Goals for 2011

I don't like making "new years resolutions." I feel like there is no time like the present to make a change, and if you are going to actually make a change, it'll happen when you're ready, not just when the calendar changes to another year.

I find it easier to set goals for things I want to do rather than habits I want to change. Some of these goals are aligned with habits I would like to change though.

Goals for 2011:

• Run another race longer than 6.2 miles.
• Join a running club/group. 
• Run over 400 miles total (average 7.7 miles each week).
• Do at least 12 races.
• Do something fun and unique that is also exercise, like roller derby lite, burlesque class or trapeze class. 
• Take a vacation, even if it's just a long weekend trip somewhere in the Midwest.  

High School.
I was a soccer player.

College. I lived in Chicago.
We walked a lot more.

Also, I was looking through my mail earlier today, and came across my Wellness assessment from work. My company does an annual health fair, so I could see how I've done every fall since 2006.

Ick. What happened?

Four years ago my BMI was 23.3.
Now it's 25.8.

My total cholesterol was 165 (HDL = 110, LDL = 89).
Now it's 187 (HDL = 126, LDL = 109). Still under what it should be but I don't want it trending upward.

My percent of body fat was 24. Now it's 28.

So I really need to stick to working out, and signing up for races seems to be a good way to force myself to stick to it. For inspiration, check out how skinny I used to be.

Search terms that have lead people to my blog

1. 10 reasons not to become cat lady
2. black swan perverted movie
3. black swan was natalie portman doing good ballet
4. black swan why does she go for a woman in the movie
5. blackswan lily ___ __ nina [omission is mine ...]
6. how do you do the schwartz shuffle [OMG!!! AWESOME!!]
7. margret hot
8. waste my time ass. bariers [huh??]
9. why is the black swan so perverted
10. what is it like working at olive garden 

thanks for the LOLs

regarding #6, I think it goes something like this, as demonstrated by my brothers:

And then there is the Schwartz Shuffle remixed:

2010 in photos

I take a lot of photos. Pages 1-73 of my Flickr photostream are just photos uploaded in 2010. So anyway, what did I do?

It snowed. I took pictures.



By the way, this photo was taken in March. Yay Chicago weather.

Happy Winter! Photos from Christmas. And nature covered in ice.

In case you didn't notice, it's cold outside.This is what is next to the driveway.

So I took a ton of photos over Christmas, but of course none of yours truly. Oh well.

Merry Christmas! And, how to make a holiday video e-card.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!



Last year, I made a holiday e-card and it turned out pretty well, so I decided to do it again this year. (Also last year, we had a lot more going on so it was a little bit more interesting. This year I just wanted to save money on stamps.)

So how do you make a video e-card?

Adventures in Alternative Workouts: Trapeze

This past Saturday, my sister-in-law and I took a free trapeze taster class at the Aloft Loft in Chicago. And it was a lot of fun! There were about 10 people there and two instructors. After a warm-up and stretch, they explained the proper body form for hanging on the trapeze bar. And then ... it was time to get up on the bar!

I should explain that I hate being upside down. It makes me feel nauseous and uncomfortable and honestly is a little terrifying. So trapeze is perfect for me, right?

Christmas! Winter! Snow! And yet another reason why my cat hates me.

Sometimes Chicago winters don't start until after Christmas. This is not one of those years. True, we didn't get any snow before Thanksgiving, not even a dusting, which was rare. But since Thanksgiving, I feel like the Chicago weather devil has made up for it.

Christmas Present: The Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker!

Good job, Joffrey marketing department

Last night the Sailor took me out for my Christmas present. HE took ME to the ballet. Yeah. You read that right :)  We saw the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago perform The Nutcracker.

I love ballet. I've taken ballet and even did the ridiculous and performed in a recital at the tender age of 24. (My now sisters-in-law, my brother and one of my long-time friends also performed.) But I haven't been to the ballet in awhile. (Actually the only times I've been in recent history were to see the Salt Creek Ballet perform The Nutcracker at Governors State University.)

Review of Black Swan movie with Natalie Portman

Last Sunday, I saw Black Swan, so I was surprised to see trailers this week saying "in theaters everywhere this Friday - Black Swan." I guess that means it had a good weekend limited release opening weekend. Or because of the stellar reviews the movie it getting, they pushed a wider release. I can't say they blame them. Natalie Portman alone makes this movie worth the $8 just for a weekend matinee. (I really had to hold back as I was buying my ticket - I really wanted to tell the kid selling it at the theater that I remember when you could see a first run movie for like $6 on a weekend night ... of course I'm not so old and I'm sure my parents remember when you could see a movie for a nickle.)

Nina: Stressed

In case you haven't heard, Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a ballerina, Nina, played by Portman.

Unrelated to anything else: It's not a "real" ballet movie until you see the gnarly-feet-and-how-I-customize-my-pointe-shoes montage. If I had time, I would make a montage of these montages. Perhaps at the Oscars?

Portman plays the sh** out of Nina. I have never felt so anxious in a movie theater. Nina has two things in her life - ballet, and her mother (in that order). That's it. She doesn't have any other friends or family or any other hobbies or interests. Get up, go to the studio, dance dance get yelled at dance dance, go home, get doted on, go to sleep, repeat.

Chrismtas in Downtown Downers Grove

Made a stop on the way home from band rehearsal the other night to get some pictures of Downtown Downers Grove decked out for Christmas: