Day 77 - Work

Today I went to work.  Haven't said that in a while!  The Clover Park School District is kind enough to allow me to earn a few bucks here and there when I can over school breaks.  After work, Joy and I went out for what we now loving call BOOM- SHAKALAKA TACO TUESDAY.  To burn off the delicious Mexican feast, I went for a 4 mile run on the treadmill, played Wii Fit with my little sis, did some hard core ab exercises and about 15 min of relaxing yoga.

Day 76 - Joy

Shopping, movie, board games, lunch out at BJ's... This was a great day! My little Sis, Joy, successfully drove us to the mall (she just turned 16 so this was a big deal). We did a little shopping before seeing the Fighter, Mark Wahlberg's new movie. I. Love. Him.

There was a whole lot of shirtless Marky Mark goodness in addition to the movie being overall awesome. I fully recommend it. Other than walking the mall and helping the Sis clean her room, there was no exercise today. Not acceptable. I've changed into my jammies (pajamas), but I am about to lie down and do 50 sit ups, 20 (girl) push ups and 25 squats. On your mark... Get set... Go!

Day 75 - Will Power

My New Year's resolution this year will be to regain my will power.  Although I swore today I'd eat healthier than the last two days. I failed.  The Hilen's had a delicious Christmas treats scattered all over the kitchen and I suffered from some sort of neurosis which compelled me to try them all.  I didn't really even want to eat half of the things that I put in my mouth, but I was possessed!  Against my will, my hand kept picking up chocolate covered delectables and shoving them past my lips!

A few years back, I had the will power of... Yeah, I can't think of an appropriate analogy.  Let's just say I could refuse anything without a second thought.  Now, not so much.  I did at least make it to the gym.  Charlie and I went with Annie to the YMCA.  I did about a half an hour of upper body weights and then 35 minutes on the rotating stair machine.

I also exercised my shopping muscles with Charlie and Le Target.  We got a $50 gift card and spent it and our poker winnings from Christmas Eve on new towels.  SOOOO pumped to use them when I get home!

Charlie has to return to work tomorrow morning, so I dropped him at the airport and headed over to my Dad's.  I'm staying on the west side to work for a few days and to see friends before I head back to Spokanistan.  It will be a lonely night without the hubs, but I've got Tucker with me so I'll get by.  Good night!

Day 74 - Merry Christmas

Christmas morning started early with stockings and pictures with the Muchows.   Charlie and I had to hit the road first thing to get to the Hilen's for brunch.  We made great time flying up I5 and had a fantastic breakfast.  Hilen family tradition includes Christmas lotto scratch tickets.  Charlie and I each won $8, but Jeffery was the big winner with a $20 ticket.

We then opened presents and were even further spoiled.  We got a REALLY nice camera, so expect the quality of the blog pics to improve.  Charlie's cousin's family came over for dinner.  There were 5 children under the age of 7 roaming around.  They were EXHAUSTING!  As they tore through their presents, Charlie leaned over to me and whispered "we're not ready."  I couldn't agree more.

Although I ate a ridiculous amount of food (Becky's homemade snickers, chips and dip, chocolate and caramel turtle cookies, a huge chicken dinner, etc) and didn't exercise at all, I enjoyed a fantastic day with family and hope you did to!

Day 73 - santa claus is coming to town

The day started rain soaked and wind torn, but I got a 5 mile run in.  I ran the same course as Day 4.  Although  I wasn't as sore or tired this time around, I definitely was more miserable.  The temperature in Portland is a good 10-15 degrees warmer than Spokane, but the wind and rain was horrendous.  I ran at near sprint pace for the last few minutes just to hurry up to get out of the cold.

After showering and getting ready for the day, Charlie and I were off to the first party of our three part Christmas.  The Wilson family gets together at my Uncle Dave's house for lunch and poker.  I am proud to say that Charlie and I walked away $35 ahead this year winning back to back rounds of poker.  As Charlie proclaimed as he banged on the table after a winning hand, "2010 was his year!"

After the Wilson family festivities, we headed over the my Aunt and Uncle's house for the Muchow Christmas Eve dinner.  We enjoyed a HUGE Italian feast, sang some Christmas carols (complete with maracas, tambourines and bells) and opened a few presents.  Charlie and I were completely spoiled and are excited to make use of our new gifts.  We head up to Gig Harbor in the morning to celebrate with the Hilens.  Merry Christmas!

Day 72 - TBS

After several hours in the car driving from Spokane to Portland, I am suffering from MAJOR TBS (tired butt syndrome). I doubt TBS is a real thing, but it has existed in my family for as long as I can remember. Must be genetic.

I planned to run at the gym today, but ran into a slight problem. My pants kept falling down low on my hips and I had to keep yanking them back up. I'm going to choose to believe it is due to having lost some weight. It's more likely, however, that I just stretched out the elastic past the breaking point. Bummer.

I got tired of having to run with one hand holding up the waist of my pants, so I did 45 min on the step machine. Before hitting the road, I finished decorating a second set of cake balls. We made it over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. I am more than ready for bed. Merry Christmas eve eve!

Day 71 - Carin!

Today was a great day!  I got to visit with one of my good friends from high school, college and southern California.  She and her fiance are currently living in Japan so at most we only get to talk via skype every couple of weeks.  Anyway, they are home for the holidays visiting family so I drove down to the Tri-Cities to hang out for a little while.

The greatness of the day didn't start there, however.  It started with Pilates (with weights).  I hadn't been to the class for a good 3+ weeks and was afraid that returning would be nothing but pain and torture as I struggled through the class.  BUT, I actually kept up just fine!  I've been doing more yoga lately and that has apparently continued to build core strength.  I was fully prepared to need to be carried out on a stretcher after class, but I was able to bounce away on my own sans assistance from emergency responders.

After pilates, I took the hubs shopping with me.  I had a $50 gift card to the Nordstrom Rack that was begging to be spent.  I found a cute purple sweater dress, some gray tights and a pair of running pants that Charlie is going to give to me for Christmas (I hate surprises).  After the shopping adventure, I used another gift card and treated myself to a mani/pedi.  Add having lunch/dinner with some great friends and this was one heck of a day!

Day 70 - Sweet

Change of plans. Instead of going to the Tri-cities today, I'm heading down there tomorrow. The last minute switch allowed me time today to do my holiday baking. On the menu were cream cheese spritz cookies, puppy chow (some call it muddy buddies) and cake balls in the shape of Rudolph.

I spent 90% of the day in the kitchen. Also, 90% of the goodies are safely packed away. The other 10%... yeah, we ate them.  I knew I was in trouble when my stomach started to ache from the sugar overload. I REALLY tried to control myself and not devour everything in sight. I ate less than I would have in Christmases past, but more than I should have in light of my goals.

After cleaning up the kitchen, it was already 9:45pm and I had yet to exercise. I went to the little gym at the apartment hoping to run, but two teenage boys were challenging each other to see who could run faster. I was about to tell them they were idiots and they were going to get hurt when the taller of the pair informed that "It was cool. They pretty much do this every night." I suppose fitness battles are better than some of the late night shenanigans these adolescent screwballs could engage in...

Still, I really wanted the gym to my self. I asked the boys if they'd mind if I watched tv. As a gift from god, 16 and Pregnant was on MTV. Apparently the thought of being a baby day was enough to make them run for the door. Peace out boys! I got really invested in the episode an wound up watching the whole thing while doing 30 min on the elliptical and another 30 on the bike.

Off to bed. Pilates (with weights) in the morning!

Day 69 - Pain

I woke this morning in PAIN.  Whatever I did in yoga last night is killing me this morning.  After consulting with my personal physician (aka, mom) I decided to take today off from physical activity.  Instead, I folded the laundry I got done yesterday, cleaned the bathroom, finished my puzzle and had dinner with a friend.

I had hoped not to gain any weight over the Holidays, but I'm really not helping myself succeed in achieving that goal.  Charlie made a delicious steak dinner, I had a FULL glass of white wine and then enjoy and english muffin for dessert.  Why?  I don't know.  I didn't really need or want the english muffin, but yet here it sits in my stomach.  I've really got to commit to better eating or my fitness efforts will be rendered futile.

If the back is feeling better, the plan is to run 5 miles before heading down to the Tri-cities tomorrow.  I will pack some healthy snacks to take on the road with me and will hopefully be more successful tomorrow than I was today.  Good night!

Day 68 - Sunday Funday!

Today was significantly more productive.  I finished several loads of laundry, did some shopping, finished getting everything on the Christmas list, wrapped the last few presents and went to yoga with the hubs.

During yoga, I experienced some pain in my lower back.  The class was going great until the last few minutes where we went into this pose where your supporting your weight on your shoulders and your legs are straight up in the air.  Then you slowly lower your legs down to the ground behind your head and then bend your knees so that your shins are on the floor.  Although I was able to get into the pose, I was not so lucky trying to get out.  I whispered to Charlie that I was stuck and then began to giggle out of discomfort.  As I tried to lower my legs back down, I felt something strain in my lower back and have been feeling a bit of pain since then.

We chatted with the yoga instructor after class and she again complemented Charlie on his efforts.   I think her positive reinforcement is going a long way in encouraging him to come back.  She then told me that she'd like to work on modifying a few poses since I am so flexible.  For example, she said she'd like for me to work towards pulling my head through my knees in forward fold.  Great.  That is the nice thing about yoga, though.  There is always room for everyone to progress.

After yoga, I went over to my friend's apartment to help her clean.  She is moving on back home on Tuesday and we had a wine/cleaning party.  She was one of my closest law school friends and I will miss her terribly, but I am happy for the exciting things happening in her life.  That said, cleaning blinds above your head with fatigued yoga arms is NOT easy.  At this point, I think the wine is doing the typing so I'm going to call it a night.  Have a great week!

Day 67 - Couch

Nearly all of my day was spent on the couch.  This is not a fact I am proud of, but I am committed to reporting the truth.  Charlie and I watched a few movies and several episodes of Lost before we bothered to get up and do something with the day. 

We took Tucker for a great walk and then hit the gym.  I swam for 40 minutes and called it a night.  My arms were sore, but I oddly felt like I had energy for the first time that day after my workout.  Just goes to show that laziness only breeds more laziness. 

We picked up a puzzle after dinning at Round Table pizza (I swear I'll get my diet under control soon) and worked on that for the rest of the night as we watched some more Lost and SNL.  I am hoping that the overarching theme of tomorrow will be productivity to counterbalance today's severe lack of ambition to accomplish anything. 

Day 66 - Best Day of the Year

Today was my favorite day of the year.  For nine years in a row now, Charlie and I have watched the Nutcracker together during the holiday season.  Tonight we were thrilled to have our good friends Maggie and Brian join us.

The plan was to go to the Melting Pot for dinner, so I decided to go for a good run outdoors to try to offset the ridiculous amount of chocolate and cheese I planned to consume.  I set off on my 5 mile course and quickly realized this was not going to be an easy run.  The cold air painfully stung with each breath and my muscles were exhausted.  I wound up walking a few stretches, which left me utterly disappointed. 

In order to feel confident in my marathon training, I would like to be a able to comfortably run between 3 to 5 miles daily before I start a true marathon training program.  Still needing to walk some means that I may need to refocus my workout efforts on marathon prep.  Unfortunately, snow is back in the forecast for the next few days, so this may have been my last outdoor run for awhile.  I have a feeling that the treadmill and I are about to become very close.

After the run, the hubs and I got all dolled up for our big date.  Dinner was delicious, but I definitely overindulged.  I used to have unwavering will power, but the lure of the fondue pot was far too tempting. 

Having seen the Nutcracker so many times, I have become a bit of a Nutcracker snob.  The Spokane Symphony/Memphis Ballet rendition was beautiful, but it couldn't hold a candle to the Pacific Northwest Ballet.  Still, I'm glad to continue in the tradition of going every year.  Charlie is a good sport for taking me each year and it is a night I look forward to all year long.

After the ballet, we went out to a club called Raw for one of Charlie's co-worker's going away party.  Abbey has become a good friend and we wish her all the best in Portland! 

Day 65 - Lazy

First and foremost, I'd like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to my little brother, Chad, for completing his final final making him a graduate of San Diego State University. You've worked hard and I am so proud of you!

My day was pretty low key. I worked on writting our Christmas letter, did a little shopping (so close to done!) and took the heart and soul combination cardio/pilates class at the dance studio. The class wasn't terribly hard, but my upper body sure felt stiff and sore at the end.

I decided to relax in the tub when I got home. I gave Charlie a good scare and then a laugh as I came tearing through the house proclaiming that tonight I was going to read a book for fun! He later let me know that he was happy that "I was back." We've decided that I have an evil twin who only comes around during finals and that we were both happy to see her go. The weekend is almost here! Have a great night!

Day 64 - Tree

I slept in until 9ish this morning, but didn't get out of bed until closer to 11.  It was UH-MAZ-ING!!!  After my complete calorie overload last night, I decided not to waste anytime and headed straight to the gym.  I put in 45 minutes on the rotating step machine and felt each and every last step.

After the gym, I showered and watched an hour or two of television in my towel.  No need to rush the whole dressing and getting ready process today!  Later Charlie and I went across the street to Spokane Boys and selected our Christmas tree.  Due to our finals schedules, this was the first opportunity we had to start decorating for the holidays.

Charlie put up the exterior lights while I worked on the tree.  He then helped me with the ornaments.  Although this will only be our third married Christmas together, it is fun to look back the ornaments we've collected or been given over the years together.

After another successful dinner in the Nu-Wave oven, Charlie and I headed to the gym for PiYo.  My friend and former WSU dance teammate Tracy joined and we all got our butts worked.  I'd like to say after my junk food binge yesterday, that today's consumption was healthier.  For 95% of the day it was.  Then, I felt the urge to have a bowl of ice cream.  I suppressed the urge for a good 45 minutes, but eventually lost the battle and sat down with two scoops of mint chocolate chip.  At least there weren't any cookies... right?

I'll try again tomorrow.  Good night!

Day 63 - DONE DONE DONE!!!

Today's final was horrendous.  I really felt like I knew all of the tests and policies necessary to be successful, but could not seem to demonstrate what I knew in relation to the questions that were asked.  None of my law school exams have ever been easy, but that was by far the hardest.

I had intended to go out and celebrate over a few drinks with friends, but was more in the mood to drink champagne alone in my bedroom while I watched 16 and Pregnant.  So, that's what I did.

Later, my amazing husband brought me home an ice cream sundae and chocolate chip cookies.  AND... for dinner I had pizza.  Yep, that makes pizza, booze, ice cream and cookies.  Plus, I didn't go to the gym at all.  Let's just say I fell off the wagon.

I'll be back on it tomorrow.  I've got nothing to do but put my life, diet and house back in order for the next few weeks.  As long as my body doesn't object, I'm going to try to work out twice a day every other day over break.  Charlie's committed to doing PiYo with me tomorrow afternoon, so I'll do that and try to fit some form of cardio in during the morning.  Other than that, I fully intend to be a bum tomorrow in honor of my first day of vacation.  I apologize to those of you who have to go to work in the morning.  I'm sleeping in.  Good night!

Day 62 - So Close!

In less than 24 hours, I will be half done with law school!  While that sounds encouraging, there's also the 'glass half-empty' perspective that so far the experience has been grueling and I'm only halfway.  Trying to stay in the positive, I am going to celebrate that by this time tomorrow, I will be enjoying a few weeks of vacation.

I tried to start the day with pilates, but you'll NEVER guess who showed up to teach the class...  THE AWFUL ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR from days 31 and 46!  I decided to give her 10 minutes, but I was out of there when she started doing these ridiculous airplane arm swings.  I don't know how her self-esteem allows her to keep teaching.  While I left the class early, others walked into the room, saw her and turned around and walked out.  Clearly I am not the only one with an aversion to this woman.

It actually worked to my advantage to leave early.  I headed to the post office and was third in a line of about 20 people when it opened.  Of course, they only had one person working the counter.  I can't imagine how long it took to get through the line for the poor souls behind me, but I was glad to not need to find out.

After a several hours of studying employment law, I talked Charlie into going to Yoga with me to make up for bailing on pilates.  For those who don't know, Charlie has a bad back and isn't the most limber these days.  BUT, he went, did the whole class and was even complimented by the instructor at the end for doing so well on his first day.  Charlie says he is going to keep coming to yoga and we're planning to do pi-yo together on Wednesday.

After making the most delicious burgers for dinner in the Nu-Wave oven, I am back to studying.  24 hours... 24 hours... good night!

Day 61 - To Do

The day's "to do" list was a mile long, but most everything got done. I went straight from bed to the gym. The rotating stair master machines were occupied by two large a ridiculously sweaty men. If I had taken the remaining machine between them, I would have gotten soaked in their perspiration and then probably thrown up. That's not exactly how I prefer to start my Sunday mornings. I did the plain non-rotating stair master instead. After my 30min were up, I lifted a few weights and headed home.

We had a dance studio instructor lunch at the Davenport. The food was fantastic and I hope to be able to go back with the hubs sometime soon. I owe an apology to Brian, my good friend and studio owner Maggie's husband. The poor guy asked me how I was doing and I started to tear up. The stress of the second week of finals is upon me in full force and today I struggled to keep my composure.

I spent a few hours at the library after lunch, took a Hilen family x-mas photo, enjoyed dinner at one of Charlie's co-worker's houses and am now ready to call it a night. I haven't been in two weeks, but I am fully looking forward to Pilates in the morning.

Day 60 - Balance

Today included a healthy balance of work and play.  I got some good studying done for my last final, picked up the house and ran 5 miles at the gym.  I also slept in, watched the Hangover with the Hubs and enjoyed a nice bath.

I will have to ramp back up the studying tomorrow.  Until then, have a great night!

Day 59 - One to go!

Another final is in the books!  As promised, the exam was crazy hard.  I wrote for the full three hours and probably could have used another 30 min to be truly happy with my answers, but at least it is over.

I got caught up on Gossip Girl, The Office and The Apprentice when I got home and took a quick nap before heading to yoga.  The regular adorably sweet yoga instructor who calmly encourages everyone to "just do the best they can" was replaced by a Russian Yoga Terrorist. 

In an extremely thick accent, the class was told to "holdz zee pozez longerz" and to "getz deepver in to zee stretchez."  She worked us HARD, but it was exactly what I needed after a LONG week.  I felt so strong and confident as I left the class, which is amazing because for the last couple of days I've only felt weak and defeated.  Such is life during finals.  Thankfully, the end is in sight.

Charlie finished his school work for the semester late last night, so we decided to go out to celebrate.  We met up with a few of his coworkers for a few drinks and to watch the drag show at Dempsey's.  The bar lived up to its reputation of having the strongest drinks in town.  After two, I was done.  I had a great night and hope you did too!

Day 58 - Panic

I would like to give the middle finger to any caroler who would possibly suggest that right now was "the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."  This is, without a doubt, the time of year when my life hits rock bottom.

I don't have any time to dwell on the negative, both because it is counterproductive and that I literally just don't have time.  I've got a final in 10 hours that I am in no way ready for.  The possibility of having to retake this class is feeling just a little to real at this point.

I am a victim of my own study habits, so I have little right to complain about my impending doom.  Enough with the dramatics.  Back to the books.  For those of you sleeping tonight, have a great slumber! 

Day 57 - White Christmas

There are some things that I just can NOT live with during periods of high stress.  The first being dishes piled up in the kitchen.  It makes my skin crawl to see a mountain of dishes sitting in or near the sink for no good reason other than my husband and I being too lazy to put them in the dishwasher.  My stress level is getting up there, so I knew I had to take care of our disaster of a kitchen before I could make any progress in study department.

Once the kitchen was clean, however, two large mounds of laundry began to taunt me.  One pile was clean, but had yet to be folded and put away.  The second was dirty and was beginning to take up the majority of carpet space in our room.  I just couldn't handle the mess, so I took care of the laundry too.

At that point, I noticed that the sun was shinning.  It had been weeks since my last comfortable outdoor run, so I decided to put in a quick three miles.  I've heard that exercising reduces stress and that exercising outdoors is even better.  That was SOOOOO not the case today.

Feeling the sun on my face was amazing.  Running in the road with traffic while dodging distracted drivers was awful.  My stress levels did not dip at all during this run.  If anything, I developed two new serious grievances.  The first is against Spokanistan.  Although the streets are mostly clear of snow at the moment, the sidewalks cease to exist.  The snowplows have successfully buried the sidewalks under a good foot of snow/ice, meaning that pedestrians must walk on the shoulder of the road with traffic.  Pardon me for being persnickety, but did you not pass an ordinance, City-O-Spokanistan, requiring that "Owners and occupants of premises shall keep the sidewalk areas adjacent to any portion of the real property (including corners) free and clear of snow and/or accumulations of snow or ice?" (Spokane Municipal Code 12.02.010).  I do believe this would require you, dear city of mine, to ensure that the sidewalks in front of the city owned soccer fields are clear.

I can imagine that shoveling sidewalks is a pain, but it is required by law and it is just the right thing to do.  During my run, I passed a number of individuals trying to get to a bus stop who decided that they'd rather walk in traffic than risk a broken neck from walking on the ice path formerly known as the sidewalk.  I can't say I blame them.  After a few near wipe-outs, I gave up on the side walks and ran on the road as well.

This leads me to my second grievance: distracted mother drivers.  I had to jump up on the ice covered curb not once, but TWICE due to female drivers turning to pay attention to something happening in the backseat of their cars instead of paying attention to where they were going.  If they are going to outlaw cellphone use while driving even though the driver is perfectly capable of keeping both eyes on the road while making a call, then I firmly believe that small children should also be banned from vehicles unless there is a second adult present who can attend to their needs.  If your child isn't choking, I think they will survive with out your attention until you get to your Mommy-and-Me Play Date. 

I studied for a few hours when I got back.  There are a TON of rules to memorize for my next exam and I'm not certain I'll be prepared to know them all by Friday morning.  It doesn't help when the professor lets you know in advance that her tests are so hard that the highest scoring person will likely only answer 50% of the questions correctly.  Great.

The organization I've been volunteering with this semester held its annual fundraiser tonight.  They hosted a benefit performance of White Christmas and a beautiful reception.  I arrived a few hours before the performance to help set up and I watched the first act, but I decided to head home at intermission.  The show was spectacular, but I could hardly enjoy it while the exceptions to the hearsay rule kept popping into my head.  Darn you law school!!!

Tomorrow will be a total marathon memorization session to see how much info I can cram into my brain.  Thankfully, I've already erased most of what I learned in Con Law so there should be some spare room.  Have a great night!

Day 56- Not Now

Other than going to bed early with a killer headache, today was a pretty great day.  Like most Tuesdays, I taught my two dance classes.  This was the last time the classes would meet before the winter break, so the girls were encouraged to bring their families and friends to watch.  I taught each class a short routine to perform for their families.  My little girls were simply adorable and my advanced tappers were fantastic!

After dance, I printed off some study material at GU and hurried up to Zumba.  Everyone LOVES the Tuesday night instructor and the class is always packed.  I had a great time dancing, but my arms were killing me and I couldn't figure out why.  They hurt so bad that I considered bailing halfway through the class.  It wasn't until the drive home that I realized it must have been Yoga from the night before that left me so sore.  Although you don't realize it at the time, you do a lot of push ups in Yoga as you transition from different poses.  OUCH.

I plopped down on the couch to watch Glee, started to get a headache and went to bed.  Charlie stayed late to study at school and apparently called me after I was asleep.  I am fully capable of having complete conversations in my sleep, but it sounds like all I said before hanging up on him this time was "Not now, already sleeping."  Poor Charlie, it's a good thing he loves me.

Day 55 - Backnobber

May I introduce you to the best invention known to mankind... The Backnobber.  This amazing piece of plastic has changed my life.  I sadly inherited my mother's shoulders, which are hard as rocks.  We both carry all of our stress in our upper backs which results in knots that are nearly impossible to get out.

Charlie tries as best he can to workout the tension in my shoulders, but eventually his hands get sore and I feel bad for transferring my pain to him.  With the Backnobber, I can now massage my own back and pinpoint the exact spots that need work.  I am in love.

I don't mean to suggest that the Backnobber has rendered my husband useless, there are still plenty of reasons to keep him around.  However, the Backnobber has definitely taken over in the massage department.

To use, simply place one end of the Backnobber over one shoulder, find a knot, and apply as much or as little pressure to the other end as you like. TA Da! Instant relief. Thank you Aunt Debi for introducing me to my new best friend.

I finished my Con Law exam and felt pretty "ok" about the end result.  You just never know what the professor will be thinking when they grade your exam, so I will be pleased as long as I pass and keep my scholarship.

I napped most of the rest of the day and then went to yoga.  Yoga is NOT easy, but I am starting to love it.  I absolutely needed the stretching portion of yoga tonight, because my muscles were TIGHT!  Between yoga and the Backnobber, I'm feeling relaxed and ready for bed.  8 more days!  Peace.

Day 54 - It starts...

Tomorrow is my first final, so it is highly likely that my blog posts will be short and less exciting for the next 9 days.  I keep reminding myself of that wonderful number.  9.  In 9 days this semester will be over.  9 days and I will be on winter break.  9 days and there will once again be joy in my life.  Sadly, within those 9 days are 3 finals.

The first is constitutional law.  I can't particularly say this is an area that electrifies my desire to practice law.  I suppose it's good I'm getting it out of the way first.

I hit the gym this morning to workout some of my pre-finals nervous energy.  I did the stair machine for 45 min, but it felt like 3 hours.  After all the leg work I did the day before, my poor gams were begging for mercy 5 minutes in to the sweat session.  And trust me, there was sweat.  My hair looked I had just taken a shower by the time I was done.  I may not have been attractive or pleasantly scented as I left the gym, but everyone whose senses I infiltrated knew I worked hard.

The rest of the day has been spent immersed in my notes.  I met with some friends at a bakery to study for a few hours, studied at home for a few hours, studied with Charlie and Jefferey at GU for a few hours and here I am back home about to study for a few more hours.  They really could turn this day into blockbuster movie.

I hope your week includes zero finals.  If you do have a few, I hope they are as painless as possible.  Have a great week!

Day 53 - Hello Sunshine

The sun made a much overdue appearance today!  I shouldn't need to post such things as if they were worthy of celebrating, but that's how long the sun has been gone.  No need for the happy lamp today!

I've got a Constitutional Law final on Monday, so may day primarily consisted of studying the separation of powers, dormant commerce clause, McCulloch v. Maryland, etc.  Jealous?

After 2 days of inactivity, I made sure to get to the gym this morning and was even able to talk the hubs into coming.  Again, not something I should have to report as newsworthy.  I ran another 5 miles with sprint intervals and then did a few squats with the bar.  Umm... ouch.  I'm really looking forward to trying to get of my chair tomorrow.  It should be an adventure.

Today was Apple Cup.  That's all I feel like saying about that.

We also dj'ed another dance at Central Valley High.  Those kids are awesome.  We've been really disappointed with some of the schools we've been to lately, but we are always excited to do CV.  The kids are respectful, energetic and don't simulate sex acts on the dance floor.  God bless them.

I've got a lot to review/learn tomorrow, so I'm going to turn off my brain and go to bed.  Goodnight!

Day 52 - Broken Promises

So I promised myself that I would keep exercise a priority throughout finals to help combat stress...  Broken promise number 1.  I only taught dance on Tuesday and didn't get to the gym at all on Thursday or Friday.  Also, I made a promise to myself at the beginning of this blog that I would post at the end of each day.  Broken promise number 2.  By the time we got home, I was way to exhausted to recap the happenings of the day.

The day started with my last class of the semester!  WAHOO!!!  I then enjoyed lunch with my friend Lauren.  She's ditching us and heading back home for the last year and a half of law school.  I'm going to miss her terribly, but am proud of her for making the escape.

Later in the afternoon, I took some nuns to the grocery store.  Yes, you read that correctly.  There were 6 who wanted to go, so I had to make a few trips back and forth.  I studied for a few more hours, proclaimed to Charlie that there was no way I was cooking and suggested we find a good burger somewhere.

The Cougs were playing, so we decided to have dinner at the Q at the Northern Quest Casino to watch the game and their JUMBO screen.  That thing is huge.  So are their portion sizes.  The bacon avocado burger I ordered was much larger than necessary, but I managed to finish it.

After watching the Cougars lose in the final seconds of the game and losing $14 to the casino, we went home feeling like... losers.  Oh well, at least we were losers together.  Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Day 51 - Dull

I won't waste your time tonight with the monotonous details of my boring day.  The only thing worth reporting is that, for the first time in a long while, it did not snow.  Hopefully tomorrow will hold more adventure and/or excitement.

Day 50 - Going Global

So apparently this blog has gone global.  I check the blog stats periodically to see if people are still reading, and today I found out that you can see what countries your readers are from.  As it turns out, a few of you are checking in from Denmark, Canada and the UK.  There have also been visitors from Malaysia, South Korea and Russia.


If you happen to be reading this from somewhere outside the U.S., leave me a comment sometime.  I'd love to hear from you!

In honor of reaching day 50, I'd like to share a few successes.  First, I can now run for 45 minutes without serious concerning of passing out.  Second, pilates and yoga no longer frighten me AND I am starting to learn how to do the zen breathing nonsense without giggling.  Third, I no longer have to suck it in to zip up my jeans!  HOORAY!!!  That's what I call progress!

Today was more of the same.  Studying for finals, class and finishing my paper.  Although, I did get to take my first law school field trip.  My Comparative Women's Rights class visited a local museum with an exhibit on Women's Suffrage in Washington.  It was very interesting and I hope to be able to go back after finals.

I didn't make it to Pilates (with weights) this morning, but I made up for it by going to PiYo tonight.  It was EXACTLY what I needed.  My muscles have been tight from the cold and not properly stretching after exercising, so the Yoga portion of PiYo helped stretch me back out.  Plus, I got a killer core workout thanks to the pilates portion.  I walked away from the class feeling calm.  Given the amount of stress associated with this time of the year, I am thinking I need to go to PiYo more often!  If you're in Spokanistan, take it slow in the morning.  That slush is going to freeze and make things a slippery nightmare.  Be safe and have a great night!

Day 49 - Break?

I am SOOOOO ready for a break from everything!  Although I can feel that I'm getting physically stronger, I am mentally exhausted. 

Besides working on my CWR paper, today I watched a ridiculous amount of snow fall and taught my dance classes.  My little dancers couldn't have been cuter if they tried.  The snow prevented a few girls from coming to class and I really enjoyed being able to give the girls who did come some individual attention.  If I was the kidnapping type, I definitely would have brought one of the girls home as my new daughter. 

And then there's my advanced tappers.  They totally crack me up.  They're 100% pre-teens and it shows.  They get so nervous and embarassed, but at the same time have no trouble sassing off.  I fully support a playful banter in my class, because I would much rather them be goofy and playful than bored to death.  For example, one of my girls said "Ugh, I just keep doing it on the wrong foot" after not really trying to correct her mistake.  My reply was "You know what the solution is?  Just do it right next time."  She looked at me shocked, giggled and then tried again.  Teaching dance does cut in to my study time, but it has really turned out to be a great outlet for creative side. 


Back to writing.  Have a good night!