get an old-fashioned waterbed. No one can tell if those things are made up or not, saving you hundreds of seconds over the course of a lifetime.
Time: 0

Secret Tip 12: Showers, Toilets, And Sinks
Forget one and two. Concentrate on three.
Time: 1 minute

Super Mario Bros Theme Played with Glass Bottles!

http://view.break.com/487616 - Watch more free videos

One Week Of Groceries around the World

This blog is FASCINATING! Check out what one family consumes in groceries from different countries all over the world! Isn't it sad that the American families are mostly junk food and processed foods? If you took a picture of what I consume in a week, though it would consist of this:

Chicken breasts
Salmon Fillets
Frozen mixed vegetables
brown rice
Oatmeal
Muscle Milk protein powder
Coke Zero
Water
Special K

Wow, sounds pretty lame when I type it out like that! LOL

Live Fast

Diesel is having a huge party tomorrow night at the Altman Building. The theme is "live Fast", which is (non-coincidentally), the spring fashion theme as well. Dan was part of the planning for the party, which they've decided to call the 60 minute party. First of all, you may notice that the bracelet says :60 party, which would be 60 SECONDS, not 60 minutes. I pointed this out to Dan, and he realized the printer goofed this all up. Oh well! Carry on...

So, the idea is, this bracelet IS the invite to the party. You have to put it on at the Diesel Union Square store, and you have to keep it on until the party. That way, people will ask what it's for, and then word of mouth will spread through the city. Dan has like, 6 of them on- one of every color. I've been wearing this one for over a week, and I'm READY to take it off! It's getting all beat up and wrinkled, and it gets really uncomfortable at the gym when I'm sweaty. Blech!

Anywhooooo...

The doors open at 9pm, and the party is a lounge-y kinda relaxed vibe until 11pm, and then a big scoreboard will post 60:00 on the clock, and it will start counting down to 0. A big-shot DJ will fly in and spin 60 songs in 6o minutes, and everything will just get CRAZY. Then, when the clock hits 0:00, a buzzer goes off, the lights come up, and they'll have people come in and start sweeping up and cleaning everything. Everybody gets kicked out and it abruptly ends. Sounds cool!

Red Ruby

Speaking of mani-pedicures on my other blog, I went to get both done this afternoon on my lunch hour. There’s a great little shop on 46th street where me and all the girls in my office go. It’s run by the sweetest asian lady, and they do such a good job. It’s a bit more expensive ($25) but hey, that’s midtown prices for ya. I just have to laugh at what they named their shop: “RED RUBY nails.” Isn’t the letter “r” the hardest for Asians to say? When they answer the phone, they always say “WED WOOBY Nails!” Aww… I love wed wooby.

Egg whites

I totally got ripped off this morning! RIDICULOUS! I stopped at Europa Café on 5th ave and 43rd street on the way to work to get breakfast. Normally, me and my coworker take turns getting omelets: she buys one day, and I buy the next. Today, though I just wanted egg whites. Healthy, delicious and nutritious! So I order 3 egg whites PLAIN, no toast no potatoes, no cheese. No bacon, ham, spinach, peppers…you get the point. The line chef prepares and then hands it to me, and I step down to the cashier to pay.

Now here’s the thing about NYC deli’s- sometimes I think they just make up the price right on the spot. She rings it up and says, “$4.60!” WHAT?!! So I get in a little bit of an argument, because I explain that it’s JUST egg whites. $4.60 is the price that I normally pay for an OMELET, with cheese, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, AND toast! I realized quickly that this debate was going nowhere because this lady seemed to have the IQ of a RAISIN, so I just handed over my cash, feeling like I’d just gotten scammed, and walked out. The lady beside me was in shock too, and she said to me, “I can’t believe they would charge that! That’s ridiculous!”

At least I know I’m not the only one who thinks it’s crazy. GRRRR!!! I’m in the wrong business if I can be selling egg whites for $1.50 EACH! I could make $18 a carton that way!

Update:

If you're reading this blog now, it's because you've been given EXCLUSIVE permission to view! Wow, aren't you LUCKY? LOL
I decided to make my blog private, and only the "chosen ones" were selected. You know how you qualified? If you placed a COMMENT on my blog in the past 2 months, you're IN! It kind of started to freak me out seeing how much traffic was coming onto the website and since people weren't leaving comments, I never knew who was out there "stalking" me! So, here we go- Brand new blog, private access! VIP all the way for MY peeps... oh yeah, that's how I roll. :)

Have a great day- did I mention it's FRIDAY! YESSSSSS!!!!

Big Red Fool

Well, the sun is shining, the weather is warmer, spring break is upon us and that could only mean one thing: TOURISTS! See, what tourists never realize is that in NYC, everyone's just trying to hustle. Trying to make a dollar, and get 1 penny richer. Even the well-dressed wall street trader you see on the subway? He's a hustler too. The potato-peeler salesman I blogged about a few months ago? Yup- hustler. So it's always kinda funny to me to see the creative lengths some people go to. Perfect example: This crazy hobo managed to find himself a raggedy old ELMO costume and start hustling tourists for tips! He was running up to people, hoping they'd want to take a picture next to his nappy dreaded up red fur, but everyone just tried to run away from him! Just across the street, there was a fool dressed up as mickey mouse! Hustle on, hustlers!

Warning: Graphic Pictures

THIS is absolutely true. A baby girl was born in India with TWO FACES! The baby is being worshipped as a re-incarnated goddess, and the parents have no plans to do any further testing or surgery to correct or aide the child. A few months ago, a baby was born in India with 8 limbs, remember that? I think someone needs to look into why an unusual amount of birth defects like this are turning up in India. Is it the lack of medical assistance during pregnancy? In-breeding? Why is this happening?

Is this cruel and unusual?

I was searching for pet products for my two boys on Amazon.com today and I found this strange little bondage item for cats. It’s sold as a “muzzle” for cats, but why does their whole face need to be stuffed into this bag-like mask? It looks so funny, like S&M apparel for your feline. Who came up with this? And, who has a cat who’s so psycho it needs it’s face to be wrapped in a canvas bag?

The cheesiest blog ever

I LOVE cheese, and I’m becoming even more interested about learning more about the finer points of cheese tastings and wine and cheese pairings. Dan and I have taken several wine and cheese night classes at Artisanal, here in NYC. Now, I’ve learned that eating cheese actually makes you HAPPY!

It begins with tyrosine, an amino acid found in relatively high concentrations in cheese. The Greek root "tyros", which means "cheese" is also the root of the word tyrophile or cheese lover. Amino acids are crucial to the proper functioning of the human body and brain, and our body has to get it from outside sources; it can't manufacture it on its own.

Studies have shown that a tyrosine-deficient diet can lead to depression. Tyrosine has also shown to be helpful during periods of stress, fatigue, cold, prolonged work and sleep deprivation; and it appears to improve cognitive and physical performance, and can lead to better functioning in the workplace. Tyrosine is a building block for many of our brain's neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals through which our nerves communicate.


The main protein in cheese - casein - is broken down releasing tyrosine, which is quickly absorbed into our bloodstreams. Casein is also broken down into a casomorphin, which is an opioid - a "feel-good" chemical.


Most of the crystals found in well-aged cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano are crystallized tyrosine embedded within the long chains of amino acids comprising the casein molecules.

Probably one reason cheese makes you happy, even before you actually consume but only smell it, is because the aroma sends a signal to your olfactories letting you know that you're about to have some of those especially beneficial nutrients that are available in cheese.

Now, go eat some and feel happy!

Please tell me...

Why is there a light in the refrigerator and not in the freezer?

This blog is rated PJ

This is why I love New York! A new service called Insomnia Cookies offers a website where you can order cookies and brownies to be delivered to your door from 8pm to 3am. (Bedtime story and tuck-in not included.) Isn’t that brilliant? Hey, Sarah- maybe you should offer on-call emergency service for your cupcake business!

Ho-down Hold

I was on put on hold today while making a call to our payroll company, and they had the most obscure hold music ever. I had to listen to 4 minutes of “ho-down” music. NOT country music, not bluegrass, but HO-DOWN. I could almost picture the red-neck holding the moonshine jug, blowing into it. What the?!