tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47623295392594821542024-03-06T00:04:57.602-08:00Life as I know ItMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-77276393392820098462012-02-16T09:57:00.000-08:002012-02-16T09:57:59.873-08:00Belated Valentines DayHow could I forget to update on <i>Valentines Day</i>!? Me. Of all people! The one who annoyingly updates on every "cute", sappy, who-cares-you're-grossly-in-love date. I'm ashamed.<br />
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...well, <strike>un</strike>fortunately for you, I'm about to do a quick wrap up! (<a href="http://thebeautifuladventure.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a>, I know you're <i>dying</i> for this update ;) )<br />
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The boy came to visit me in PA this past weekend so we could celebrate V-day, but mostly because we hadn't seen each other since I started the semester (it was a looong 3 weeks, people). Friday night we went to a friends house and mingled for a while before coming back to my apartment and getting some shut-eye.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">AKA I did weird things and he bro-ed it up with my friends.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday we visited the King of Prussia mall, had some lunch, then got back just in time to get ready and go to dinner. It ended up snowing, which made it <i>look</i> really pretty out, but walking in town was less than fun. Good thing dinner made up for it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aww how cute ;) Except we match...again. We're terrible (or really good) at picking out clothes. We <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2011/09/perfect-weekend.html" target="_blank">always seem to match</a>!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We ate dinner at Nonna's, a fantastic Italian restaurant in town. If you haven't been there and live in this area, I highly recommend it. We both got handmade ravioli - shrimp and something else that I forgot for him and red pepper and goat cheese with jumbo lump crab meat for me. Absolutely delicious! The camera on my phone is currently out of commission, so I wasn't able to take any pics!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">He also picked me up orange roses (my favorite color) and bought me a <i>beautiful</i> necklace. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://www.valueflora.com/cheapflowers/media/gbu0/prodsm/ORANGE_SMALL.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(picture from google)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Isn't it beautiful!? I can't wait to wear it tonight when the roomies and I go to P.F. Changs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, after a great weekend I guess it's only natural for the rest of the week to be crazy! Off to <strike>conquer</strike> <strike>take on</strike> <strike>handle</strike> deal with the rest of the day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! Hang in there for the rest of the week!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-30799786280326021952012-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:002012-02-15T13:30:26.566-08:00InfinityThere's something about the infinity symbol that draws me right in. Such a simple twist of an oval, a sideways "8". It's almost uninteresting to look at. No intricate design, no beautiful pattern of twists and turns that makes you think, "how did they come up with that?", no real depth. Just an oval pinched in at the center.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="infinity" height="193" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/280630620500029001_TEXkcsCD_f.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
Maybe it's the meaning behind the symbol that gets me every time. To know that the figure means hope, faith, love, grace, dreams, pain, heartache, anything you want it to mean. Anything you're feeling at <i>that time</i> is held inside of this effortless twist. One day it could represent the <a href="http://www.dogeared.com/small-oxidized-infinite-love-necklace" target="_blank">infinite love</a> you're feeling at the moment, and the next day it's a mere reminder to keep pushing through no matter just how much you're struggling.<br />
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It's a new beginning or a continuation of the path you're currently on. The love you'll always feel or the love you <a href="http://www.dogeared.com/small-oxidized-infinity-necklace" target="_blank">used</a> to feel. It's that thing inside you, the burning passion you have, the flame that will never go out. Maybe I'm just looking too far into it. Maybe it is simply just an ordinary shape that got bent in translation and that's all. But every time I see the symbol I think of something else. At the end of the day, some things remain the same a midst all the craziness and chaos. And life will <i>always</i> go on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/No8e0OE9QAU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-80765228410873417442012-02-09T09:06:00.000-08:002012-02-09T09:06:06.204-08:00Tips for a Wanna-Be Long Distance RunnerAs I said in a previous post, long distance running is just <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2012/01/sooo-not-distance-runner.html" target="_blank"><i>not </i>my thing</a>. I've been trying to iron out some of the kinks that prevent me from getting the distance I desire. The first thing I had to do was decide what my <i>problems</i> were and go from there.<br />
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I've been doing a lot of trial and error things lately and I <i>think </i>I've found a few things that work pretty well. I hope one or two of these tips can aid in getting you underway to beating the long distance rut!<br />
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1. <b>Make it interesting</b>. One of my biggest problems is boredom. Running outside is a little easier to get distracted by the run because of the scenery around. Going down different streets and getting somewhat lost totally helps with passing the time. As for running on the treadmill - that's where the boredom kicks in. Try people watching. Basically just look around and (i know this is bad) judge what people are doing. Make up stories about them in your head, look how ridiculous they're shirt looks. Maybe even envy their fresh new Nikes. Anything to get the run off your mind a bit.<br />
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2. <b>Create a <u>killer</u> playlist.</b> I don't know about you, but when I'm down to crappy playlists that I've had forever, it definitely puts a damper on my run. I'm unmotivated, I don't want to be there and I find myself being okay with running a little less that day because my song choices are just not up to par. Spend some time before you hit the gym making a playlist that's going to make you want to keep going.<br />
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3. <b>Run for time, not distance.</b> I know this seems like a bit of contradiction because I'm supposedly giving you tricks to go a longer distance. However, If you're constantly focusing on <i>how far you've gone</i> you may get a little discouraged. Instead, say to yourself, "Today I'm going to run for 15 minutes at ___ mph." Don't look at the mileage until those 15 minutes are done. If you're still not satisfied after the 15 minutes, say "I'm going to run for 7 more minutes at the same pace". You'll be surprised with how far you can go with a little goal setting.<br />
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4. <b>Gradually increase your time and speed.</b> Try doing a day-by-day schedule. If you're just starting out, maybe decide that Monday you'll run at a speed of 5.5 for 15 minutes. Tuesday push that to 17.5 minutes, and then Wednesday maybe to 20 minutes. After increasing the time, stay at that time and increase the speed. By gradually doing this, you'll be setting goals day by day and meeting them as you make them. Make sure not to set goals that are <i>too</i> unrealistic.<br />
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5. <b>Run the length of songs.</b> This is one I just tried the other day. It's basically one step up from tip #3 ties in with tip #2. Rather than running for <i>time</i>, run for the length of songs. So, for example, run 3 songs lengths at 7.0, 2 songs at 7.5, one song at 8, then 2 songs at 6.5. You'll be <i>really</i> surprised at how far you've ran when you're focusing on the songs rather than the <i>length</i> or <i>time</i> you've ran.<br />
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6. <b>Try not to get discouraged.</b> This is a big one for me. I often get something in my head and automatically either <i>want </i>it so bad (when it comes to clothes, shoes or food) or want to achieve it <i>right away</i> if it's a goal. You have to remember that things like this do not just happen over night. You can't wake up one day and say, "Hey! You now what? After not training one single day, I'm going to run a marathon today!" Great goal, don't get me wrong, but things like that take time and effort to achieve. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.<br />
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These things have really been helping me lately and I hope it gives you some inspiration to try them out and start succeeding in getting past the wanna-be stage and into the "I AM" stage. I'm personally still in the wanna-be stage, but patience is a virtue!<br />
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Here's a song to jump start that killer playlist!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>What are some of your workout/running tips?</i></b></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-59364610579807465942012-01-10T04:21:00.000-08:002012-01-10T04:21:19.637-08:00One YearThis past weekend the boy reached our one-year mark! I can't believe it's been over a year already. Time really flew right on by.<br />
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He took me on the most well thought out date! He started by bringing me a dozen red roses, the first type of flowers he ever got me. Dinner consisted of sushi - the place where we had our first dinner-date. (BTW, we got the Fireball Roll and it was <b>so good. </b>I literally could not get enough of it. Definitely one of the highlights of the date!) The next place he took me was the place <i>I</i> took <i>him </i>back in the day: Sayville Park. It's this park that has a playground, picnic benches, and a small "beach" and little dock. We got there just in time for the sunset and it was absolutely beautiful.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After <i>freezing </i>our butts off, we went and got some Starbucks, one of our frequent date spots and also our first real date. Then we went people watching at a 711, then back to the spot we used to go to chat before he met the parents and was "allowed" to come in. Last but not least, he gave me the movie we went to after Starbucks on our first date:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What a funny first date <i>that</i> was. Hah. Poor movie choice on my part. Not bad at all, just a little awkward for a first date. Anyway, he also took me on a mini shopping spree to Dick's Sporting Goods and I picked out pretty excellent items if I do say so myself. 2 pairs of shorts, a T-shirt, a Nike pullover, a sports bra and a pair of pants! He knows me too well ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night I took him out to a nice dinner at another one of our favorite Italian places. It was absolutely delicious. Of course, we drew out our anniversary like we do with all presents and holidays and made it a 2-day thing. We need to stop doing that! It was an amazing 2 days though - I could not have asked for anything better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my gifts to him was a mix tape (CD). Corny, I know, but it was awesome. Here's one of the songs that was on it:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kind of a funny/joke song. Everyone hates this song but he completely loves it!</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-21530635055957452262012-01-04T22:48:00.000-08:002012-01-04T22:48:34.432-08:00SOOO not a distance runnerLet me start off by saying that I envy you. And by "you" I mean the people that can run at a decent pace for miles and miles without getting bored or out of breath. This is the complete opposite of what I can do. I run for about 5 minutes and I'm already itching to get off the treadmill. Then I'm onto the the next cardio machine for a limited time before I'm bored again. It's a vicious cycle. It really is.<br />
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Not only do I get bored, but I get out of breath relatively quickly! I was a gymnast forever, so it's all short sprints or getting your heart rate up quickly for a short amount of time then coming back down and recovering. Distance was never really my thing. However, now that I am no longer a gymnast, I'm really trying to train myself to become that distance runner I so desperately want to be. Will it ever actually happen? Debatable. It's a work in progress.<br />
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In order to try to combat my treadmill boredness, I've been trying out interval training. All of the changing the speeds/inclines and what not seem to keep me more on my toes (for the most part). Plus, it gives me more of that quick high speed, low rest and recovery that gymnastics gave me. A little comfort never did anyone wrong, right? Eh, it works. I guess that won't reeeealllyyyy get me to that super-duper-marathon-runner status that I want. Like I said: work in progress.<br />
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<b><i>Interval Pyramid Workout </i></b><br />
Today I did a 30 minute interval/pyramid workout. I really liked this one today. The speeds weren't terrible and it gave me a bit more of the running for a longer period of time (kind of...).<br />
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<b>Minutes Speed</b><br />
0-3 4<br />
3-5 5<br />
5-7 6<br />
7-9 7<br />
9-10 8<br />
10-13 4<br />
13-15 5<br />
15-17 6<br />
17-19 7<br />
19-21 6<br />
21-23 5<br />
23-25 4<br />
To wrap up my 30 minute treadmill workout, I did a 5 minute quick sprint, quick recovery interval that included running at 8.0 for 30 seconds then walking at 4.0 for 30 seconds. I ended with a 5 minute cool down after that.<br />
<i>Total miles</i>: <b>3.0</b><br />
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See? 30 minutes to do 3 miles? I need to work on that.<br />
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Here was my favorite song from my workout today:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cZv-yVuvFi4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-70908433565848631982012-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:002012-01-04T08:53:43.811-08:00First of the New YearIt's been a while since I've posted! I keep meaning to, but things just get in the way. One goal for 2012: blog more. However, I'm not going to make this post about the New Year's Resolutions I might not keep. I have a few resolutions tucked away, but they'll be for me. I don't want to put all of these goals for the new year on here because there will probably be a few that are a little outlandish. I don't want to be a failure to all of you! So in the planner (that I don't have just yet) they will go!<br />
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Anyway, here's a little photo re-cap of the last couple weeks of 2011!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Trans-Siberian Orchestra</i></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Gingerbread House</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_OEeVOkMMp9zY6JRSbdajJ1zx5pqhH1SbvyvH8FS_ufMhVobIuVWVYktsQXcpn1a4sEj75PRhaFvlLUJQLy-pY2v8uNm8K8dFKDHYE_rgCIUgpcmKRFSmW36qGQjybAPxf6yhU94ui3O/s1600/P1020547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_OEeVOkMMp9zY6JRSbdajJ1zx5pqhH1SbvyvH8FS_ufMhVobIuVWVYktsQXcpn1a4sEj75PRhaFvlLUJQLy-pY2v8uNm8K8dFKDHYE_rgCIUgpcmKRFSmW36qGQjybAPxf6yhU94ui3O/s400/P1020547.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Christmas</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhludowqgR1fX7ozRFo07Iy-sFdc46kMp1Wuexy9XnALymJsoX56QRmc1gccGwIpWO0P5hieh9et_puTnc5aaF73yBrEhPUAnlMlVSmVCxl_VV5AUucJ2c5RMJYNcM_zcU368ZDuMG-6dG1/s1600/P1020639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhludowqgR1fX7ozRFo07Iy-sFdc46kMp1Wuexy9XnALymJsoX56QRmc1gccGwIpWO0P5hieh9et_puTnc5aaF73yBrEhPUAnlMlVSmVCxl_VV5AUucJ2c5RMJYNcM_zcU368ZDuMG-6dG1/s400/P1020639.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>New Year's</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXP_2e643GXDonbjsfgpymzNv-2oEAgHVCoW-NysYvLUwfyR6Rdxvl8ELT1cHZEOivtK09ZKy_h0oiFAvCcmkVu3c4g0dHK8wvNHkG57L8mLk3FwmnnZxnFKLUFoU5LlBIk4xRUusTmbi/s1600/P1020567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXP_2e643GXDonbjsfgpymzNv-2oEAgHVCoW-NysYvLUwfyR6Rdxvl8ELT1cHZEOivtK09ZKy_h0oiFAvCcmkVu3c4g0dHK8wvNHkG57L8mLk3FwmnnZxnFKLUFoU5LlBIk4xRUusTmbi/s400/P1020567.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It really has been an amazing couple weeks since being home. Other than work, everything has been perfect. Hanging with friends and family, relaxing, eating <i>delicious </i>food. Everything. I couldn't ask for better friends or family. I can't believe how fast this break is going! It's unreal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> As for the rest of my day? Researching a few things (<i>mayyybbeeee</i> part of my resolutions), cleaning my room, going to the gym, then hanging out, probably re-painting my nails. Obviously online browsing for some of <a href="http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/shoes?hf=10001^12001^4294967132&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Running%20Shoes#?ll=en_US&ct=US" target="_blank">these things</a> and maybe <a href="http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/clothing?hf=10001^12002^4294962509&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Tops#?ll=en_US&ct=US" target="_blank">these</a> as well. I'm obsessed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have not yet read The Hunger Games, but I heard it was absolutely fantastic from <i>many</i> people. I'm almost thinking of picking it up and seeing what all the hype is about. I haven't decided yet. Anyway, here's a song that is apparently from the soundtrack. It's T Swift and The Civil Wars. It sounds very Civil-Wars-esque rather than TSwift-esque. I think I like it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>What are you doing today? How were your holidays?</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br />
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</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-88319144614084296232011-12-06T10:43:00.000-08:002011-12-06T10:44:31.515-08:00Coming to an EndWe are <i>slowly</i>, but surely coming to the end of the semester. It's been quite a challenging semester in more ways than one. With school work, extracurriculars, work, and social life (or lack-there-of), I've just been taking things day by day. Honestly, at this point that's all I can do. That's all any of us can really do: take one thing at a time, work your butt off and hope that all of your hard work pays off. There's no use in worrying about things you can't change. You <u>can't</u> change them, so why dwell on it? Work on what you have to do for the next day, work hard and that's all anyone can ever ask.<br />
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To mentally get by I've just been de-stressing by working out. It's the cure to any stress. Promise. I've really been into interval training lately. I tend to get really bored by the treadmill. The monotony sort of gets to me after 10 or so minutes, so the constant changing the pace really keeps me on my toes. Here was today's workout:<br />
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<u>Minutes </u> <u>Speed</u><br />
0-1 4.5<br />
1-2 8<br />
2-3 4.5<br />
3-4 8<br />
4-5 4.5<br />
5-6 8.5<br />
6-7 4.5<br />
7-7 8.5<br />
8-9 4.5<br />
9-10 8.5<br />
10-11 4.5<br />
11-12 9<br />
12-13 4.3 (That .2 really makes a difference!)<br />
13-14 10<br />
14-15 4.0<br />
15-16 8<br />
16-17 4.5<br />
17-18 6<br />
18-19 4.5<br />
19-20 4.0<br />
All of this comes out to about 2 miles. After this I did my everyday ab routine which I will post <i>very</i> shortly! I finished my workout with 5 minutes on the treadmill at 6.0. I sweat away all of my troubles! It was excellent.<br />
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Well, now it's off to clinical. Then dinner and studying my butt off for my 2 tests tomorrow. One day at a time.<br />
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Here's my new favorite workout tune:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cggNqDAtJYU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I posted the full version, which I wasn't going to do. But if you haven't watched it yet this gives you a good excuse! </div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-3577119495867065712011-11-19T16:35:00.000-08:002011-11-19T16:35:01.046-08:00Winding DownThe semester is winding down and I, as well as everyone, have a ton of loose odds and ends that need to get done. This weekend: finishing two papers and starting on a third as well as studying for a massive test I have on Monday. It's been nonstop go-go-go this whole week; I barely had time to even think! Hey, but that's life, right?<br />
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I cannot even begin to display my my excitment for Thanksgiving "break"! I have a jam-packed day on Monday, but I'm going home that night after clinical, so I don't mind at all. I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed in my own house, have my wonderful mom make me delicious treats and meals and hangout with my sister. I can't wait to spend time with my family, the boy, and some friends that I haven't seen since the summer. <br />
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After being home for just about a week with [nearly] nothing to do, it's going to be hard to go back to nonstop work and finals-prep, but I do have a couple things to look forward to: ugly sweater party and good friends. <br />
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Anyway, I hope you all have a superb weekend!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XoPg1EG2AKk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-31462893760667296702011-11-06T16:47:00.000-08:002011-11-06T16:47:06.122-08:00Just Some Randoms1. I had a fantastic weekend. The boy came up and we spent the whole time just laughing and enjoying each other's company. It was so nice to have him here after not seeing him for a couple weeks.<br />
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2. Everyone should go see The Ides of March. It was absolutely <i>excellent</i>! Ryan Gosling and George Clooney were amazing as ever in this film. It was action packed, there were twists and turns, and definitely kept my interest. So worth the money!<br />
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3. Thanksgiving is so soon, but not soon at all. It's really only a little over 2 weeks away, and I'm actually going home even sooner than that, but I just have so much to do until then that it feels like the much needed holiday will never get here. I can't wait for everything about it.<br />
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4. New York Chinese food is <i style="font-weight: bold;">way </i>better than Pennsylvania Chinese food. Hands down.<br />
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5. I really love soup. It's one of those foods that when I'm hungry, I never say to myself, "I could <i>really </i>go for some <b>soup</b>." However, I've had it twice in the past two days and I could not be more satisfied with it. I've officially decided: soup is the perfect meal no matter what point of day. (Okay, maybe not for breakfast).<br />
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6. Mat Kearney radio on Pandora is perfect. Comforting and chill, yet upbeat and positive. go make yourself a free account [if you haven't already], and put him in your playlists. You'll be instantly satisfied.<br />
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7. I'm sick of coughing. I'm sick of being sick. And I'm sick of being tired.<br />
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8. Speaking of tired, I'm exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally drained. Okay, I'm done playing the wining card.<br />
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9. I have a ton of work to do tonight and I don't want to start any of it. I will, but I don't want to.<br />
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10. I need there to be about 30 hours in a day. Don't we all?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/kvA7Ej9N_5Y/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kvA7Ej9N_5Y&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kvA7Ej9N_5Y&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>How was your weekend??</b></i></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-17968111376505792942011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:002011-10-30T15:28:43.684-07:00One of those daysToday's just one of those days. Slept though my alarm, woke up late and had to rush around to get ready for work. Thankfully the boy called me because he knew I should have been up by then. If it wasn't for his call I would have most <i>definitely</i> been late for work.<br />
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I stepped outside and I could have <i>sworn </i>it was January. The air was beyond the crisp briskness that it should be at this time of year. With snow on the ground and the wind literally gnawing at my face, it felt like I was walking in the pit of winter.<br />
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Work was boring as usual and I did absolutely nothing. I was there for three hours and I cannot even begin to tell you what I did. Homework? No way. Online shopped? Didn't even do that. When I got home I cleaned up a bit from last night's costume party then literally laid in my bed. No computer, no TV, no music, nothing. Just laid there. I just had no desire to do anything. It's just one of those days.<br />
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From about 4 or so until 6 I watched Disturbia with the roommates, and now as I'm "doing my homework" (AKA writing this post) I'm watching Marley & Me with Jax. So lazy, I know. The assignment will get done, that's for sure, but it doesn't look too promising right now.<br />
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I can't even decide on a song to pick to leave you with! Okay I guess we can do this one. I'm a big fan of this one lately. Usher is just so excellent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jUe8uoKdHao?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-70432697041682446352011-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:002011-10-29T16:25:07.161-07:00Snowing in October!?<div style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?attid=0.2&disp=emb&view=att&th=13351cdccb1ba7dd" width="320" /></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I mean, I know it's almost November, but snow!? Really!? This is making me want Christmas to come even more than I already did! It's not even like it was snowing for a few minutes; it's been snowing all day! I can't even believe it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I just bought the Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer because it's fall and I wanted to be festive, but I feel like all I should be drinking is hot cocoa and wintery blends, like the peppermint and gingerbread things! That's okay - it didn't stop me from enjoying the pumpkin! :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, update on my life: I'm sick...again. Bronchitis this time and the medicine is just not working! I am so ready to be better it's not even funny. On Wednesday I stayed in my bed pretty much ALL day; I was in my bed from 1 in the afternoon until pretty much the next morning. I felt <em>very</em> rested the next day (as I should have), but still not really much better. Sickness is so atrracted to me it's not even funny. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thursday, despite me feel under the weather, I went on a little pick-me-up shopping trip with <a href="http://www.wntwjax.blogspot.com/">Jackie</a>. I got a ton of stuff for just $40! (I had a gift card from my birthday still!) Here's the deets:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ItemImage" height="320" id="ctl00_MainContent_productImage" src="http://www.forever21.com/images/model_front/00032738-02.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;" width="262" /><img class="ItemImage" height="320" id="ctl00_MainContent_productImage" jquery16405155456303930007="37" src="http://www.forever21.com/images/large/86807918-02.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;" width="262" /><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://wtforever21.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lucille-necklace.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="262" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The shirt and both necklaces were from Forever21. I also purchased a few other things that aren't pictured including a plain white T from Forever21 and a form-fitting, navy, 3/4 sleeve, scoop-neck dress also from Forever21. I also had $10 off a bra from VS that came with a matching free panty! Then I had a coupon for another free panty! I love sales and free things.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm really pumped about the shirt though. It's so cute! The dress is also <em>very</em> excellent and was only $10.80! I just have to find somewhere to wear it to. I could wear it out to dinner with the boy, I suppose! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As for today, I felt decently productive. Although I didn't do <em>any</em> homework and woke up <em>wayyyy</em> later than usual, I still feel like a lot was accomplished. I was Mrs. Fix-it for a bit and put up the curtains that have been sitting in my drawer for the past month, cleaned my room, re-arranged the tub full of sweatpants/sweatshirts in my closet, rested (your welcome, mom!), and DLed some tunes for the small costume party the roomies and I are having tonight. Decently productive, right? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and most importantly staying warm! :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/AxcM3nCsglA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div align="center" style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, but I'm <em>tryinnggg </em>to put myself in the spirit! </div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-73532163305437092682011-10-14T09:36:00.000-07:002011-10-14T09:36:32.894-07:00Why do you have a watch?So, I'm sitting at my desk job signing people out computer lab keys, giving them their temporary lock-out keys, and giving out packages when these two boys come to the desk asking to sign out the ping pong set.<br />
<br />
There are a few groups of guys that come down <em>all </em>the time asking for ping pong. I guess it's all the rage among the freshman boys. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, they are all about it!<br />
<br />
Today, some of the regulars come down and the two were bickering over who should sign it out - it was quite comical. So when they finally decide, the one boy starts to fill out the sign-out sheet and glances down at his watch to see what time it was. He reads his watch, jots down the time, takes the pong paddles and starts the walk away.<br />
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The other boy then goes, "Why do you have a watch, anyway."<br />
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He responds with, <strong><em>"Because watches are classy. And cell phones are for calling people."</em></strong><br />
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The other boy had nothing to say, so they went on their merry way and are now happily paddling away. I just thought that was the most perfect response to a very, <em>very</em> dumb question.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-57798773677018754692011-10-02T12:26:00.000-07:002011-10-02T12:26:27.595-07:00Bring on the brisk air and falling leaves!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN9QGVqGtg2Jp2YSETe2k9jYrlSVl4pqVgkjG9jztChedx5PvCGKG-cxSCzPzNiecXAE6lLvbUt8LM5sB3FD4KtNYTKWohvjrjx58bzdgVY6syN8eVGsvdPY6NQJrAL0H06igZmp4Lluj/s1600/mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN9QGVqGtg2Jp2YSETe2k9jYrlSVl4pqVgkjG9jztChedx5PvCGKG-cxSCzPzNiecXAE6lLvbUt8LM5sB3FD4KtNYTKWohvjrjx58bzdgVY6syN8eVGsvdPY6NQJrAL0H06igZmp4Lluj/s320/mail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>If only that were coffee inside that cup.</em> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since my <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2011/09/unfortunate-hopefully-helpful-change.html">recent departure</a> from my beloved coffee, I've had it <em>once</em>. And that once was the weekend we went to Oley, PA. My roommate's step dad picked up coffee from Dunkin' Donuts and I just could not resist. BUT! Since then, I have not had a single sip! When the <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2011/09/unfortunate-hopefully-helpful-change.html">boy visited last week</a>, I made him a cup (or two....or three) every morning without a single ounce. Do you know how hard that was!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, It's October and I could not be more excited about fall. I love fall. I think it just may be my favorite season! It did not start on the right foot, as I'm already sick! If you remember from <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2011/05/little-life-re-cap-1.html">one of my first blog posts</a>, I'm always sick. I even lost my voice already! This may be a record. Usually my voice doesn't disappear until November/December or so. Then proceeds to go missing during the even colder months again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some of the things I'm most excited for about fall:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. Attire. Although now my daily attire consists of khakis and a heinous purple polo, fall clothes are my fave. I love sweaters, boots, scarves, light jackets. I love it all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. Colors. Orange is my favorite color, so you can imagine how excited I am that everything gets to be this orange/yellow/red/neutrally color.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. Warm drinks. Even though I am no longer having coffee, there are tons of other drinks that I love. All different kinds of teas, hot coco, ....okay maybe there aren't as many as I thought. But maybe coffee will be able to come back into my life? We'll play it by ear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. Going home. I'm going home next weekend for our Fall Break. It's not so much of a "break" as a "two-days-off". I get the weekend, Columbus day and the day after to hang with the fam. I cannot be more excited!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. Pumpkin. I <u>love</u> anything pumpkin flavored. Actually, I've never had pumpkin pie, but I'd bet that I would love it! If you haven't been on Pinterest, get on it now! They have the most delicious looking pumpkin flavored things! Click <a href="http://pinterest.com/meghanbrowne/food/">here</a> to go to my Pinterest food board. If you click on one of the enlarged pictures, it will bring you to the recipe! (usually)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">6. Thanksgiving. With fall comes Thanksgiving and I am a big fan. Every Thanksgiving, my family and my aunt's family get together and have an excellent time. LOTS of food, games, and hanging out with the family. What can get any better than that?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7. Sleeping with the windows open. The best feeling is being snuggled up under the covers and being just a little bit chilly. Comfortabley chilly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/odsGzafXAYQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This was one of the opening bands at last week's concert. I am a big fan of this song. The boy? not so much.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are you most excited for about fall?</span></em></strong></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-61542458546888911112011-09-25T16:26:00.000-07:002011-09-25T19:13:54.541-07:00ThenThis weekend was the best one I've had in a long time. Last weekend was a blast; the roommates and I went to the Oley Fair in Oley, PA. Basically a bunch of tractors, excellent food, petting zoo-action, and a great auction at the end of the night. We had so much fun.<br />
<br />
This weekend the boy came and visited me. I hadn't seen him in three weeks and I was getting kind of antsy. Long distance sucks. I don't care what anyone else says - it sucks. It's hard and awful and frustrating and by the end of that two, three, four week period of not seeing each other, you're pretty much ready to scream. But you know what? It's totally worth it if you both are willing to work at it and really want to be with one another. All of the time between just makes the two of you stronger and more stable in your relationship. Once you can handle the distance, you can handle just about anything. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.<br />
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He arrived Thursday night and stayed through this afternoon. On Friday we went to the Brad Paisley Blake Shelton concert that he purchased me for my birthday! It was absolutely <b>AMAZING.</b> Our seats were great and the experience was even better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd185P8LengnHOZAmIRLa5oM_68zZeNvzUf5hOkNPVfs8KjBT_4XVLTe-9QFGFmEkSLzvnpT_hHZPw9J0wNyb7KfLGjefQAIRmAMDum7lh4mHlgb25QNq8RwFSQ3O9W0YyX_zw79Rftw6/s1600/IMG_1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd185P8LengnHOZAmIRLa5oM_68zZeNvzUf5hOkNPVfs8KjBT_4XVLTe-9QFGFmEkSLzvnpT_hHZPw9J0wNyb7KfLGjefQAIRmAMDum7lh4mHlgb25QNq8RwFSQ3O9W0YyX_zw79Rftw6/s320/IMG_1514.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You like our matching outfits? I know. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z6f9O2xuAC8r37xD9BBYXpnOmGYmZYw4KvMzoSYlw2538-BwzOqZMMTy-eNvsEFyborkdd3GFUBk4nk_Nlli2BfQJ4dn6S2n37I0iRAVdPj6pEAunNasrJQoBSbhTxgpF2wHTK2_lIQ-/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z6f9O2xuAC8r37xD9BBYXpnOmGYmZYw4KvMzoSYlw2538-BwzOqZMMTy-eNvsEFyborkdd3GFUBk4nk_Nlli2BfQJ4dn6S2n37I0iRAVdPj6pEAunNasrJQoBSbhTxgpF2wHTK2_lIQ-/s320/IMG_1520.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSE6aJgUhcrv17qyMrTD1igIEPE79gfHEfTzqKT7kRGWB54BoqyH_WuVfLAd1jYkY6IiPaBD_JBypuB6MIhsmAdJrInM-wNmAs9pz_U0JeNio1uqnyVKlwPrsMMr6G4hp8bRONw76XDM7/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSE6aJgUhcrv17qyMrTD1igIEPE79gfHEfTzqKT7kRGWB54BoqyH_WuVfLAd1jYkY6IiPaBD_JBypuB6MIhsmAdJrInM-wNmAs9pz_U0JeNio1uqnyVKlwPrsMMr6G4hp8bRONw76XDM7/s200/IMG_1528.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg68JYfmQ9EJQzlRVPyyjmkqyVBLf9t95ZRKjP82Vlhf0f4GwuHQRhccD8cr1U3PmqUQ24gtFrKz857vzVQ4xSABODIzleDc7URj9k5DyDDcVKxXcV-cRohe7mbsJOWTqgPU68wPqdWd93/s1600/IMG_1539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg68JYfmQ9EJQzlRVPyyjmkqyVBLf9t95ZRKjP82Vlhf0f4GwuHQRhccD8cr1U3PmqUQ24gtFrKz857vzVQ4xSABODIzleDc7URj9k5DyDDcVKxXcV-cRohe7mbsJOWTqgPU68wPqdWd93/s200/IMG_1539.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jerrod Niemann on the left, Blake on the right. Honestly PERFECT.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbYsjW-O4sZRt_ygkJm-cNsGBsJydFGC9KOmXQ21Jz_iPSgC7KUUv4gYaZkZC6HCKlJiNNZM6UNSxtd-oGbC90D-D14lVjcAHZNaaUpCx_5SLY0XAcObt2qVUi77RRWtSlsK8Cw1U4qMb/s1600/IMG_1543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbYsjW-O4sZRt_ygkJm-cNsGBsJydFGC9KOmXQ21Jz_iPSgC7KUUv4gYaZkZC6HCKlJiNNZM6UNSxtd-oGbC90D-D14lVjcAHZNaaUpCx_5SLY0XAcObt2qVUi77RRWtSlsK8Cw1U4qMb/s200/IMG_1543.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT53ys2QEE2d1SujmfSJxSL3ZfVV-Uo4S3JFBNifCXFAlVTOmo9TrUBb1GWMsboDtvxqCncVUJcvtUr8bNuqVNnx9CdOk_iLzRXM1Ze2X4g0YgEBPMl5qnXbfRGBE1uPs6UdDutS9xlz0/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT53ys2QEE2d1SujmfSJxSL3ZfVV-Uo4S3JFBNifCXFAlVTOmo9TrUBb1GWMsboDtvxqCncVUJcvtUr8bNuqVNnx9CdOk_iLzRXM1Ze2X4g0YgEBPMl5qnXbfRGBE1uPs6UdDutS9xlz0/s200/IMG_1546.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brad on the left, Brad and Blake on the right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We honestly could not have had a more perfect time. The atmosphere was great, crowd was great, performers were phenomenal, and just the overall experience was definitely an A+! Good job, boy! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday was spent lounging, then a trip to the King of Prussia mall to do a little shopping (a successful trip, too!). Then it was off to one of our all time faves: Hooters! Classy, I know. What can we say? Last but not least, we visited another one of our all time faves, <a href="http://thebeautifuladventure.wordpress.com/">Hannah</a>. What a great Saturday night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was definitely sad to see him leave, but we had the most perfect weekend. It was exactly what we needed. Here's my favorite Brad Paisley song. Actually, at the concert, someone was proposed to during this song. I loved <i>every</i> second of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/bBA_occjdcc/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bBA_occjdcc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bBA_occjdcc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-90154218491668009852011-09-15T16:16:00.000-07:002011-09-15T16:19:49.743-07:00An Unfortunate (hopefully helpful) ChangeAlright, so it's been a rough couple of days. The week started off with a trip to the ER for one of my roommates (she's fine, thankfully), then a test the following day, some major studying and homework on my birthday (yesterday), and some realizations.<br />
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One realization in particular: I stress wayyyy too much about wayyyy too much (shocker, right?). I have this headache that I've had since Labor Day. That's over a week ago! I'm going to say it's due to stress, being that it basically started up right around the time that classes started to get difficult and overwhelming. <em>I am a stresser.</em> I'm a worry wart and I think over way too many things. I get an idea in my head of something that's stressing me out and it just festers there until whatever it is I'm stressing about it over. I'm perfectly fine during the day - it's at night when the stressing takes over.<br />
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We all have things that stress us out; that's just life. But for some of us, stressing is a big part of every day and that's just not okay. Therefore, we need to work to maybe not get rid of, but alleviate that stress a bit. Some things that <em>I</em> try to de-stress:<br />
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1. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Work out.</span></strong> This always makes me feel so much better. Working out is sort of my "me" time; I literally don't think about anything when I'm at the gym.<br />
2. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to music.</span></strong> This is a big one for me. I could be in the worst mood and then put on a feel-good song and I'm instantly brought back to normalcy. <br />
3. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Talk to someone you love.</span></strong> I think this one is really important. It's really important to have a good, stable support group. One or two people who you can call at any hour of the day or night and they'll listen to you and be more than willing to help you. The people who seem to put you before themselves and really care about you and what you're going through, even if it's the smallest thing in the world.<br />
4. Take a cat nap. It's always good to remove youself from the situation for 15-20 minutes or so and completely shut yourself out from any others stresses. Cat naps are great. Even if you have a ton of things to do, 15 minutes won't do all that much in the long run. Sometimes you need to just chill out. <br />
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Here it is. The new unfortunate change that I'm about to implement in my life. Remember how <a href="http://life-as-i-knowit.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html">I am not supposed to have coffee anymore</a> but I still do anyway? Well...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/175492343_1BwoqoK5_c.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I am going to <strong>try</strong> to <em>eliminate coffee from my diet</em>. Yup. I said it. My love affair with coffee must come to an end. I was reading about things that may heighten peoples' stress, and it said in order to decrease anxiety and stress, it may be a good idea to stay away from your daily dose of heaven in a cup. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, being that I'm already supposed to steer clear of it, I've decided to really kick it up a notch and see how that helps me. Today is Day 2. I'll make a daily counter in the top right corner of the post!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure if I posted this song before, but it's really relevant today, so here it is:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NDmnG9uTEfk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Is stress a problem for you? What do you do to de-stress?</span></strong></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-50719602986524029772011-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:002011-09-10T09:47:27.808-07:00Saturday Things.This post is going to be short, sweet, and to the point. Just some things that I want to touch upon.<br />
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1. This week has been a whirlwind of hellishness and then excellence. Mental breakdowns by day, happy and content again by night. Bipolar? Perhaps. I just call it college life.<br />
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2. I finally am feeling better about my life path. For some reason I was have (yet another) meltdown because I didn't know what I was doing. In any aspect of my life. However, after starting my clinical (ish) and talking with a few beyond amazing people, I'm suddenly feeling like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. <br />
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3. Life if tough and it sucks a lot. But guess what? It's the best time in the world. All of it. The ups and downs and ins and outs. The ups are great and the downs suck, but it'll all work the way it should. Okay I'm now stepping off my Life-Inspiration-Soapbox.<br />
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<strong>Goals of the Weekend:</strong><br />
1. Understand goniometry. (almost there!)<br />
2. Study for my elbow, wrist, and hand practical.<br />
3. Come up with some static exercises for an athlete doing hip pre-hab.<br />
4. GYM! and then gym again tomorrow.<br />
5. (try to) Relax.<br />
6. Organize and destress.<br />
...among other things. But those are the important ones!<br />
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Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are your goals for the weekend??</span></em></strong></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-38371578020606116992011-09-06T11:08:00.000-07:002011-09-06T11:08:20.058-07:00Overwhelmed.Happy Post-Labor day! I hope everyone's long weekend was especially excellent. I know mine definitely was! I went home for the weekend and enjoyed an excellent weekend hanging out with the family and the boy. Friday was spent with my sister for the first half of the day then the boy for the second half. Saturday was spent with the fam at a nice dinner and then the boy again. Quick side bar: Has anyone seen The Hurricane? With Denzel Washington? It was absolutely excellent! This is the movie we watched over the weekend and it could not have been any better! I definitely recommend it. Anyway, Sunday was my Goddaughter's 1st birthday party!! I cannot even believe it's been a year already. Time really does fly.<br />
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And now, after a perfect weekend, it's back to the craziness of classes. The beginning of the semester is always hardest. Getting back into the swing of things and kicking the lazy summer habits definitely can be tough, especially when you're basically punted <i>right</i> into the heart of it by having a quiz the second day of class. Not fun.<br />
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Right now I'm feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. I feel like everything is really unorganized and all of my classes are meshing into one big class. I can't get it straight; what is due for which class on which day with which teacher - none if it is sticking in my head! I need to just lay everything out and get things sorted out before my head spontaneously combusts.<br />
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Anyway, that's all for now.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBkVw5ZZByQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-51200712865545438092011-09-02T06:53:00.000-07:002011-09-02T06:53:31.159-07:00And we're back!Oh wow! It's been about two weeks (at least) since my last post! Don't worry, don't worry, I'm not ignoring you. The reason for my absence and lack of posts? My devil apartment. Before I get to that, I feel like it's very much needed to do a small summer re-cap.<br />
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My summer was pure excellence. I worked, made some money, spent a lot of time with my sister, got even closer with the fam, hung out with friends, and got to really connect with the boy and realize just how great being together all the time feels. We basically started our relationship on long distance, so being together for those four months was exactly what we needed. I wouldn't say I did anything super significant, like skydiving or taking a road trip across the country, but I wouldn't trade this summer for anything in the world; it was understatedly perfect. That's the thing about summer: it comes in quickly and in the blink of an eye it's gone. One second you think you have all the time in the world to bask in the summer sun and the ones you love, and the next second it's time to pack the summer away and leave it behind as you move forward into the routine of classes, homework and tests. That's why you have to make it worth while! Spend as much time with the people who are the most important you - that time will be gone in seconds. I hope everyone had a beyond excellent summer and did everything you wanted to!<br />
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Being that it is back-to-school time, I have moved back to PA and into an apartment with three other amazing girls. We are loving the freedom and ease of living on our own, but there has been qute a few obstacles so far! (All very minor, but inconvenient all the same).<br />
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1. Devil toaster. This toaster literally goes from braed to burnt in the matter of four seconds. You have a four second window to grab your toast before it turns into this:<br />
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I almost burnt the apartment down on the second day. Not my finest moment.</div>
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2. Devil cable. This isn't a huge problem for the house, but more for me. The living room and the other girls' room cable is working fine, but of course mine is completely out. For a while my TV wouldn't even show a picture! Now, we got it to turn on, but I can't turn the channel and I can't get the closed captioning off. Wonderful.</div>
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3. Devil internet. We. Have. NO. Internet. Hence the lack of posts and what not. I've been living off of the internet on my phone which is not an easy thing to do! Apparently, the internet was never even streamed to our apartment! Luckily, they aren't charging us for internet for the first month because we simply haven't had it. The Comcast people will be there to fix it up (and hopefully my TV as well) tomorrow. </div>
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I know there's a few more "devil" things in the place, but for some reason they are slipping my mind. Those are the major ones for now. </div>
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So, after five hours of travel and two trains, I'm home for labor day weekend. I have another doctor's appointment later today and my Goddaughter's 1st birthday is on Monday so my aunt is having a little party for her on Sunday. I can't even believe how much time flies. It's unreal!</div>
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After I arrived home yesterday, the boy had planned on taking me to dinner. When he came to pick me up he brought these beautiful flowers!</div>
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Then we went to get some sushi and came back to hang with my fam and what not. It was definitely a great first night back!</div>
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Alright! Well, I wanted to leave you with Beyonce's amazing performance at the VMA's when she sports her baby bump. So presh! However, I can't seem to find a good YouTube clip of it! Bummer. So, I'll leave you with another song that is right up there on my list lately. Once again, it's Lady Gaga! I'm not a huge fan but for some reason her new album is totally on my good side!</div>
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Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-20439702627000628972011-08-17T07:06:00.000-07:002011-08-17T09:56:26.858-07:00No coffee rips out my soul<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=6853d9829d&view=att&th=131d7e84c57f8eea&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1377396137555656704-1&zw" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's 9:30 and I've been awake since about 7:30 or so. I guess that 2 hour nap I took last night really affected my sleep. Anyway, I'm drinking my morning coffee, watching Will & Grace and laughing to myself like some kind of crazy person. This show always cracks me up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This summer has been nonstop to the doctor and back, checking iron levels, blood work, back to the doctor and so forth. The (semi) verdict? Acid Reflux. Hi, I'm 65.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday I went for my last doctor visit of the summer. Sad, I know. He ended up putting me on higher dosage Reflux medicine because apparently I need a stronger acid blocker. The good news? He thinks my Esphagitis will clear up soon...hopefully in about three months.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The bad news? He basically ripped my soul out when he told me to cut out certain foods from my diet. Here is what I CAN'T have:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <b>Caffeine.</b> For those of you who don't know, this includes COFFEE. Flashback to what I said earlier? I am drinking my MORNING COFFEE. Fast forward to about a week from now? School. You know what that means? COFFEE. I may not make it past the first week without this precious element to my everyday life. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="213" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/106785565_ZLiraHbE_c.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <b>Spicy Foods</b>. Hmmm. It's Wednesday. What happens on Wednesdays? WINGS with the boy. I love spicy food. All kinds. I even put hot sauce on my eggs, hot red pepper flakes on mostly all things salty, and I love wings. The hotter the better. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/103172246_zrMSt0yU_c.jpg" width="213" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <b>Acidic Food/Beverages</b>. Example: lemon, orange, tomatoes. Basically anything that I love. Pasta, lemonade, pizza, orange juice. COME ON.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <b>Soda and Alcohol</b>. Eh, really not a problem.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="256" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/5336351_wkamb3ne_c.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <b>Chocolate</b>. Aside from carbs, chocolate is my favorite food group. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In addition to cutting perfection out of my life, I also need to:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img height="150" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/71608_459212187940_505417940_5407409_3540153_n.jpg" width="200" /> <img height="150" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/206735_1771522976087_1479630165_31926132_2432561_n.jpg" width="200" /> <img height="150" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200120_1758187762715_1479630165_31905281_5794322_n.jpg" width="200" /> <img height="150" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/285323_248812561797653_100000067343368_1017197_4700774_n.jpg" width="200" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A. <b>Eat smaller portions</b>. I am KNOWN for overeating. I am over-indulgence girl. PS: Sorry for showing you those pictures. I'm disgusting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">B. <b>Not eat before bed</b>. Just last night I scarfed down about half a thing of goldfish about 20 minutes before bed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ya know, the last two things really aren't that bad; I think I can handle it. As for the <strike>minuscule</strike> massive changes to my diet? Not so much. There's just no way! I guess I'll give it a try if it'll heal me faster. Key word: <b><u><i>try</i></u></b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">*All Food images (minus the first coffee image) from Pinterest. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-85314717761602156272011-08-15T14:22:00.000-07:002011-08-15T14:22:51.260-07:00Why do I suck?I can't even begin to tell you how much I have to do. WARNING: here comes a semi-large rant-sesh so if you're not up to hearing some bitching and complaining then feel free to X out of this post.<br />
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I go back to school in 8 days. EIGHT. DAYS. That is not nearly enough time to get all that I need to get done and/or enough time to sit back and do nothing before this crazy semester starts.<br />
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As of now I don't have a bed. I don't have room decor. I don't have any regular life supplies. No food (for the apartment, obviously). No books, school supplies, cleaning supplies. I don't have nearly enough khaki pants. I have about one pair of good jeans. Andddd...I don't have any money to purchase anything on the list of things I still need to get. Well, I have some money but I must use it VERY sparingly and wisely.<br />
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I also need to clean my room, do my laundry, shower and get a grip. Mostly get a grip. I'll be working on that one indefinitely.<br />
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Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-4490753126222157062011-08-10T10:22:00.000-07:002011-08-10T10:22:30.352-07:00British Pop StarsOkay, so how do we feel about British pop stars? I just heard a song on @efosta's blog by Kate Nash called The Nicest Thing. Brief sidebar: Follower her on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/efosta">twitter</a>. Follow her <a href="http://totallyconfidentandcompletelyinsecure.wordpress.com/">blog</a>. Read both everyday and bask in the excellency of her wittiness. You'll want to know her. Better yet - you'll want to <i>be</i> her.<br />
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Anyway, enough ranting and raving over my Cyber-BFF who doesn't quite know it yet. Let's get back to the British pop star bit.<br />
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So, The Nicest Thing by Kate Nash. I'm kind of a fan. It's really heartfelt and the live version is raw and honest and I'm all about it. She sings about the "nicest thing" she's seen and all of the things she wishes he would see in her. How she longs to be the "nicest thing" he's ever seen. It's one of the more honest songs I've heard; she makes you feel what she's feeling. We've all felt this at one point or another and she brings you right back to that very place.<br />
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After I listened to this, I came to a preconceived conclusion: British (and other non-American) pop stars are deep, deep human beings.<br />
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Okay, so this isn't always true. Lily Allen's F*ck You - not so deep. Some of Kate Nash's other songs - really not that deep. But then there's Adele and Duffy. Now <i>they</i> are kinda deep.<br />
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I am not a British pop star expert by any means, but I have been YouTubing quite a bit of them. I want to love them. I feel like they're all really awesome and trendy and have that cool accent. However, I can't really find anything that I'm super in love with (besides that one Kate Nash song, Adele as a whole and some Duffy). Maybe it's not meant to be. Maybe I'm supposed to stick to the AMURICAN stars. Maybe my love affair with British pop stars ended before it even started.<br />
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I'll continue to look for another few days, but then I think my quest must end.<br />
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<b>Do you guys have any British pop star songs that you love? Not a fan at all?</b><br />
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Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-48475517596984876482011-08-07T09:14:00.000-07:002011-08-07T09:14:40.756-07:00Don't judge a book by it's cover...or so they say<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/353990-don_t_judge_book_cover_metaphorical_phrase_means_don_t_determine_worth_something_based_appearance_i_think_we_v_met_someone_judge_cover_how_you_please_feel_free_comment.jpg" width="343" /></div><div><br />
</div>How many times have we heard the phrase, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? Our parents and teachers have been preaching this to us from the time we can speak. Sometimes even earlier. They want us to grow up to be upstanding human beings, not judging the "book by it's cover". Just because the book has a giant raging shark on the cover doesn't mean it'll be about a giant raging shark that sweeps through the town's waters and eats every single child one by one. It could be about a boy who falls head-over-heels, cross-his-heart, painfully beautifully in love with the girl of his dreams and they live happily ever after. The message: just because a girl is wearing a red push-up bra, teenie-tiny leather skirt, fishnets and 6-inch clear heels with her hair knotted around itself (looking like it hasn't been brushed in weeks), heavy black eye liner, and glitter just about everywhere doesn't mean shes a hooker (or Ke$ha). <div><br />
</div><div>Honestly, I think it's BS. I don't know about you, but I always judge a book by it's cover. If the cover doesn't look appealing to me, I'm definitely not going to pick up the book and see what it's about. We're visual people and that's just how it is. If something looks good, we're more likely to be drawn to it and engage ourselves. Whether that be a book, decorating ideas for your room, movies, an album cover, right down to people themselves. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Parents and teachers try to teach us to do the "right" thing and not judge people, and in a perfect world that would be great. But guess what? We all judge people. And if you say you don't then you're lying to yourself. People make an impact on you based on how they look. You're <i>going</i> to remember that your cousin's boyfriend came to the family party with shoulder length hair and a handlebar mustache, wearing eyeliner, skinny jeans, a bow tie and a top hat. And you're <i>going</i> to have a preconceived notion about him before he opens his mouth. That' just life and there's nothing wrong with that. The people who dress like that know this and to be honest, that's probably the exact reason why they dress like that. Hey, HandleBar Jim might end up being a great guy, <i>somewhat</i> normal, and really interesting. But you're still going to be waiting for the day that he pulls a rabbit out of his top hat.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Have there been people that surprise me? Of course. Then you end up being sorry for the fact that you judged them in the first place and tell yourself over and over that the next time someone walks into a backyard BBQ wearing a ball gown that you won't think they're absolutely out of their minds. That's how the cycle goes and that's how it'll always go. I'll be real: when I get older and have kids of my own I'm probably going to teach them the old Book-Cover phrase. But when a kid shows up to my house for a playdate sporting a comb over, wearing plaid shorts, a tucked in pink polo, sparkling white tennis shoes, and tells me his name is Preston, I'm going to be judging the mother. In my head she'll be a snooty country club wife wearing a black collared dress and pearls, hair slicked back into a perfectly crafted ballerina bun at the nape of her neck. When she walks in to pick little Preston up wearing exactly that, I'll smile to myself and continue to make up a big story about her in my mind.</div><div><br />
</div><div>...then we'll end up being besties and the cycle will continue. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>Look forward to a <i>Here I Go: Promoting Mat Kearney</i> post in the near future. He's great.</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-78000871997384197622011-08-01T06:45:00.000-07:002011-08-01T06:45:49.948-07:00Glad to be backAfter 3 delays, a mini panic attack on the plane and finally landing down at MacArthur, I'm home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jLf2HAdhYTicr3LcAuQkNRPIIXo7BEIcWLV0gjJoo02V2S0xEfb2tOXECfV9nGb54TYxV0jOV8qqHB6nz_X-OJUlqBeyCcMtVM7UIPgf5koZtVexTdorynkDuv0dTbex9n0ofU1VEO0S/s1600/Plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jLf2HAdhYTicr3LcAuQkNRPIIXo7BEIcWLV0gjJoo02V2S0xEfb2tOXECfV9nGb54TYxV0jOV8qqHB6nz_X-OJUlqBeyCcMtVM7UIPgf5koZtVexTdorynkDuv0dTbex9n0ofU1VEO0S/s320/Plane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm so glad to be back to normal food! We've had some excellently delicious things while on vacation, but I can't keep feeling guilty for eating things like this every day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSU3OoqRZZMdXfysNmmGGiF6R6MODHXx6uiYR6jKi9gUT-UMo7hedZZr4vKQLIESYYWpxdDdRYqnBs9A3pAUhV1onMq6SSw1rXzf1YIjUbX5tJCes-Xa7hp5pe6L2DsbWrKgf8nBOV7sY/s1600/cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSU3OoqRZZMdXfysNmmGGiF6R6MODHXx6uiYR6jKi9gUT-UMo7hedZZr4vKQLIESYYWpxdDdRYqnBs9A3pAUhV1onMq6SSw1rXzf1YIjUbX5tJCes-Xa7hp5pe6L2DsbWrKgf8nBOV7sY/s320/cupcake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Amazing. Chocolatey. Smooth. Perfect. And yes, that <i>is </i>a chocolate covered cherry on top. Like I said, it was great eating things like that every single day, but man do I feel like I need a straight week at the gym. Nothing but treadmills and ellipticals forever. It's back to whole wheat bread, Wheaties, grilled chicken and various broccoli recipes. Well, not all together obviously. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night after I got home I hopped straight in the shower; planes just make me feel gross, even if I just showered right beforehand. Then the boy picked me up and took me to a beyond excellent dinner at Mama Lombardi's. Fried calamari and bowtie pasta with salmon. Absolutely delicious. Then we went back to his house, hung with his parents a bit and then had a low key night in, watching The Office and chatting. Oh! And how could I forget? He also brought me these amazing flowers:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7Kh4xf9V_qINtTXH_zhJgU_UJbat1e9N-0ScUnS4FEcLvPDjRtOcAuAAjpUhdcbuNeJVOvP4KZb7GM5w9RFgHDJxerqYtMLoAd5fh_Hgf5HrEmKMuKaLhk9yVqWOEr75BLSWx48IzLqJ/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7Kh4xf9V_qINtTXH_zhJgU_UJbat1e9N-0ScUnS4FEcLvPDjRtOcAuAAjpUhdcbuNeJVOvP4KZb7GM5w9RFgHDJxerqYtMLoAd5fh_Hgf5HrEmKMuKaLhk9yVqWOEr75BLSWx48IzLqJ/s320/flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beautiful, right? He's kind of an excellent guy. Just a little though; don't want to think he's doing <i>that</i> great ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm in a really John Mayer-y mood lately!</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-25687129299865746062011-07-31T22:15:00.000-07:002011-07-31T22:15:14.811-07:00Why am I not surprised?Alright so here's the deal. We just finished out longggg week in Florida and I think we're all ready to get back to the routine of normal life. Not ready to get back to work - that's for sure - but I'm ready to get back to my friends, the boy, and just the little things about home that makes it, well, home.<br />
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We get to the airport and look at the departure schedule...our flight: delayed. Of course. All I want to do is get home and have a nice big Subway sandwich and our flight gets delayed. Andddd it doesn't say til when....just yet.<br />
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After we go through the security, get body scanned, and sit at terminal 122, I took out my trusty lap top to see if I can find out why we're delayed and what our new departure time will be. What happens next?? No. Internet. Why am I not surprised? So, the boy looked online for me and it said we would be delayed 55 minutes. Not too bad, right?<br />
<br />
Wrong. about ten minutes later, they made an announcement that our flight would be leaving at 1:30 and not arriving back home until 4:30. Why in the hell is it taking three hours? I have no clue. Then about 15 minutes later, another announcement was made about the final details about flight 1300. Departure: 1:40. Arrival: 4:15. Better than 4:30, I suppose, but it's still over two hours after we were supposed to get home.<br />
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Luckily, I now have internet so that will keep me occupied for a bit. However, I have this family sitting next to me who has three little boys. I'm going to say 4, 6, and 8 years old. The parents are trying to play Uno with them and screeeammminggggg at them because they don't know how to play. Then they bicker among themselves. Trouble in paradise? Talk about parents of the year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lbSOLBMUvIE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762329539259482154.post-19631108890458484512011-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:002011-07-28T10:08:29.832-07:00Some mom's suckToday we woke up and had some breakfast at the hotel. I'm really not a huge fan of breakfast in general (I know I know, it's the most important part of the day), and I'm even <i>less</i> of a fan of it when it's prepared by the hotel staff. It just tastes like frozen food defrosted or cafeteria food. Not my style.<br />
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Anyway, we're sitting there <strike>enjoying</strike> eating our breakfast and <b>basking</b> in our morning cup of coffee when we see this baby, about 1 and a half/two years old, running through the booths. Recipe for disaster, right? Absolutely correct. All of a sudden we hear an extremely loud THUMP. It was this kid's head hitting the floor like a bowling ball. We could feel the thump's vibrations through our feet - that's how hard this baby hit his head! Then the wonderful mother picked up his wailing body and proceeded to yell at him while continuing on with her eggs. I mean, yeah, the kid did need a little scolding, but I'm pretty sure she should have made sure he was alright first and worried a little less about her eggs getting cold. I'm telling you: this kid hit his head SO hard on the concrete. Some mom's just suck.<br />
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Anyway, after breakfast I did a short and easy workout. Here's how it went:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Warmup/Cardio</u></b><br />
1 minute walking warmup at 4.0<br />
5 minutes of 30-second running/walking intervals (run @ 9.5, walk @ 3.5)<br />
1 minute walking coll down at 3.0<br />
<br />
<b><u>Exercise Ball</u></b><br />
25 regular crunches<br />
25 alternating cross crunches<br />
60 second plank with your feet on the ball<br />
20 in and outs<br />
20 full range sit ups (all the way back on the ball past horizontal, all the way to sitting)<br />
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<b><u>Extras</u></b><br />
50 bicycles<br />
30 ceiling humps<br />
15 second hold at the top<br />
20 more ceiling humps<br />
20 bicycles<br />
100 inside leg pulses (each leg)<br />
15 sumo dollies<br />
<br />
<b><u>2.5 minute quick cardio</u></b><br />
20 seconds high knees<br />
20 seconds fast feet<br />
20 seconds jumping jacks<br />
20 seconds mountain climbers<br />
10 second rest<br />
20 seconds mountain climbers<br />
20 seconds jumping jacks<br />
20 seconds fast feet<br />
<br />
There you have it. There were 2 new vocab words it there (in and outs and ceiling humps) that I will put in the vocab post. I'm thinking about making a page dedicated to the vocab words; this way it'll be easier to locate.<br />
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Now it's time to shower and get ready for Linner (lunch/dinner) and off the some shops later on tonight to pick up souvenirs for some special people ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/Av7m_Pgt1S8/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Av7m_Pgt1S8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Av7m_Pgt1S8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was in the mood for a throw back. </div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602497458050443448noreply@blogger.com0