Monthly Archives: May 2012

Medical Appts: Bad things come in 3’s

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Hi guys. I might pass out while writing this post because I just went through an extensive series of medical mumbo-jumbo. In order to stay in Canada with my man, one of the 40 billion requirements is a medical examination. So, today was the day to get that out of the way.

10:00 am: Arrive at doctor’s office. Fill out paperwork that far surpasses any and all college applications, home ownership and anything else you can think of. Combined.

10:30 am: My name gets called. I look like this:

I’ll give you a snippet of the beginning of the appointment:

Doctor: “Hello, what country are you from?”

Me: “The U.S.”

Doctor: “Do you smoke?”

Me: “No”

Doctor: “Take off your top”

……and then he stamped a few things and I was on my way. That cost $140. If I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure I could make $140 taking my top off at a lot of other places. But that’s neither here nor there.

11:00am: Arrive at location #2; Radiology. Apparently they also need X-rays of my chest. (Guess Canada’s a boob guy)

11:01 am: I was called in. Seriously, point for Canada and like no wait times in a doctor’s office. Bravo, you guys.

And here’s how that went:

Tech: “Take your top off (again?) and put these on your nipples.

Me: “Uhhhhhh, whaaaat??!!”

(These are what she was referring to):

To avoid any pervi-ness, I must alert you that that is not my chest- it is my wrist. Annnnnd that was another awkward appointment. (Also, $50)

I got a minor break in between appt 2 and 3 so I jetted home for some veggies

And I did a ton of upper body work. I think it was my way of psyching up for what was about to come next. BLOOD.

1 pm: Blood and urine test. I was nervous. I hate needles. This was Tyler’s way of “comforting” me:

Yes, I am pretty tough. And I did work out the day after breaking my foot. But blood and needles? No way Jose.

So, the nursey lady drained my blood, vampire that she was.

Then she gave me the infamous plastic cup and sent me to the washroom. I finished my bizzznazzzz and noticed something was wrong. And here’s how that went:

Me: “Uh, nurse, there’s no label on this cup. I just want to make sure you guys know it’s my pee”

Nurse: (Glancing towards obsiously ‘head’ nurse) “Whaaa? No! Let me see!” (She runs into the bathroom, pulls the cup from that special little cubby and brings it out into the hall. She holds it up for all to see that I ate beets last night.) “Ahhhh no label! I’ll make one now!”

Me: “Please don’t show everyone my pee. Just make sure it’s labeled. I don’t want to have to come back”

Nurse: “No problem. All done. You can leave now.”

Seriously, people. I have been traumatized. At least that last place didn’t want me to take my top off.

Source

And with that, I am off to enjoy the rest of this otherwise dismal day!

Walking the River and failed cornbread. Sigh.

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Yesterday was just your average Hump Day. (I already recapped for you my workout in the last post)

Breakfast was another smoothie bowl (cranberries, bananas, chocolate protein powder and almond milk)

I went back to the library to return my last read, and ended up browsing for a few minutes. I left with three more books. I’m starting with this one:

I am already about 1/3 through and it’s pretty good. The story is about a girl traveling to Burma to find her father that disappeared 4 years earlier.

I ran a few errands in the morning…some of them are top secret, but ONE I will share with you. I brought a bunch of bottles to the bottle return center and I made a whopping $3.30. That can get me about a quart of gas here. Moving on…..

Lunch was another pile of veggies

Layla and I went down to the river and walked around for about an hour or so. The rain has been on and off for the last week, but I really wanted to get her some fresh air. Girlfran got her groove on in that icy water.

We had gone to Bowmont Park where there are some really great trails, off leash areas, and water access. Layla and I even came across some spots that had grassy areas and picnic benches. Noted for better-weather walks!

I have to keep the dang dog on her leash because she would run into the water and never come out. Or she’d run into the woods. Or somewhere -anywhere- that I couldn’t her back. All the other dogs on just about every walk we take are off leash. You’d think she’d get the hint that maybe she should be a little bit more obedient (Insert giant HA! from me)

While we walked, I Skyped with both my parents to just chit chat and show them some of the area we were walking through. Then, this happened:

Yeah, yeah, sure the picture makes that appear much more peaceful than it really was. All of a sudden that thing came out of nowhere. And it was LOUD. So, I started running with Layla away from the train (Still Skyping, mind you). The camera was shaky and I was screaming and the dog was pulling on the leash and darting around every tree. Then the train was gone. Silent. Like it was never there. You’re welcome Mom and Dad for the 2 minute short-action film.

On the way home, I stopped at the store to pick up some dins and I walked out with these puppies:

Dinner turned out pretty OK as well.

Pork tenderloin, applesauce, roasted beets and cornbread.

Unfortunately, the cornbread turned out to be too salty (I think I may have accidently put 1 tbsp of baking soda instead of 1 tsp. whoops) So that was completely inedible. Bummer) Otherwise, it was a pretty satisfying meal. I had rubbed the tenderloin in basil, s&p, cooked on a skillet for about 1 min each side, then roasted at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Perfection, if I do say so myself.

Quick notes: Survivor was good. I hate Kim with a firey passion, and Revenge was PVR’d (that’s what Canadians call DVR. pff).

This morning’s workout was 45 minutes of at-home kickboxing, followed by 15 minutes of upper body strength (as if kickboxing isn’t an upper body workout. HA!)

I am off to a medical exam (for immigration. EW I want to barf. I hate doctors) then a blood test (again for immigration. Again EW and AGAIN I want to barf.) I know for a fact that I will pass out when they try to stick me with a needle. I am getting nervous just typing this. Insert Heebie Jeebies NOW. ahglishdslkajsflkhdgs WISH ME LUCK!

I made balls…and other topics

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As promised, here is the recipe from last night’s dinner (from Eights and Weights)

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • 1/4 c breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp soy milk (I used almond)
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 2 gloves garlic (I used minced garlic)
  • Grated veggies (I used carrots)
  • 1 pack of whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 28 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 onion (I used 1/2)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degress and spray baking sheet with the cooking spray

2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, parmesan, milk, egg, black pepper, thyme, 1/2 clove garlic, grated veggies, and half the salt

3. Once combined, form into balls (I did 12 medium sized)

4. Baked for about 15 minutes, until balls are browned.

5. For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add in the onion and rest of the garlic. Right as it browns, add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and the rest of the salt. (I threw in a little chili powder as well)

6. Let the sauce simmer. When the meatballs are done, carefully add them to the sauce and allow at least an additional 15 minutes of simmering before serving (I had them simmer about 45 minutes. The longer, the better)

7. Cook the spaghetti per the directions on the box. Top readied spaghetti with balls and sauce and dinner is served.

******

Ok now that we’re done with that, I’d like to give a shout out to Athena for the workout she posted from her Tuesday night class (Oh how I miss Two a Day Tuesdays. Not only for the workouts, but for the peeeeeeople!)

I started with 10 minutes of HIIT on the spin bike, then got right to it.

There were 2 rounds of tabatas. Then cardio after each round. I chose to do a minute of cardio between each tabata for a little extra punch.

Round 1

  • On the bosu: Pushups/Burpees
  • With a medicine ball: Woodchops/Pulses
  • Bands: Bicep curls (In and out)

Round 2

  • On the bosu: Planks/Mountain Climbers
  • With a medicine ball: Front lunges w/twist
  • Bands: Tricep extensions

Then I did all the ab work she posted. (Seriously, just check out her post-linked above- for a more complete description).

Last, I hopped on the elliptical for another 10 minutes of HIIT.

It was a GREAT workout. I swallowed so much salty sweat. (Gross. Cringe. Barf. TMI- I know)

Only difference in my workout from Athena’s was the music selection. She chose to go with a Cinco de Mayo theme. Me: not so much. I have been hearing way too much techno-y/pop-y music lately, that I needed me some rap, hop-hop and otherwise ‘thuggy-thug’ music. (This is no offense to anyone by referring to it as ‘thuggy-thug.’ I just think it’s an amusing way to get the vibe across.) Little Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Kayne, Snoop and Notorious all made appearances on my playlist this am. I gotta tell ya, that music really revs my engine.

On the way to the gym I heard this song and I got really amped to work out. It really just makes me wanna dance and twist and shake and shimmy. Please tell me that you clicked on the link. And that as soon as the music played, you started bobbing your head or rocking your shoulders back and forth. Admit it. Because that’s what I’m doing. RIGHT NOW. Of course I’m playing it on repeat until I finish this post.

Then, on the way back, I heard this song. It was my very first favorite song that wasn’t and oldie or a Disney tune. Total throwback. Not gonna lie, I have used it quite a few times in playlists for classes I ran in Boston. Best part was when someone in the class would be like “Aww man, great tune” They scored 50 points in my book.

Ok, on to address the notes I left for myself in the last post.

1) Lululemon Swimsuits.

(Source)

I’m pretty sure I am going to buy all of them. I went to the mall yesterday just to “visit” them and I fell in love. Tyler, are you reading? Your lady wants a swimsuit. The gal who freaked out at the Hot Springs 2 weeks ago because of the dreaded bathing suit wearing…WANTS A NEW SUIT. I suggest you take that as a hint.

2) Calgary Beerfest

(Source)

I got tickets for Tyler and I for Friday night. Very excited. VERY. There are so many new-to-me beers that are going to be there. I know, it’s a tough job trying all of them, but I feel I am up to the challenge. A lot of these Canadian beers have rivaled my favorites from the states, and some of them have been just awful. I checked out the list of who will be there, and some of my new faves are..so I’ll at least have some backup.

3) Copycat blogging. I’m actually in a good mood today, so I don’t want to bring myself down if I really get into this topic. Next!

4) At home workouts. I used to hate doing at home workouts because I either didn’t have the space or didn’t have the equipment. But now, I totally love them. I have my own room that I can sweat to my heart’s content. I’ve got my mat, my stability ball and my new weights. So many options.

5) How much I hate washing dishes. The end. I just hate it.

6) Positives and negatives of being a lefty. Positives: I got on a lot of sports teams growing up. I got the lefty desk in school. Negatives: Coaches had a hard time teaching me the ‘opposite’ way. I smudge over pretty much everything I write.

I know there are more, but I can’t think of them right now. I think I just wrote that on my list last night because I had completely smudged up some important paperwork. #fail

7) Sleeping positions. On my belly or on my side. If I am drunk, I sleep on my back with my arms over my head. Totally weird.

8) Favorite chapsticks/lip glosses/what-have-yous. Chapstick: Carmex. But only in the classic stick and only in the original and cherry flavors. Strawberry? Blughk. Lip gloss: Benefit Ultra Shines. I have had just about every color and love every single one of them. What have yous: Exude Lipstick. I have the lip cream in Nude- I got it from my Birchbox a few months ago (which I had to cancel when I moved because they don’t deliver to Canada! Tears, people. Tears.)

This should be sufficient reading for you all for now..There’s a lot more to get done today!

Anyone want to rant/rave on anything? I’m all ears!

This post was not done on my computer. Poo

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So I just checked my stats and someone from Australia read my blog today. Pretty awesome.

Let’s recap today, shall we?

I was up and at ’em at 7am and headed to the gym. Look how ecstatic I am:

Since I did a lot of strength yesterday, I decided to keep today’s workout simple. I did 61 minutes of intervals on the elliptical. No typo there- 61 minutes…why? Because the dang machine reset (or so I thought) and I had to add the time I thought was left to complete a full hour. I was off by a minute, and the machine didn’t reset, so it showed I did one minute extra than intended. Go me.

They open the cafe at my gym just as I am getting there in the morning and they are brewing coffee and engaging in other shenanigans, and more often than not, sugary yum yum treats with scents so delicious waft up to the workout floor (it’s right above the cafe with an open-air entrance) and I have one of two reactions:

1) Barf

2) Want a sugary yum yum treat.

Seriously, bad layout plan.

Once I got home, I made a breakfast similar to yesterday.. Except this time I used frozen bananas, chocolate protein powder and almond milk. Honey Nut Cheerios made another appearance.

Ahh, it was so good, and so filling. Only downfall is that it makes me cold all over. In addition to a rainy day and my sweat starting to cool down- I was in a bad place. So, the only cure was to take a hot bath. A REALLY hot bath.

60 minutes later, I was pruney and had completed my library book. (#forthewin)

(Here is where I tried tirelessly for 20 minutes to insert a picture of the cover and source the site from which I obtained said picture, but the stupid internets is not behaving and I did not want to omit the link. blahhhh)

Anyhoo, it was a good book. Super easy read…perfect for a rainy day/tub time.

Lunch was another batch of vegetable stir fry. Love me some veggies. Definitely got my daily requirement in this meal!

Why that picture is small, I don’t know. But I am using Tyler’s laptop, so that might be the reason. Sad to say, but I have almost completely forgotten how to use anything but Macs. I was only using one on a daily basis at work no more than two months ago! Oh well, I guess the memory chooses what it wishes to remember…

I am now about to show you a picture of my nail color. Ugh, I am so frustrated because my nails are so short. I got fidgety the other day doing paperwork and I cut them all off. Le sigh. But this color is cool, so it should distract you from the scary boyish nail length.

Again, small picture. Back to the Mac tomorrow!!!!!

The afternoon was spent at the mall for some top secret stuff. But, I did my awesome Jen thing and chatted up the sales associate at one store and scored some free samples! I can’t tell you what they are samples of, because it will ruin the surprise of what I was purchasing. I will let you use your imagination for what the heck I could have possibly gotten. Any guesses would be appreciated in the comments, thanks.

Oh, and I also got probably the most awesome message from one of my besties today.

This is what I’m known for, folks. Ridiculous consumption of all nut butters. I am sad to say it has been near a week since I have had any. It’s too expensive here. Would anyone like to send me some…perhaps from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s? I promise that if you do, I will send you some homemade cookies!! 😉

Dinner was homemade sauce and turkey meatballs with whole wheat pasta.

Since I can’t link from this computer (insert mad face here) I will share with you the recipe tomorrow. Here’s a teaser: there are shredded carrots in the balls! So delicious and nutritious. (#forthewin….. AGAIN)

We watched a movie after dinner, and a tummyache kicked in. Nothing to do with dinner, folks. That’s all I’m saying. It’s not cold in here, but I watched the movie like this

There are a few other things I’d like to discuss, but this tummyache is taking precedent. Below are the topics (these are for my notes because I don’t have a pen and paper nearby, and I am too lazy to jot them down in my phone.)

  • Lululemon swimsuits
  • Calgary Beerfest
  • Copycat blogging (Ugh, I know I am totally going to poorly express my thoughts on this one, but it has been bothering me lately, so I would like to write about it nonetheless)
  • At home workouts
  • How much I hate washing dishes
  • Positives and negatives of being a lefty
  • Sleeping positions
  • Favorite chapsticks/lip glosses/what-have-yous

Ta ta for now!