2012 Resolutions - Wrap Up

I set out to do two sets of resolutions. One from January to June and one from July to December. That didn't work out so much and I ended up just doing the first list.

So here are the 10 resolutions (in no particular order):

Photography Category:

• Start setting up a portfolio website and professional presence

I did buy the domain name and paid for the hosting, but haven't really worked on it since. I do have the foundation at least.

• Make/Customize a photo bag for my camera 

I totally built a camera bag from a diaper bag, some foam and geeky patches. It came out great!

Health Category:

• Take a yoga class - once a week 

Failed. I tried it a few times and I think my main issue is that they have all levels of yoga in one class. I felt that I had no idea what I was doing and the teacher had no interest in really fixing that.

• Eat a prepared meal - once a week - that I have not eaten before (counts if it is at a sit down restaurant) 

Mostly failed for the last half of the year, but did decent for the first half. Found a few new places to eat, but the making food part just didn't happen.

BONUS: However, I have lost 25 pounds, 4" and one dress size over this year. I'm down to no cream and only two Splenda in my coffee. I have not had a pop (Diet or otherwise) since May 20th.Technically, I haven't had anything carbonated since then either.

Travel Category:

• Three trips - one needs to be somewhere I have never been and one needs to be out of state. It can be day trips, but needs to be over 60 miles one way. 

Success! I made it out of the state twice! I went home to Chicago for my Grandma's wake/funeral and got to spend some time with my family. I did a road trip down to the bottom of Oregon to see some live Shakespearean theater (Henry V) with friends. The third trip was taking two friends to Port Townsend for some sea glass picking and photo taking at the fort.

Reading Category:

• 25 Books (50 for the year) and 25% of books on the BBC list of Must Read Books (I read 40 books last year and 75% of it was between June and Sept.)

Success and then some! 61 total books read and 14 of them off the BBC list with 9 books that have come out in the last year and half. I've really been using my Kindle more and falling asleep reading in lieu of falling asleep to a movie. I don't get through as many audiobooks at work as I used to, but have been able to knock out a good chunk.

Misc. Category:

• Have a mani/pedi once a month     

I did the first three months and decided this just wasn't for me. It was expensive and to be done right needed to be about every two weeks. I think I'll do it every once and a while.

• Go to the make-up counter at a department store and get a make-over 

Failed! Came close twice, but the timing didn't work out.

• Get 2 haircuts from an actual hairstylist 

Success! Four haircuts! I like my stylist who my friend recommended.

•  Buy and wear two dress casual outfits that I wear outside of work 

Success! It happened in the later half of the year. I did get a fancy dress, but have yet to find a reason to wear it. I did wear a skirt/dress upwards of 12 times, I think. I am in boots as much as sneakers. However, I also discovered Woot t-shirts and my t-shirts have more than doubled in size. I have several new favorite T-shirts now that are geeky. My newest one has a tree reading a Kindle and a Telsa related shirt arriving soon.

Back In the Saddle which is on the Wagon

It is no secret that I need to shed some pounds. The heaviest I have ever been was what I weighed when I left Los Angles in July 2008. I have lost the same 10 pounds over and over again since then. Once school started back up in the spring, I just couldn't seem to find the energy and/or time to make it to the gym.

You can't force things. You can try to put things in your favor, but you can't make them happen. I'm finally ready to do more of what I need to in order to get down to my goal.

Once school ended, I have gotten back on the wagon. I, sadly, started the year off at that peak weight. Right now I am 17 pounds lighter. It fluctuated a bit, but in the last two weeks I have really bucked down.

The ultimate goal is to lose an even 100 pounds which would still 25 pounds overweight for what my "ideal" weight should be for my height, but I am okay with that. An even 100 seems like a nice reasonable number. My goal for my birthday (end of September) is either: 

• Lose (and keep off) 35 total pounds (23 more than what I have lost so far); and/or 
• Drop a full size so that no matter what brand that size will fit me.

I feel this is neither too ambitious nor too easy. I find for me that I need to lose 25 pounds to drop a size so 35 would give me some literal wiggle room for that goal.

The diet I am doing is the Slow Carb Diet as described in Tim Ferris' "4-Hour Body" and I am exercising at 24 Hour Fitness which is fully loaded including a pool.

The key seems to be staying motivated. So I am watching things like "Super Size Me," "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," and any of the 11 seasons of "The Biggest Loser" that Netflix has streaming right now.

So, that's where I am at in the realm of things. I hope that stating these goals will help me stick to them, but just in case, the below images are also meant for inspiration. I hope you find them as motivating as I do.

Ah, perspective...

I find this image highly motivating

Chemistry is Weird

I am not an avid coffee drinker. I drink it off and on. If it is at home, it is Dunkin Donuts brand with cream and sugar. If I'm out and about, it is an Americano with cream and sugar.

I use A LOT of sugar. I made a perfect cup of coffee and measured everything out to see how much sugar I was actually putting in so I could slowly lower it out over time. It was A LOT. I'll tell you how much, but you will be horrified. Okay. Prepared? Ready? 12 teaspoons and/or packets. Okay. Stop freaking out. I've been slowly lowering it. I've gotten it down to 7. Seriously. I warned you.

So the point of this blog is because I discovered something. In "4 Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss, he recommends losing the cream all together because even a splash can make a difference. He recommended using cinnamon instead. I could not imagine how putting cinnamon in my coffee would replace cream. It doesn't even make sense.

However, I tried it because other people know more than me and what could it hurt?

Dude. Seriously. Not only did I not need cream, I only needed 2.5 sugars. I'm not even a big cinnamon fan.

So if you are looking to cut down on your sugar or eliminate your cream, I recommend cinnamon!

Thank you, Tim Ferris!

5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug

I got this email from an aunt and my sister had sent it to me. I tried it and it was surprisingly good. A perfect bit of chocolate when you need some. Here is the recipe:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

2 thumbs up!

My New Favorite Salad

I had a salad from a pizza place near my house called "Amante." Here is the description of the salad:

Fancy Green Salad
Mixed spring greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, walnuts, dried cranberries & goat cheese topped with our raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

I was addicted instantly. I went out got all the ingredients and started making it from home.

I made some changes like switching it to spinach, removed the tomatoes and use Paul Newman's raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I tried gorgonzola, but goat cheese works so much better.

I highly recommend trying.

Favorite Cuisine

The question came up at work, "If you could only eat the cuisine of one ethnic group, which would it be?" A few people said Mexican, one said Italian and one said Japanese. I thought about it for a while and then answered "Irish." I got some funny looks, but I stand firm that is my favorite.

I don't like spicy foods and I'm hit or miss on fish. However, I have never met an Irish dish I didn't like. The first time I was ever in a real Irish pub was in San Diego. Most Irish pubs aren't really Irish. They are just pubs that have Guinness on tap.

I found a real Irish pub here in Seattle called "Fado" which is Gaelic for "long ago." How do I determine if it is real or not? Easy. If they serve my favorite dish, boxty.

Boxty is a potato pancake that is rolled like a crepe. You roll it like a burrito and fill it with different things. Here are your choices at Fado, for example:

Trinity Steak Boxty
Grilled steak, sauteed mushrooms, and onions rolled in our own boxty topped with a whiskey-garlic sauce. Served with seasonal vegetables.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Boxty
Corned beef, buttered cabbage, and a creamy mustard sauce wrapped in a potato boxty. Served with seasonal vegetables.

Blackened Chicken and Shrimp Boxty
With tomatoes and mushrooms in a spicy cheese sauce. Served with seasonal vegetables.

I had the trinity steak and it was awesome.

In case you doubt Irish cuisine has other great foods, here are just a few examples from the Fado menu:

Appetizers - Béaloga

Smithwick’s Mini-Burgers
Two Smithwick’s ale flavored beef burgers with pickles, onions and melted cheese.

Guinness BBQ Wings
A dozen extra plump wings tossed in our own Guinness BBQ sauce. Served with blue cheese and celery. Also available tossed in hot sauce.

Cheese Dip And Wedges
A creamy blend of Irish cheddar, pepper jack cheese and green onion served with boxty wedges for dipping.

Traditional Fare- Bia Traidisiúnta

Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
Ground sirloin and diced vegetables in a rich beef sauce, topped with colcannon.

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Tender corned beef topped with a creamy white wine-mustard sauce. Served with red-potatoes and buttered cabbage.

Bangers and Mash
Irish pork sausages on colcannon with a savory onion gravy and peas.

All-Day Irish Breakfast
Two eggs, two Irish sausages, two rashers, two black puddings, two white puddings, two tomatoes, mushrooms and pan fried potato bread.

Grilled Pub Steak and Chips
A tender flat iron steak grilled to order with a red-wine sauce, mushrooms, broiled bleu cheese, tomatoes and thick-cut chips.

Desserts- Milseog

Black and Tan Brownie with Guinness Ice Cream
A warm, rich chocolate brownie topped with home-made Guinness Ice Cream, whipped cream, pecans and chocolate sauce.

Harvest Bread Pudding
A flavorful pudding with apples, cinnamon, sugar and walnuts topped with our own brown bread ice cream.

Brown Bread Ice Cream
A blend of vanilla ice cream and caramelized brown bread topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Fadó Irish Coffee
Cleanse your palate with an age-old recipe. The Fadó signature drink features Bushmills Irish Whiskey, brown sugar, coffee, and fresh whipped cream with cinnamon swirls.