Awesome workout!

I just had a great SPX workout with Dean! It was so challenging and I felt awesome during (mostly) and after. The best part, though, was the mimosas afterwards! The studio does this once a month (apparently? News to me!) and it was SO NICE to talk to people afterwards. It was really mellow and I enjoyed the conversation so much! Both classes that I take regularly are quite tough and people don't interact during the class b/c it's pretty self-driven and consuming.

I do wish that it was easier to make friends as adults. As cool as the people were, I still don't know any of their names. I was talking to Mechen about this and for me, it seems that this occurs because our lives are already so packed that to make room for more is difficult, especially when I feel I already shortchange existing friendships due to work constraints, etc.

Well, there's always next month!

Week 8 round-up!

This week, I slept in three different beds in three different places! Although I am trying to impart a degree of scandal and intrigue to my blog (perhaps in an attempt to seem more Downton Abbey-ish?), it is much more boring than that.

So, this week. T-1 week until the inservice that I feel woefully underprepared for. Le sigh. It's hard to motivate when I did so well last year but I keep trying to remind myself that the reason I did well because I studied all the FREAKING TIME in February. Oh, well, no time like the present to make up for it. Apart from posting this update, going to Pilates and maybe...watching the Oscars red carpet?

I also house-sat at Suzi's place in Coronado. It was great to have such a short commute. I didn't bike around as much as I wanted but we walked around "downtown" on Orange St near the Del. Leroy's Lounge (or Le Roy's, according to Mechen), has great food and drink although I'm really averse to the name Leroy for some reason.

Brooke's 31st birthday was on Thursday and we had a pre-party in a Hard Rock Hotel suite followed by Cafe Sevilla's salsa lesson/dance Thursday. It was really a LOT of fun. I fell off my healthy eating/diet bandwagon hard thanks to Sprinkles cupcakes but I got right back on the next day. I really need to figure out a way to manage nights out better!

Ok, off to read one more Oto review article before going to Pilates.

Product Placement!

Oh my gosh! I found a new love! Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter. I bought two today in Plum and Candy Apple!

I was at the Exchange today and have been on the lookout. Embarrassingly, it was the ad that really caught my attention because Emma Stone is the face of the campaign and I really like her look plus our coloring is similar so I feel like I can gauge which colors may work.

The two colors I've bought both look really good. The feel is sort of like a buttery chapstick and not sticky at all. It feels like it would rub off quickly which makes me lick my lips and accelerate the process. The plum is more appropriate for work and the candy apple for outside due to its more pronounced color. Nothing is as ridiculously thick as my MAC matte red, but I feel like the lip butter is a good compromise as a day red as opposed to a slightly overdramatic, nighttime color.

I've tried several types of lip color- Burt's Bees, CoverGirl lipslicks, Nars lipgloss and this by far is my favorite. I like the feel, slightly heavier color and the price!

Week 7 recap

Hmmm, at some point, my erratic blogging scheduled caused me to drop a week in my weekly recaps. All the information has been included thus far. I do tend to lose steam with ideas and themes but I do want to continue this format so...

Mechen and I had a great time at the Pearl. The room was nice- clean and pretty budget, but it definitely makes the retro theme work. We went to Jimmy's All American Bar and Grill for some late afternoon day drinking followed by dinner at the Pearl. Our food and drinks were pretty good. The next morning, we went to the Mission for brunch which was delicious! I definitely missed that place. They have some great Cali-Mex breakfasts. Mechen got Los Locos which included egg, beans, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocado and flour tortillas. It was DELICIOUS! I had strawberry-banana pancakes. We traded our plates back and forth but next time at the Mission, I may forgo the sweet part of our usual sweet-savory brunch pairing.

This past week was pretty great in the OR. I really have been feeling pretty good with my skills and even better, I feel like I'm always picking up a few tips and tricks. This past Friday, I got to repair an orbital floor fracture with a KLS resorbable plate and it was AWESOME! I did the whole approach and plate placement myself!

Last night, Mechen, Brady and I went out to Leroy's Kitchen and Bar. Or as Mechen calls it, "Le Roy's." The food was pretty good. Delicious clams and a beat salad were the definite highlights. The grilled cheese and tomato bisque dish was good but SO TINY! Mechen called it a sandwich for elves. It was a little frustrating. But very good. Mechen had an artisan sausage he liked and Brady had a pretty good mac 'n' cheese. All of the dishes were tasty, but we all definitely had our preferences although I think the clams were #1 for all.

Today is SUCH a lazy Sunday. I went into round this morning and have been quite bummish today. Mechen and I are house-sitting in Coronado and we're going for a bike ride later.

3-4-5 keep the diaphragm alive!

Just breathe! Not that things have been overly stressful lately but my schedule's been pretty packed and there have been a few late nights at work.

To catch up...

Right after Wicked Spoon.  This is posed, but still!

Vegas was so much fun but my friend Brooke was right, two days is enough! We stuffed ourselves almost to the point of being ill at Wicked Spoon. The food was delicious and we were starving since it was two and we hadn't eaten apart from a split breakfast pastry. We had also worked out. So when we sat down to eat, we WAY overshot our stomachs' comfort zones. Holy hell, I felt so full.

O was amazing. I loved the show and the athleticism and amazing ability of the performers was unreal. There was an amazing solo trapeze artist. There was an awesome scene with three back-and-forth swings that performers kept launching off of into the pool. The high divers took my breath away since I would be SO SCARED to ever dive off of a 10m platform. Fun fact: I didn't pass the "advanced beginner" swim class for months because I was so scared to dive from a standing position. From the pool edge! Scaredy cat younger me!

Sisters!

Outside the Bellagio

There was another neat scene where this ship in the air was like a big back-and-forth swing and there were several trapeze artists on it. I really loved the show and I am definitely a seat snob now. Even though good seats cost money, they are worth it! Mom and Dad got the tickets for Brady and I as combo birthday gifts which was really sweet of them (and generous!). We called them the next day and really, who calls her parents from Vegas?  This girl!

Everything was decorated for Chinese New Year, especially this flower child we named Mr. Bedonk-a-donk!

See!  Total Bedonk!

That night, we went to Marque night club then played 25 cent roulette until 0630. Hello, problem alert! We lost a fair bit of money on the $5 real table so we were nursing our wounds on the 25 cent from then on out. On those machines by the end of the vacation, we broke exactly even. Le sigh. Gambling is not for me!

We are in Paris now!

We are le cranky and le tired!  But still in Vegas, so rally!

 That day, we were both a teeny bit cranky from lack of sleep. We went to Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast, walked around the Bellagio, hung out at the pool and went to the Cosmopolitan one last time. We took our flight home and I was le pooped! Overall, really fun but a place that I only need in small doses.



That next week, took two pilates classes and had a Super Bowl party. I made healthy potato skins, baked chicken wings, oven fried carnitas and delicious Guinness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting. Oh, yum! And the game was great. Several of my friends came over. That whole weekend, I wasn't called in once- hooray!

This past week was another busy one but lots of great laser cases in the OR. I'll have a total of 3 SPX classes this week (the third is tomorrow) and one 6 mile run (today). I need to get Barry's back into my schedule. I have excuses but I need to make it work!

Tomorrow, Mechen and I are taking a San Diego stay-cation. We're going to the Pearl hotel for the night and I cannot wait. Mechen and I have not spent enough time together recently and I need some quality time with my guy! Granted, he's been on a business trip this week so there's a reason but still...I'm excited for our getaway!

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

I love Brandon Flowers and I love Las Vegas! Brady and I arrived last night on a 7 o'clock flight from SD. We took a shuttle, aka mini-Strip tour, to the Bellagio which is pretty awesome! We checked in and headed out for dinner because we were hungry!

We headed over to the Cosmopolitan b/c while the Bellagio is beautiful and pretty awesome, it's a little old with regards to the vibes we were getting from the restaurants. We went to The China Poblano, a restaurant by Jose Andres. I had two delicious margaritas and we split some awesome dim sum and a DELICIOUS queso fundido. Then we walked around, tried to see the fountains (which were off for the night) and met two guys from Sweden that we hung out for a bit before turning in at 2 a.m! Sagoy!

I'm happy we stayed up so late b/c I want to be on Las Vegas time for tonight. We are going to see O, have dinner and then head out to a nightclub- maybe Marquee at the Cosmopolitan?

Today is already off to a great start since we worked out at the hotel gym. I'm so happy that I did b/c I hadn't run all week so it was nice to keep up my conditioning although I felt a little on the dehydrated/sweating alcohol side of the things. But I got some good intervals in at 8.5/9.5 every 3 minutes for 24 minutes. This week was light on the workouts- I had a SPX/4 mile run double workout on Sunday then nothing until SPX Friday morning.

Now, we're showering up to head out to buffet land. It's amazing how Las Vegas feels like a cruise ship- shows, food everywhere and casinos randomly in the middle of things so you have to walk through.

Week 2/3

I'm not sure if I'm in love with the numbered week format, but at least it will keep me semi-honest in trying to update things regularly. The last post highlighted what we did in week 2. Add a little football on Sunday and that about wraps it up.

This past week was pretty standard. I've been doing really well with making my workouts and I am really loving SPX Pilates. It's a total ass-kicker though but I feel so much stronger and toned, even after ~8 classes. I'm really interested to see if that whole Joseph Pilates quote is true- paraphrased "feel better in 10, look better in 20, new body in 30." I'll definitely keep you posted.

Last night, Mechen, Shelby, Zheng and I went to Whisknladle for restaurant week. I love that restaurant. It was really delicious although really rich- my stomach hurt last night. I think all the buttery deliciousness of my Steelhead trout dish did me in. But it was so fun to have a couple double date.

Tonight, we're going to a Chinese New Year's party. Tomorrow is brunch club at Urban Solace followed by some more football. I'm on call for Super Bowl weekend but I may still host a Super Bowl party anyway!