Saturday, March 29, 2008

LOTS of pictures...Crazy week


OhhhhhhKAY! Here we go!  I promised I'd be back with a vengeance and here I am.  Mind you, I am writing this post feeling a little antsy that I'm not studying for my history exam that I have on Monday! I am immediately hitting the books right after I finish this post! No dillydallying allowed!(Added to Mention: I started this post last week and took my Exam on Monday... I think I did REALLY well! Let's keep our fingers crossed!)
These past two weeks have been CRAZY and it's beginning to get really difficult to find that balance, but I'm not allowing myself to get overwhelmed.  For me, the more I think about how overwhelmed I am going to be, the more overwhelmed I feel.  So it's best for me to just take deep breaths, buckle down, and not think about it too much!  In the heat of everything I still managed to getbetween 6.5-8 hours of sleep each night, worked out M,T,W,R,F, SUN 
(early!) got all my work done, and still had a little downtime.  How I did it, I couldn't begin to tell ya!  But having a good mentality through it all definitely served me well!  It started out like any other week...Except for the fact that someone broke into my car while I was in class and stole my PHONE, AND WALLET!  I am a MORON.  I left my purse in my car, bc I didn't need it and ran into my class because I didn't want to be late.  It was not a good week.  PERIOD.  

So, before I go where I left off in my last post, I wanted to give y'all an idea of what I 
meant when I described our house as having an abundance of Buddhas (including our little man), and an ora of Buddhist spirituality/all things associated, lol.  Keep In Mind blogging babes, this isn't even half(!!!!) of the collection.  You really have no idea, haha.  So here they are! 
(My mom has an incredible sense of feng shui and everyone describes our house as feeling very centered and relaxing.  There's always music playing throughout the house or even sounds (water, monk's chanting, spa music)...Some even attribute the feeling to that of being in a spa.  Sorry, I just wanted to prepare you for this so you don't think my family's crazy!)






On the side of the fridge... haha



This gold one below is one of favorites... The detail is so intricate, it's amazing!


My mom drew this FREE HAND in college. I adore it.  (I'll be taking some pictures of the paintings she's doing now soon!)
And a clearer close-up... The above picture shows you just how small it really is though!


NOTE: Though this happy one looks dusty, he's not, I promise! He's really old and had been through a war, literally. (Many of them have been...)

I just recently found this treasure when I was visiting my one of my best friends (HI JENNY!!!) in Charleston, SC.  (Shout out to Jenna! Though I doubt she reads this, lol.) It's an amazing city with such grace and charm!  Anyways, this amazing Buddha is carved out of ONE piece of wood and the woman who sold him to me had just come back from Thailand with him :) My mom gasped when she saw him! He looks so small from the picture but he's definitely the size of a toddler, maybea four-year-old (OK...this is getting weird). (And -ps- I carried him on the plane and everyone did double takes thinking he was a child lol!)

Close-Up!

Another close-up! He's a little one 
So many of y'all commented that I am super enthusiastic! (Had to throw the "!" in there... Yes, I pun, b.a.d.l.y.) A lot of that comes from my mom.  While we aren't "loud enthusiasts," I get my passion from her.  All around our home are quotes/sayings to remind us to laugh a little more, or smile a little more often, etc.  Just things that not only can brighten my day, but even more so the day's of others around me.
So my post last week ended with me and Buddha going on our walk! Or what I thought was going to be a walk.  DO NOT BE FOOLED.  In fact, be skeptical the next time you read something online about the distance of a running trail.  Or maybe read it correctly?  Yes, Julz, we learned this waaaay waaaaaaaaay back, like in kindergarten back, to read carefully (both with care, and in full).  Uggh.  So can you guess what happened to the Buddha man and I?  Well, let's just say we started walking and were at about 1.5-2 miles and we started running.  I felt great, and knew that my body could easily handle 3 miles, as I was prepared for the turn around to come shortly after I had started running.  I lost track of time and reached the end.  In my airhead state, I didn't think much of anything...Nope, not even that I hadn't turned around in about 3 miles!!! I was beginning to feel it and started to realize when I saw the sign for 4.5 miles that there was, in fact, no loop.  I kept running to the end and looked at my watch.  We'd been walking/running for 50 minutes.  I looked down at Buddha and he looked quite comfortable.  I, on the other hand, suddenly felt as if I were Pheidippides about to embark on my 26.2 mile trek from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.  Boo was bouncing around me like a BillyGoat    And totally ready for our journey back.  In fact, he pulled me the ENTIRE WAY.  I will say that after 10 miles, I felt beyond exhausted and my hips were really bothering me.  But IIIIIIIIII did it! (Ahem... What else was I going to do!? Ride Buddha back?) 

Here are some pictures from our adventure! (To be inserted later, my picture uploader keeps saying "ERROR"!!! 

The next day, I definitely laid low.  And I mean low.  Like waaaay down there.  I stayed in bed ALL. DAY. LONG. Happy as a little Hermit  That night, Mike and I did go out to dinner at Ted Montana's Grille which was great!  We both ordered a cup of their Bison Chili to start (I topped mine with onions, no cheese/jalapenos... Kath, close your eyes!) And Mike topped his with chedder.  We were both starving and it took the edge off of our hunger!  For our dinners, I ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon "dry" (no extra oil or butter) and ordered it medium (and it was perrrrfect!) with steamed broccoli (dry, as well...Did I mention I'm lactose intolerant?) and my man ordered one of their special Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Avocado! He loved it 

OK...I am officially SO upset about this stupid uploader.  I have spent H.O.U.R.S on making this post purrrfect (I love spelling it with "purr"...).  I'm home on a Friday night because I have a HUMONGO Bio exam on Tuesday and need to study! Mike and I were supposed to go out to dinner tonight, but the fart got sick.  Grr.  Anyway, I made dinner for myself and have a PICTURE, but can't upload it.  Ugh.  I made lemon-scented tilapia's stuffed with julienne summer vegetables (squash, carrots, zucchini) and had it with Roasted Brussel Sprouts (like 50,000) and Roasted Eggplant.  I just cut up tons of fruit because I was so frustrated and upset with blogger and ate enough to probably equal my weight in water .  I love fruit like it's my job. (Like you didn't already know.).  Anyway, My dinner was delicious and now I'm so upset, but feel like I deserved this for being the negligent blogger.  Well, touché Blogger.  

I'm submitting this post, despite it not being complete...UGHHHH!!! I had a grocery trip, meals, my trek with Buddha, and so much MORE! This is so dissapointing.  Oh well, I'm submitting it, for all of you who are so nice and comment on my blog, and who are amazingly up-to-date ALL THE TIME with your beautiful blogs. Well, you're all just purrr()fect! LOL.  Anyways, I'm about to wash up and get into bed because tomorrow is this weird event at the gym where we have to sign up for our classes if we want to get in?! So I have 8am step! (My only fun for the day...other than studying, OF COURSE.) So excited, but I need to get a good night sleep so I can wake up at 6, eat, and dillydally/digest before hand! I never miss my breakfasts! No sir!

OK, with that Julz leaves you all...THANK GOODNESS it's the weekend! And uploader, pleeaassee work tomorrow!


Friday, March 28, 2008

I SUCK...

BLOGGING BUDS...


I am really sorry for being totally MIA on my blog recently... This week has been a little crazy and I'm about to take the Buddha man out for a walk because it's fresh and crisp outside and, well, frankly, we BOTH need a long and energizing walk.  I woke up with lots of Energy but wanted to take a break from step today, since both saturday and sunday I have it on my agenda!  We're going to do a 5 mile loop (I think) called the "Forbidden Trail" at the Wissahickon area of Fairmount Park.  I havn't been there in a WHILE (years!), but I thought of it this morning and since I'm done classes for the day, I felt like it was perfect and definitely in order!  

Again, guys, I'm SO sorry for being the negligent blogger, but I've still tried to support and comment on your blogs (which I adore).  OY, I'll totally explain everything when I get back...If I don't go now, I don't know if I will go at all!  

XO

Sunday, March 23, 2008

TAG

Lindsay from Love of Oats tagged me today!  Thanks Linds!  I have to "Sum up my life in 6 words".  These always pose as HUGE challenges for me, because I'm such an overanalyzer.  But whatevs... OK, I loved how Linds tied hers into her favorite quote and here's a quote that I love! It's SO super corny, but it helps me get through my days sometimes..."Live the life you dream now"...Does this count? LOL...Okay, tagging four other blogging babes: Couch Cubicle, veggie.foodie, The Operatic Foodie, and Kristin's Nibbles!  Enjoy kiddles and I hope everyone had a lovely Easter Sunday!

HAPPY EASTER BUNNIES :)

Happy Easter to all the beautiful bunnies out there! (sap...)
I don't celebrate the holiday at all, but I absolutely love seeing everyone out with their families, dressed-up, going to and from church. It's chilly outside, but the sun is shining so I'm NOT complaining...I'm at my mom's work right now, and brought my camera (we're going out to dinner tonight, not sure where yet) but not the chord, SORRY! I know I've been bad about my pictures/posts, but it's not as easy as it looks to always remember to snap that picture! I have to be more mindful...I promise I'll be better girls!
Today started out like any other Sunday! Woke up, ate my ushe (fruit+Lactaid) which was DIVINE. I mean how could it not be, right?
Well, once I woke up it was like any other Sunday...Buddha came into my room this morning EARLY...I mean like 5:30am, which for me is early on a Sunday! He stuck his little nose inside of the covers haha...little PERVE! I shoo'd him away, which he did NOT appreciate. Au contraire my blogging beauties, the little scraps proceeded to try and PULL all of the covers off of my bed. It was SO cold in my room! Finally I got out of bed, scooped up all 55 pounds of this fluff and put him on my bed. He passed out in 5 seconds! RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BED! I had to squeeze myself up against the wall JUST so I could get onto the bed. GRRRR Buddha! As he lay there SNORING (yes, he snores SO loud and burps allthetime), I lay awake trying to somehow find bliss in being scrunched up against the wall...oy. We slept until he woke me up at 9:25 for breakfast. Needless to say, I'm a little tired still, but that's the life of a puppy owner I guess!
For lunch my mom and I shared some leftover baked grouper and sauteed spinach (I have pictures, but not my chord ) along with a little Seafood Salad with Citrus Vinagrette from Whole Foods, which I ADORE! So fresh and so clean! It has calamari rings, shrimp, bay scallops, fennel, red onion, and yellow and red bell peppers! It's SO good! Around 1 we left to go swimming at our gym, but when we got there it was CLOSED! And they told us last week they'd be open on Easter . So we drove back home and took Buddha for a walk. He LOOOVED it! Except for when he got bullied by these two adorable cocker spaniels. And by "bullied," I mean they merely stood there and Buddha scurried behind Mom and I. He's SUCH a frady-cat, you guys, it's pathetic.
And now we're out here! We're going to the King of Prussia mall (amazing) to return some clothes to Urban Outfitters and run to potterybarn/crate&barrel(!!!) and then meet my Dad for dinner. Not sure where yet, but we're both craving a great saladbar! If anyone knows of any in the Philadelphia area let me know! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE Send some jellybeans and chocolate my way, if you get the chance!