Wii Be Fit

So with all the great things I've been hearing about Wii Fit, I had already been thinking of this really convincing argument on why we should TOTALLY buy it and why the value would be much greater than some other game my guy would probably want more.

And just when I thought I'd be throwing on my negotiation gloves...guess who was on the phone hunting down Wii Fit at nearby stores when I got home from work last week one night? You guessed it!!

The game FREAKING ROCKS! And, um, yeah, it's pretty fun and entertaining to play after having a strong margarita with dinner too. Yup. Especially the hula hoop balancing game. All I gotta say is the vision of Ryan hula-hooping with an imaginary hula hoop will stay with me for a LONG time.

LOL.

Say My Name!

So I just went on to yahoo to check my e-mail and the following headline caught my eye: "Cows with names make more milk." Wow, really? Yeah, I had no choice but to click on the link. Article here.

Turns out,some research study conducted in the UK discovered that cows "with names" make 3.4% more milk than cows without names. Golly gee, ain't that somethin?

The article goes on to say that it isn't simply the name, per se, but the "personal touch" and attention that keeps these cows happy, thus producing more milk.

Wow, I guess happy cows DO make great cheese...and milk, apparently!! Yeah, I TOTALLY went there.

Back to Gymmy

So, I may have snoozed 4 times, but I finally made it to the gym this morning after my much needed hiatus (which may have last 1 month too long...but we don't have to get technical).

Anyway, dragging my sorry behind out of my comfortable bed in the morning is BEYOND challenging. And, it really just is a mind thing. And I need to constantly remind myself of that. Because once I actually get to the gym, it feels freaking great!

I went and worked out at the 24 hour fitness near our apartment for the first time (on 19th Street near Triangle Square in Costa Mesa) and it's an awesome facility. Me likey.

What I don't likey is how my cardio endurance went waaaaay down during my hiatus. Meaning, next time I take a break, it better be a bit shorter! I just need to upload some new tunes to my iPod and I'll be set! NB Triathlon...here I come :)

P.S. That pic is totally of me at the gym. It was really early in the morning...that's why it's so dark ;)

It is SO on!!

Guess what Ryan's parents and sisters got him for his birthday this past weekend? I'll give you two hints...(1) I am so pumped on his gift that it was like it was MY birthday too!, and (2) my right forearm and bicep are ridiculously sore from playing with it the past few days.

Yes, you guessed it. We got a Wii!!!!! I guess the accompanying photo may have been a 3rd hint.

I'm convinced that Wii and 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's, LA Fitness and other gyms across the country should partner with one another and have "Wii" stations where people can work on building up their "Wii arms" and various machines. Granted, I guess the same could go for improving one's game at "actual" tennis (like the kind you play "outside"), but, let's be honest, I'm most concerned with improving my Wii tennis game.

Welcome to Office!

What a magical historical day it is. Obama exhibited honesty, inspiration and greatness in his speech. This particular part gave me chills.

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." - Barack Obama

Glad to have you here, Mr. President.

P.S. Did anyone catch Arethra's performance? Hrrmmmmmm...nice...hat?

Helloooo, Mr. President (elect)

Is it wrong and totally inappropriate that I think our soon-to-be Prez is....I don't know...kinda...fairly attractive?!?!

Yeah, that's what I thought...forget I said anything ;) Hehe

Speaking of Obama, has anyone read "The Audacity of Hope" or "Dreams from my Father?" Trying to decide which one to read first (and how I will fit them in between book club books!)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love ya, Tomorrowwwww!

So we went and saw the musical Annie last night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. And, can I just say, it was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!! I loved it. So cheery and light and fun and happy. Don't get me wrong, I love the emotional, epic, heart-breaking, gut-wrenching musicals like the rest of them (Les Miserables being my favorite), and, it was a nice change to watch a production that was just so...so...fun!

I love the songs "Tomorrow", "Maybe" and "Hard Knock Life"...they have all been in my head on rotation since last night actually. Such classics. And, I'm not accustomed to seeing a musical with so many adorable kiddies in it! The kids playing the orphans were so talented and precious! Especially the smallest one, Molly. The Playbill claims she's 7, but she looked about 4. We were giggling every time she was on stage....cute as a button.

The Miss Hannigan and Grace actors were the best by far. Outshined Annie and Warbucks actually. All in all, great production, great time.

On TARGET!

I never get sick of Target. It really is a "one stop" shop.

So, the apartment decorating is coming along, slowly, but surely. And, Ryan's Momma suggested that instead of putting another painting up in our room, we get a vase and stick a bundle of those "stick thingies" in it.

I was thinking I'd be making a trip over to Pier 1, but thought I'd try Target first...just in case.

To my surprise and delight, I found EXACTLY what I was looking for!!! I found this vase and this bundle, and it looks AWESOME!! So, if you're ever in the market for a vase and "stick bundle" thingie...check out Target ;)

You say Po-tay-to, I say Po-tawt-o

Yeah, so remember when I was all inspired and working out every morning for the triathlon? Well, after all of that hard work, a bit of a break...a "hiatus" if you will....was definitely in order. I was figuring a few weeks or so...then, I'd be getting my butt back to the gym.

Umm....2 months later...HAVE NOT been to the gym yet. The couch is just too comfortable! What can I say? My bed is too comfortable in the morning, and the couch is calling my name after work. I really have no choice in the matter if you think about it, right? RIGHT?!?!?!

Oh geez, I really do need to get back to a work-out schedule....next TRI is in April!!! Let's get'er done.

P.S. I SO wish I had that green fancy couch like the one pictured above!!

You did WHAT in your pants?

One of THE best SNL video shorts of all time.

Loves it!!

Yum Yum, you Chez?

So when we went up north for the holidays, Ryan was all about us going to the famous Chez Panisse for dinner in Berkeley. What makes this dining experience unique from your typical "fine dining" eatery is that the food there is local produce that is organically grown and harvested in ecologically sound ways (I totally got that from the website by the way).

I was a bit skeptical walking into it...thinking it would be one of those "shi shi foo foo" restaurants that gives you portions the size of a post-it note and is way over hyped. And, I must report that the restaurant delivered! Way beyond my expectations!

Let me start off by saying that even though Ryan had an "in" (one of his friends is a waiter there)....we couldn't get a reservation until 9:45 pm on a Monday night! And....the place was PACKED when we got there. A good sign I guess, right?

Very earthy, rustic, homey ambiance....waiters were extremely attentive. We split the following dishes...
-Oysters on ice (decent...nothing special)
-Handmade pasta with fancy mushrooms, peas and sauce (excellent!!! so delish)
-Oven baked caramelized squid (it sounds gross but was sooo freaking good)
And....three desserts...
-Apple tart (of course I loved it....it's pie!!)
-Lemon sorbet (super refreshing)
-Chocolate ice cream with hazelnut (chocolate heaven)

Granted, the descriptions they had were waaaay fancier than what I described above...that's just my "layman's term way" of describing everything.

So, if you're ever in the Bay area...I encourage you to check out Chez Panisse....and might be a good idea to make a reservation a month in advance! The next "shi shi foo foo" place we want to try is French Laundry in Napa. Or...I could just have a special certain chef just cook me an AWESOME meal so we don't even NEED to go to Napa!!!! (wink wink)

Let's Bookity

Happy New Year Everyone!! Wow 2008 was freaking great! And 2009 is going to be just as great...if not the GREATEST-EST!! Cheers to that :)

Okay, so I have sooooo NOT been keeping up with my Book Club posts. So....a year in review.....we read....

1) Eat, Pray, Love (excellent...highly recommend it)
2) What is the What (too long...didn't finish it....it's alright)
3) Skinny Bitch (interesting read...influenced me to stop eating poultry/meat)
4) Three Cups of Tea (couldn't really get into it...really inspiring story but dragged a little)
5) Tortilla Curtain (decent...I'd recommend others over this one)
6) Devil in the White City (LOVED IT......it's a historical thriller and one of the best books I've read in a long time)
7) Snowflower and the Secret Fan (I was a total slacker and didn't read the book for that month...it's on my list though!!)
8) The Other Boleyn Girl (fascinating and SUPER long...highly recommend it though...I hear it's much better than the movie).

So, onto 2009, our next book is "The Last Lecture"....and, thankfully, it's only about 200 page (vs. Boleyn girl which was like 600+ pages). I just finished it the other day and it was just beautiful. It's a book filled with short stories from a computer science professor by the name of Randy Pausch who taught at Carnegie Mellon and it contains ways to "live out your childhood dreams." Very poignant and insightful.

And touching and sad at times because Randy was actually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 47 (with 3 small children) and was told he'd have about 6 months to live, thus the "Last Lecture." He passed away in July 2008, and left such an amazing legacy for his wife, kids, friends and students. Truly inspirational.

It's a beautiful book. I absolutely recommend it. Quick read, great nuggets of wisdom in there. You can check out video for the actual lecture here.