A Chat with the Executive Director

Julie and I were the only ones at CrossFit this morning. I guess everyone's sleeping in today or coming in later. I'm glad that we went because otherwise Ryan would have no one to coach!

After getting cleaned up from the gym, I went to the office to have a chat with my Executive Director to talk to him about planning my boss's retirement party (her last day is July 6). We talked about how the work conference we were at was a big success, but that we were happy to be home. When we got to the topic of my boss (he was going to help with planning her retirement party), he said “Karen (my boss) told me how proud of you she is. She said you really stepped up to the plate this year.”

Whattt. Wow, that was so nice, both for her to say that to him and for him to report that back to me! Our staff has really grown over the years, and I’m not always sure he’s aware of everything that his staff does because there’s so many of us and he’s got a lot on his plate. It was nice to get one-on-one time with him and get that recognition. He said he'd take care of lunch, Drew would take care of the staff appreciation plaque, and I'd take care of cake/cards/conference room reservation.

I also went to the office because I wanted to order some food. My refrigerator is looking very bare from being away from home on work travel. “Butter chicken? I like butter chicken!” Mmmno. I’m pretty sure you don’t. Nice try though!

Early Birthday Mail

Since I'm taking Thursday and Friday off from work in observance of my birthday, I moved my usual telework day to today. A telework day would not be complete with out an audience while I ate lunch.

Before I went to my parents' house to eat dinner with Julie (she picked up chicken and yucca from Crisp and Juicy, yum!), I checked my mailbox and there was a card from my crafty friend, Jen (thank you!!!). Look at it, it's got a kitty on it!  Obviously, very Tina-appropriate.

Finished Makeup Product and Udon Lunch

I've had this Maybelline cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze for a few years now. I made a concerted effort the past few weeks to use it every day so that I could finish it, and I scraped out and used it up today! OMG, what an accomplishment. To actually finish a makeup product takes a long time! I wish the makeup companies would sell smaller quantities because once you open it, you're racing against time to finish it before you a) get tired of it and/or b) can't use it anymore because it has expired.

I'm excited to be able to go back to using other colors now. The neutral look was getting rather old.

I went to the hibachi restaurant near work to get some lunch today. Mmm, beef udon, yum! A lady in the elevator asked me if I got sushi. Nope, I haven't tried the sushi there before (because it's a little expensive!). I gave her the menu that came with my order since I didn't need it. I basically inhaled my noodles at my desk when I got back inside from the windy and cold weather (wah, it was like 70 degrees outside yesterday!). I wore my leopard print tights to work, hee hee. RJ wanted some post-dinner attention. "Excuse me, I didn't say that you could stop me. You may continue, human."

Black Friday Activities

10 AM CrossFit, check! My sister and I went for the Turkey Burner workout. The owner split us up into 4 groups and we rotated through 4 different stations, 7 minutes each. One random thing: I saw one of my former coworkers there, so it was nice to briefly catch up!

7:00 AMRAP: 100 m run, 15 Box Jumps, 30 Air squats
- 2:00 REST-
7:00 AMRAP: 10 DB Push Press, 20 Walking Lunges, 30 Mountain Climbers
-2:00 REST-
7:00 AMRAP: 7 Wall Balls, 7 Burpees
-2:00 REST-
7:00 AMRAP: 400m run/row, 15 Push-ups, 20 Sit-ups

Afterwards, we went back to my parents’ house to eat. We enlisted the help of my cousins and cousin’s girlfriend to help set up our Christmas tree and lights. It only took us 20 minutes since Hugo is pretty tall and with his help, I didn't have to drag a chair along the floor to hang the lights on the columns and up high.

I went home to take a shower and proceed with a productive afternoon!

• Hung up my Christmas wreath
• Turned in my mortgage check
• Got bubble tea
• Got new Nikes to replace my current workout shoes (25% off!). The afternoon coach gave me a hard time the last time I was at the gym. "Tina, you need to get new shoes. You've been wearing those since I've started coaching here." 
• Got cardstock and paper to make this year’s holiday cards
• Sat at the dining table and did some online shopping for Christmas presents for other people and myself, heh. I couldn't help it!  Some of the Black Friday sales were too good to pass up, especially with free shipping deals! I placed an Ulta order and a Zappos order for bright blue Reebok Nanos (CrossFit shoes).
• RJ watched me from the couch. Maybe he is using telepathy to get me to buy him lots of treats for Christmas.

A Blustery Unproductive Day

I took a shower and put on makeup with the full intention of going window shopping and getting bubble tea and Potbelly, but it was so windy outside! Mmm, nope, no thank you!  Hey, at least I looked good in the comfort of my own home. I did some window shopping online instead. Hooray for the internet and a Harry Potter marathon on tv, bah ha ha.

By dinner time, I figured I should put my best effort to do something productive today. I baked some Rolo cookies to bring to the office tomorrow (I'm glad that I bought a few bags during the post-Halloween clearance sale at Target), cleaned up my kitchen and ran the dishwasher.

Welcome Back, Mom and Dad!

I stopped my telework day early so that I could pick Mom and Dad up from the airport. They've been in Taiwan for the past 3 weeks, visiting friends and family. Julie asked me if I could pick them up since it was too early for her to leave work and she knew my boss would probably be more flexible. I stopped by the house to pick up the minivan. OMG, driving the van, ugh. Mind you, it's a 2001 Odyssey. It has seen many trips back and forth from 2 colleges and several family vacations. I felt like I had to mash my foot on the accelerator to get anywhere. I'm hoping that my fellow drivers were somewhat forgiving! Heh.

Oh, look, I found a creeper.

Food Prep and Flannel Sheets

My sister found this Balsamic Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner recipe online. She shared some with me the past few weeks, and I wanted to make a batch for myself for the next few days. Super easy to do since the oven does a lot of the work for you. This would have been perfect for the fall CrossFit healthy eating challenge except the sauce you pour on top has honey in it. Anyhoo, yay for not having to cook for the next few days. :)

I caved this week and turned on the heat in the house. I also switched my comforter and my sheets (from regular to flannel). It felt so cozyyy! RJ approves.

Bench Press Womp

6:30 AM CrossFit, check! Test week: 1 rep max for bench press. I was really hoping for 105 lbs (+5 from my last PR of 100 lbs back in May) but alas, it didn’t happen. However, I was able to do a 1 RM of 100 lbs today with one try, so at least I didn't regress. Sigh…grrr, next time! One of the guys did 235 lbs (?!).

WOD, 7:00
3,6,9, etc. ladder
Hanging knee raises
Dumbbell thrusters (25 lbs per hand)
I got through the 12s and then completed 5 of the thrusters. Whew!

Today's my last day off of my 4 day weekend, and it was good timing because I was feeling discouraged and down about the workout this morning. It's only a 5 lb increase, why couldn't I do it? Maybe it's more of a mental block? It kinda sucks to put in the work for a 6-week strength cycle and not really have anything to show for it (at least I PRed yesterday on squat cleans!). I took a shower and then did some organizing (threw away some beauty products that had expired, collapsed some boxes, put some plastic recycling together) and after a nap and some food, I felt better. Heh.

RJ also smacked me in the face when we were playing peekaboo. I was laying down on the edge of the bed and he was on the floor. Grr, you jerk!  At least he didn't use any claws.

Oh, and my Milani Cosmetics order came in yesterday (ordered TH, delivered MON, wow!). I didn't know because I hadn't checked my mail box yesterday and then when I got an order complete email and checked the tracking, it said that it had been delivered! Yay, I can't wait to try this new stuff out.

New Parrot from Nicaragua

It’s been a rather productive day!

• Did 2 loads of laundry
• Took care of the mail pile
• Replaced the boring light switch cover in the bathroom with a cuter one.
• Hung up the parrot that my sister gave me from her trip to Nicaragua. She also gave me the other two birds (one is also from Nicaragua and the other one is from Haiti), so I’m building up a collection.

RJ was not helpful in any of the items on this list.

CrossFit Test Week Summary

This week was test week at my CrossFit gym, which means that we tested our 1 rep max for each of the 4 lifts that we've been working on this strength cycle.

Power snatch (Monday): I PR'ed at 65 lbs! I had to try three times to get it, but I was looking at the clock. I have 4 minutes until we have to do the WOD. I was going to use up all the time I have available to get it and I did.

Back squat (Tuesday): I maxed out at 115 lbs. This was not a PR. I did 145 back in February, but with my back injury in March, I didn't want to push it. Maybe I'll be able to get body weight back squat in the next strength cycle it's featured in.

Push jerk (Wednesday): I PR'ed at 115 lbs. This was big because the most I've been able to lift above my head was 105 lbs, so adding 10 lbs feels like a valid accomplishment. I tried for 120 lbs but only got halfway.

Pull-ups (Thursday): I was able to do one with a purple band. This day was more exciting for my sister because she was able to meet her 2016 goal of doing an unassisted pull-up. Yay! The coach asked her to try for another one, and her arms were stuck about halfway. Hah, well, there's always the next challenge.

My coworker Michelle and her kid (my banana pudding sous chef. Some of you might remember her from Craft Time with Tina) visited a notepad making factory. She gave me one from their trip. It’s great to put in my purse. The oyster on the cover is also raised, which is a cool texture effect. Bonus: the pages are perforated!

This same coworker/friend asked me if I could water her vegetable garden while her family is at the beach next week. “Tina’s going to water our veggies and I’m going to make her macaroni and cheese.” Sous chef says that that’s a *really* good deal. Well, of course it is! I don't like the feeling of taking money from friends. Acquaintances, maybe, but not friends.

Her little brother piped in, “Tina come to beach?!”

 No, sorry. I wish, little buddy.

Rest Day and the Secret Life of Pets

I knew that Julie was not going to want to go to CrossFit this morning, and I wasn't sure what Maria was going to do until she texted this morning. Nope for her too. If she was going to go, I would have gladly gone to be her partner in the partner WOD, but that's okay. Having a full rest day today is fine by me!

My plan today was to go see "The Secret Life of Pets," go to Ulta and DSW and get a milkshake (I got a strawberry one after the movie). Ok, so the movie was just meh. I've seen 2 other animated movies this summer (Zootopia and Finding Dory), and I would choose Zootopia over the other two. The previews made it seem better than it was. Darn marketing. I did like Chloe the cat though (I know, shocking...).

Today will be an exercise in stepping outside the makeup comfort zone. This dark purple color is *way* too pretty to be only worn once a year (Halloween). Lip color: Sephora lip cream stain in Polished Purple. Unfortunately, the liquid lipstick fell out of my pocket as I was leaving the theater. I thought something had, but it didn't dawn on me until I got home. Wah. Fortunately, Sephora's not far away if I wanted to go pick it up. It's more of a fall color anyway.

Long Workout Day

6:30 AM CrossFit, check! It’s the long workout day, so after we did some core work, we did the following for time.

100 kettlebell swings (26 lbs)
800 m run
60 air squats
400 m run
20 dumbbell push jerks (20 lbs per hand)
Time: 13:50
The coach reminded us of the hero workout for Saturday’s class. Maria and I looked at each other, “Are you going to class tomorrow?” We agreed to come since there is no class on Monday for July 4.

After the long workout, I went home and got a bunch of stuff done.

• Vacuumed up the lower level of the house
• Did a load of laundry
• Went grocery shopping
• Went to the gas station to vacuum my car. There was so much cat hair!  Which is weird since it's not like RJ's in the car with me. I guess I just track it everywhere.

After doing all that, my productivity tanked and I noticed that my back was starting to feel sore. I think my body was just tired from the workouts from this week and since I had the day off, I took a long nap this afternoon. Earlier this evening, I watched Zootopia (I've already seen this, but I really liked it when I saw it in the theater and I had a Redbox code) and "Fittest on Earth" on Netflix, which is a documentary of the 2015 CrossFit Games.

My sister is on her way to Nicaragua for a volunteer project. She texted me this morning, saying that the hotel shuttle in Miami got rear ended on the way to the airport. Oh boy. Yikes, what a way to start the day!

P.S. How can the year be already halfway over?!

Garden Help and Baseball Hall of Fame Exhibit

Mom came over this morning after I came home from CrossFit to help me tackle the weeds and hedges outside my townhouse. I can barely keep up with the little garden that I have with two azalea bushes, I don't know how Mom manages to keep up with all the gardens she has in the front and back of the house. She has a green thumb, so I guess it's a matter of being interested in gardening makes a big difference. RJ supervised from the comfort of the air conditioning inside.

My parents and I went to a “friends and family” event that my sister invited us to. It was for the Baseball Hall of Fame traveling exhibit. They had a bunch of trailers set up with interactives and exhibits inside. She showed us the ones that she worked on, which was really cool. There was a trailer that had a giant interactive table that my sister worked on. The table had different stations so that multiple people could be at the table at once. There was a virtual reality trailer, so you could put the goggles on and spin around to see the baseball field, the players, etc.

Good to be Home!

I was still feeling congested from my work travel, so I decided to skip the workout today. I did, however, work from my parents' house. I didn't really have any food at my house and my parents' house had food, RJ and wireless internet, so all my essential needs were taken care of. I sent a bunch of emails out, but will have to wait for the replies to come in. Most of the folks that went to the meeting decided to take today off. I'm using my two comp days on next Friday and the Friday after that.

As you can see, RJ totally made himself at home. It seems like this was his favorite spot in the house: close to the large windows, ample room on the couch, and if the ceiling fan is on, he can catch a slight breeze. What a lucky guy!

Treat Yo'self!

I was feeling kinda meh about going to spin class this morning since I knew it was going to be a substitute instructor, but I went anyway. Go me. Afterwards, I went to do some grocery shopping and then to Target to get some boring stuff (vacuum cleaner bags and cotton rounds) and fun stuff like this tank! I got another one that was USA themed and then one that says lways Napping." Heh. I got some good deals with the Cartwheel app and stuff that was already on sale this week.

My original plan for today was to go see the new X-men movie, but the reviews didn’t seem that great. I thought it’d be more productive to tackle a bunch of household stuff instead (so. much. laundry.) and save the money for another summer movie. Finding Dory maybe?

I tried out a new purchase from yesterday- an Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in Carina. It really should have been named “Hella Bright” because that’s what it is.

I switched out my winter comforter for my summer one. I need to take the winter one's cover to my parents' house to wash. You could probably make a whole other cat from what's clinging onto fabric. I just can't wash it in my little bucket of a washing machine because there's no room. RJ wasted no time getting hair on the summer comforter. Sigh...

Brunch with Jenny and Jessie and a Productive Shopping Day

Quads are coming in! :)

Busy day today!

I met up with Jenny and Jessie for brunch at Ted's Bulletin. I really wanted some French toast, but since the healthy eating challenge doesn't end until tomorrow, I went with the omelette (which was still yummy!). Afterwards, I wandered over to Target (bought a pair of earrings on clearance, heh) and Kohl's. Then I stopped over at my parents' house and then went to the mall near my house to walk around. I went looking for the yellow dress that I had found about a month ago. I was telling myself that if I did well on the healthy eating challenge, I could get the dress. I couldn't find it!  Oh well.  There will be other dresses, ha ha. At least I got some steps in.

I went home to feed RJ and then I went back out to Ulta and DSW. Ooo...Ulta. Fun times!  I've had my eye on some Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipsticks. They have a pretty amazing color range, and the reviews have been positive. My left hand was covered in swatches by the end of my stop there, so I had to ask one of the Ulta employees for a makeup wipe. I promise I'm buying something and didn't swatch all these for nothing! I came out with Carina and Potion, pretty much polar opposites of each other. Super bright vs. very dark.

I went a few doors down to DSW. I have been looking for a new purse because my current one is getting kinda dirty and the straps are slightly fraying. I didn't want to bring that on the work trip next week. I found a dark pink one and thought to myself "SOLD!" I told the cashier that I saw the color and had to have it. "I can tell you liked that color," she said as she pointed to my phone sitting on the counter, which has case in the same color. Heh.

Gel Liner Empty and Coworker's Family Gathering

Holy cow! I finally finished a whole container of gel eye liner. I honestly thought it would never end. A lot of winged liner love came out of that little jar. Good thing I have a backup to open up tomorrow before work.

My coworker's dad passed away last weekend, and she invited me and some people from the office to gather at her parents' house for a celebration of life event. The invite didn't go out to the whole office, so since I got an invitation, I made sure that I went to go support her. I went to the grocery store before heading to the house, and thankfully they had bouquets of sunflowers. They made me think of her since she's got a giant sunflower tattoo on her calf. I hope they would cheer her up during this difficult time. A bunch of us from the office showed up, so we hung out in the family room for a while. We even gave ourselves the tour of the beautiful custom built home (5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, lovely patio, elevator, massive kitchen, etc.).

After I left my friend's place, I did my family rounds, checking in on my parents, cousin and uncle. My uncle is currently undergoing dialysis, so I just want to keep his spirits up.

Saturday CrossFit

9:30 AM CrossFit, check! 6th class this week, wheee! My sister and I worked on our front squats. I did 3 x 5 at 85 lbs.

Partner WOD: each person has to do A and B before moving on.

A: 20 cal row
B: Pull-ups (with green and red bands)

A: 30 cal row
B: Lunges (I did a few with 20 lbs per hand and then went NOPE! And grabbed the 15 lbs Dumbbells)

A: 40 cal row
B: Burpees

Time: 17:15. Whew!

Other notes:


• How can it be raining again??? 
• I’ve slept only one night (last night) with a cat hair free pillow. He’s like “Yes, I can see you frowning. No, I don’t care.” Come on, I JUST changed the sheets! Ugh.

• Today is Day 20 of my gym’s healthy eating challenge. I’m happy with my progress. Whaddiya know? I do have some self control. Well, except for the ice cream I had yesterday. Aside from that and Happy Hour last Friday, I’ve been sticking to the prescribed diet. Gotta get back on track today!

Surprise at Target

I decided to take a rest day today from CrossFit. I'll be going to class tomorrow anyway.

"Personal space? No such thing,"- RJ

Blast from the past: I was at Target earlier this evening, and I was surprised to see my very first boss in line too! In high school, I worked as a library page, reshelving books. Over the years, we’d chat when I was there to check out a book or return something. She told me to come by sometime because the building recently got a facelift.

There was a Target Cartwheel app coupon for Champion workout apparel and some brands of cosmetics. I came away with a new workout top and a eyeshadow blending brush from E.L.F. 

When I was in the dressing room, there was a woman who wasn't able to get out of her dressing room! Yikes! Target staff had to figure something out.

“If you ever need a job, you know you can come back!”

Spin Class, Monopoly and Dan the Homeless Cat

I was going to reserve a spot for 8:30 AM spin class, but I saw that it was a substitute instructor. I ended up going to a 9:30 AM class instead, which was probably better since it's an hour long class, as opposed to 45 minutes.

The birds were out and about this afternoon, and RJ would just not have it!

Dan the Homeless Cat made an appearance at my parents’ house tonight. He usually runs away when we open the door, so he must have been super hungry because he basically inhaled the kibble I gave him. Harry glared at me from the grill.

Is anyone else doing this Monopoly game from Safeway? I’m so close to winning something…but so are many other people, I imagine.