Adele's new album, 21, is out of this world amazing. She has such a beautiful voice, and all of the songs are stellar, especially the heart wrenching track below. Have a listen, and check out the whole album to hear more.
someone like you. adele.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
adele - 21
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
OSCARWATCH 2011 - True Grit
The Coen Brothers strike again, this time bringing us a good ol’ country western, a remake of a 1969 John Wayne flick. This time around we’ve got Jeff Bridges filling the boots of Rooster Cogburn, a tough US Marshall who is hired by a very well-spoken and determined young girl, Mattie Ross to find Tom Chaney — the murderer of her father (sounds confusing, right?). They end up working together with LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who has been tracking the same murderer for several months. A real western adventure ensues.
Needless to say, eventually they find the murderer (after many days of searching, and some intense run ins with the rebellious Lucky Ned Pepper’s gang). I won’t say what happens next, I don’t want to spoil the fun. I will say that there are some unexpected twists even at the end of this film. But one thing’s for certain — the star of the show from start to finish is Hailee Steinfeld, the 14-year-old actress who went from unknown to Oscar-nominated in less than a year. Her performance in this movie is spot on, delivering intricate dialogue with the confidence and assuredness of someone who’s been around for quite a while. It’s quite impressive.
Bridges is also great as Rooster, playing the tough/drunken role with vigor and what I like to think of as style. I love Jeff Bridges in pretty much anything he does, and this movie is no exception. Rounding out the main cast members is Matt Damon as the slightly odd but ultimately likable LaBoeuf. I enjoyed Damon’s work in this film as well, his character works well as a contrast to Rooster.
I loved how this film was shot; the cinematography is beautiful, showing us the magnificence of the great West. I also enjoyed the pacing. The Coen brothers tend to move slow at times, but it doesn’t serve to bore the viewer as much as build tension in any given scene. The only qualm I have with the film is the ending — we close after an odd scene with a grown up Mattie Ross that left me feeling a little unsatisfied.
But overall, the Coen Brothers delivered a film that really resonates as a more traditional Western, and I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. I’m not sure if it will bring home any trophies come Sunday, but Hailee may end up upsetting Melissa Leo in the Best Supporting Actress Race. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Like a true Old Western standoff.
Rating:
4 out of 5 on the Marci scale.
wod
"cindy"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 pull ups (assisted)
10 push ups
15 squats
16 rounds + 9 push ups
service suspended
This morning was the February 2011 "find a new way to get to work challenge," sponsored by the Port Authority of NY/NJ. Since the PATH decided to suspend all service to 33rd street, every person entering NYC from NJ had to take the train into World Trade Center, then find a way to get to work from there. It's stuff like this that really keeps you on your toes and makes mornings fun. Thanks PATH!
Here's a shot from an especially heated point in the competition: Walking down the block right outside the WTC Path station, people are shoved together like cattle, forcing them to move at a snail's pace. Whoever can excel at this point in the race is truly a champion.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
long day run
today started off great with the person sitting next to me on the airplane spilling their coffee all over me, then not the best day at work, so I needed to run off a bit of steam this evening. it was a short one, but felt pretty good...although for some reason I was expecting it to be warmer (why would I think that?). lung burner.
1.15 miles. 8:51
Oscarwatch 2011 - The Kids Are All Right
Sticking with my love of all things lesbian (Lillith fair, sports, Ellen's wardrobe) — I loved this movie! I mean besides the fact that you can't really go wrong with Annette Bening and Julianne Moore being our leading ladies in love, the script provides us with a story that is a much more realistic look at a relationship than most traditional movies about love.
The story goes something like this: Nic and Jules are a married couple with two children (conceived using a sperm donor). Everything seems okay for the most part with their family... that is until the kids decide to contact their free spirited, restaurant owning birth father Paul (played spot on by Mark Ruffalo). The first meeting with Paul and the moms goes better than you'd expect — he even offers to hire Jules to design his backyard. But as he gets closer and closer into this family's affairs, the small cracks in this happy clan grow into something much deeper.
The culmination of these conflicts manifests during one of my favorite scenes of the movie - a family dinner at Paul's house that turns sour once Nic realizes that something has been going on behind her back (spoiler alert: Jules and Paul and SEX SEX SEX). Her moment of awakening to this news is executed so masterfully, it feels as if you yourself are going through this experience. Bening played this scene so amazingly, I was pulled into her character's emotional state completely. It really affected me, so that's a job well done.
Anyways, needless to say after this moment the moms have a lot of stuff to sort out. Was it the sperm donor's doing that all the cracks in their marriage finally gave way, or was it bound to happen? What do you do when you realize that your partner hasn't been faithful? How do you carry on as a family? The culmination of this film explores all these questions and more, and finally ends with a college drop off scene that got even the most stone faced person I know to crack a tear (@HoovNews). And if she was crying, you can only imagine the volume of tears droppin down my face...
I really, really enjoyed this movie. The plot, the amazing acting, the unconventional look at family... it all worked so well. I think when a film can draw you into itself so fully that you are experiencing (or flash back to when you did experience) the character's exact feelings, that not only attests to great writing, but masterful acting. And that's what Bening has done for me here. I don't think she's going to beat out Portman for the Oscar, but if she did, my emotions will mimic hers again, but this time it will be happiness.
Rating: 
4.5 out of 5 on the Marci scale.
Challenge #2 - Vegan for a week
Challenge number 2 of 2011 starts today and it's a doozie — vegan for a week! In January I conquered vegetarian for a week, now I'm stepping up my game even more to try out the vegan lifestyle. So in addition to no meat, there's also NO ANIMAL BYPRODUCTS! Whoa! Can you even imagine? I couldn't... until now.
That means no eggs, milk, cheese, etc etc it seems like the list goes on and on. But thankfully for me, Trader Jose's has a nice PDF of all their vegan friendly foods that I've printed out and will be taking with me on a shopping trip later tonight.
So far, my vegan self has eaten:
Sunflower seeds.
Rustic Italian Vegetable soup.
So far, so good!
I'll keep you updated on the week's eats, as well as how the vegan transformation affects my mind and body.
Thing I will probably miss most: 2% milk.
Monday, February 21, 2011
swim work out!
650 M = 14 minutes today! improvement!
total of 1700 M took me around 39 minutes today... overall much faster than the other day! woo woo woo
OSCARWATCH 2011 - Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's film about a perfectionist ballerina who wins the lead in the show "Swan Lake" turns quickly to a shocking thriller as we watch her slowly lose her marbles. Natalie Portman is wonderful as Nina, the unstable ballerina who starts questioning everything around her as the date of the big show gets nearer and nearer.
A wonderful supporting cast of Barbara Hershey as Nina's overprotective/borderline creepily obsessive mother, Mila Kunis as her wild and uninhibited castmate, and Vincent Cassel as her demanding (and sleazy) director help shape the world that is crumbling around Nina with wonderful, intense performances.
The entire movie makes you sit on the edge of your seat, wondering what could possibly happen next. And while the shocking scenes don't generally feature people screaming or jumping out of nowhere to scare you, the effect of the movie is eerily more shocking than a traditional horror film. At times it's so uncomfortable to watch there were gasps from the audience (or little noises of disgust from my grandmother sitting next to me...probably not the best film to see while sandwiched between your mom and grandma).
When we finally arrive at the end of the film, our minds are so engrossed in Nina's world that it's hard to decipher what's real and what's not, leading to some very unexpected realizations as we fade to white (which I think was a nice touch by Aronofsky). And although we are left with our own interpretation of what happened after the fade, it's clear that Nina is a very changed character from who we met in the beginning of the film.
I enjoyed the film, especially the cinematography, which was beautiful, helping to give the movie a realistic feel that makes the unsettling scenes even more jarring. Some scenes were a bit too much for me, and I once I even had to cover my eyes for a second because I was so grossed out by what Nina was doing, but they added to the overall creepiness of the film. The juxtaposition between the gorgeous dancing scenes and the shocking, disturbing scenes also helped this film achieve it's creepy feel.
The other great part of this film is Natalie Portman's performance as Nina. She takes the audience on a journey with her that is both shocking and horrifying, and she does it with the attitude of someone who is doing everything they can to be perfect, and we really feel that from her. It's almost as if we're watching Nina's innocence being taken away within the course of 2 hours, and Portman really delivers to make the audience not just watch that change, but feel that change. Quite a feat. She also did all the dancing herself, which is amazing as well.
Overall, I thought this movie was well made -- it kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next, the ending totally surprised me, and the acting was great. But I'm not sure if I really enjoyed watching it. And although I think that was the intention of the filmmaker, and I appreciate his vision, it took a bit away from the film for me. That's why I'm giving it a 4 on the Marci Scale. And one extra prediction here? Portman will walk away with the Best Actress statue.
Rating: 
4 out of 5 on the Marci scale.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
sunday mornin workout
warm up: walked the reese!
ran 1 mile - 7:50
did exercises from my mom's new Trainer Ball exercise ball! pretty cool thing... shows you the exercises to do on the side of the ball.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
wod
swam 1600M - around 45 min
hit the 650M mark around 17 minutes... first attempt at the triathlon distance for time... gotta work on that!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Oscarwatch 2011 - Toy Story 3
It’s that time of year again… OSCAR SEASON! Keeping with the tradition of this blog, I am trying to watch all the best picture nominees before the big show, and give you my thoughts on them. Good news for me is, I’ve already seen 8 of the 10 best picture noms, but bad news is I haven’t started writing anything about them yet! That changes now. So let’s get right into the swing of things, with Toy Story 3.
We all know and love the Toy Story franchise, brought to us by the geniuses at Pixar, and you’d think there was no real way this movie could go wrong. But then you also have to remember that something you love from your childhood (the first movie came out in 1995, when I was only 9 years old) doesn’t always stay fresh and seem as awesome when you’re older. But guess what? Toy Story stayed fresh, and may have even gotten BETTER, if that’s possible.
The movie begins with Andy getting ready to leave for college, and having to put all his beloved toys into the ATTIC! GASP. But in true animated feature fashion, the bags get switched or swapped and all Andy’s beloved toys end up at a daycare center, which would be all fine and dandy EXCEPT FOR ONE THING… a mean old teddy bear who masterminds a plan to hold all of Andy’s toys captive in the little kids room where they get TORTURED. Oh, the humanity!
One of the great things about this movie is the fact that we still have all the toys we know and love around, but there are many new toys around at the daycare as well, to keep things fresh. One standout is Ken, who takes an immediate liking to Barbie and tries to woo her constantly. Buzz gets somehow reset to his factory settings, but instead is turned into a Spanish speaking Casanova, and all the while Woody is on his own, trying to get back to Andy’s house but getting intercepted by an adorable little girl instead.
There’s a very tension ridden scene involving all the toys we’ve grown to love and an incinerator towards the end of this movie, but thankfully (spoiler alert) they survive. And then we come to the end of this story, a wonderful (tear-inducing) conclusion to an incredible trilogy.
It’s amazing that we've come to expect such a high standard of both animation and storytelling from a production company as we have from Pixar, but the more amazing thing is the fact that they always deliver. They are a truly innovative company, as evidenced further by this behind-the-scenes look from The New York Times:
As for my rating for this film, it’s hard to compare it with the other nominees because it is such a different type of movie. But with that being said, there’s definitely a reason it was chosen as a Best Picture nominee — this really is filmmaking at it’s finest… great story, memorable characters, and an entire animated world — beautifully created from scratch. Compared to any other animated movie I’d give it a perfect score, hands down, but in this race I’m giving it 3.5 Marci’s on the Marci scale. I’m also giving it my very own 2011 “Nostalgia Award.” Well played, Toy Story 3. Well played.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
wod
ran 1 mile
8:04
50 double unders
50 sit ups
40 double unders
40 sit ups
30 double unders
30 sit ups
20 double unders
20 sit ups
10 double unders
10 sit ups
11:35
kind of proud of that one even though it's not the best time... I used to not be able to string together many double unders at all, and now I can bang out a work out like this! ...even though the double under sets were far from unbroken
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
morning wod
Dropped my little hooverpuff off at the airport bright and early this morning so she can get herself to HAWAII!!!!!! After I was done being super jealous (my jealousy level remains at "standard jealous"), I decided to hit up the gym since I was awake.
4 rounds for time of:
800 M run
20 kb swings (20#)
12 pull ups
30:05
then some ab work, and worked on handstands!!!
Morning workouts leave me feeling good for the day. Wish I had the discipline to get out of bed early every day... oh well.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
wod
biked 10 miles (stationary)
25:33
ran .5 miles
4:40
tough running after the ride...gotta work on that!
3 ab progressions
Monday, February 14, 2011
wod
Five rounds of:
5 Dumbbell deadlifts
5 Dumbbell hang cleans
5 Dumbbell push presses
5 Dumbbell squats
Increase the load each round. Rest as necessary between rounds.
12-15-20-25-25
ran .5 miles. 4 minutes
biked 5 miles. 18:48
my tv man
What better way to spend Valentine's Day than follow an online chart about who my ideal tv boyfriend would be? Especially when the person that happens to be my suitable Valentine is none other than... TIM RIGGINS!
Not gonna lie, once I got to a certain point I kind of figured if I said "whatevs" to jail I'd get Tim. So I guess you have to take my results with a grain of salt.
Guess it doesn't matter all that much anyways since he's a fictional character. But for today...I'll take it.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
open door saturday
Today was open door Saturday at my gym, so Hoov came along and we did a little workout:
5 min bike warm up.
500M rows - 3 sets.
Some stability/plank stuff.
Kettlebell work.
Best part? Getting peanut butter hot chocolate afterwards at Shake Shack. MMMmmmmm
Friday, February 11, 2011
music makes me lose control
here are my top five songs of the moment (picked from the "popular" section on grooveshark)
5. Marry You - Bruno Mars
It's so catchy that it talks about getting married and doesn't leave me crying/feeling dead inside. Now THAT'S a great feat! Thanks, Bruno.
4. What the Hell - Avril
Anything with Avril in it reminds me of high school. Since life's been pretty much downhill from there (I PEAKED TOO SOON) (just kidding...I think), I gotta cling to anything she puts out in hopes to relive moments past. Plus it makes me wanna dance, and it starts with this really deep line: "You say I'm messing with your head, all cause I was making out with your friend..." Can't go wrong with lyrics like that.
3. Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Mainly because I love throwing my hands up in the air sometimes.
2. 6 foot 7 foot - Lil Wayne
Gotta have some Weezy up in this joint. That's all there is to say about that.
1. Bottoms Up - Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj
Can't even describe how great this song is. Right from the start, with "IT'S MR. STEAL YOUR GIRL," Trey Songz (nice name by the way) has my attention. I can't listen without dancing, which makes it awkward at work since everyone probably must think I'm just seizing at my desk. But that's just how I dance. And then Nicki Minaj's rap takes it to THE NEXT LEVEL. This record's off the hook, dayum yo.
Hoover bonus
Hold it against me - Britney Spears
Hoover is bananas about this song, the first time she heard it she kept texting me over and over and over until I finally listened to it. I've got to say, at first I wasn't impressed...but it's growing on me.
So if you feel like dancing...have at it.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
heard it babysitting...
val had a lot of wisdom to share with me last night. first he taught me what offsides was in soccer, complete with a demo in his living room using a stuffed ball.
then later on we were watching NFL hockey...
val: ever see college hockey?
me: yeah...why?
val: its just a bunch of teenagers playing hockey. (points at screen) these guys really know the magic.
then he switched the channel to international FUTBOL. a goal was scored and they showed fans in the stands with their shirts off, celebrating.
me: look, those guys took their shirts off!
val: they're probably at the beach.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
im going to disney world!
saw this on the treadmill today... never gets old. also i've decided i'm in love with aaron rodgers, so i started following him on twitter. this is surely a precursor to us dating.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
wod(s)
2 for tuesday!
first, for time:
21 deadlifts (#45)
400M run
18 deadlifts
400M run
15 deadlifts
400M run
12 deadlifts
400M run
11:58.
next made up a little work out i'm calling 5x25. pretty self explanatory. 5 movements, 25 reps. for time:
25 box jumps
25 push ups
25 burpees
25 sit ups
25 double unders
7:49.
math nerd note: thought it was funny my time was 7:49, since i got my number of reps by squaring the number of motions (5x5=25) and seven squared is 49. these are the things I think about when I'm walking around the gym...NERD ALERT!
Monday, February 07, 2011
Superbowl 2011 Commercials - CREAM OF THE CROP
The Super Bowl is probably one of the most exciting days of my year. You might be thinking to yourself, but why...you are a Bills fan. But I think Super Bowl Sunday is a day any sports fan can enjoy, and it doesn't hurt that usually you watch it with lots of friends, food and drinks.
Plus since I'm a huge advertising nerd, I have yet another reason to tune in -- the ads. Although overall I wasn't blown away with the commercials as a whole, here are ten that I enjoyed. I hope you do as well!
MVP
For me, the best spot of the night was the VW commercial featuring a little guy trying to use the force on various objects to no avail. Then something miraculous happens. I think this was a really cute and memorable spot that also was relevant to a specific product feature. Take a look:
VW - The Force
BEST USE OF ANIMAL
Sure there were dogs standing up serving people drinks in one ad, but the animal spot that really resonated with me was this little gem from Bridgestone:
Bridgeston - Carma
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
This spot for the NFL was done by Grey Advertising, one of our "sister companies." So it was actually screened the Thursday before the Super Bowl at a Happy Hour. Might resonate more with me since I love television so much, but I thought it was pretty cool with all the alterations to the original footage. Have a look:
NFL - American Family
PERSONAL FOUL
This Doritos spot has a funny shock factor and got a big reaction at our Super Bowl viewing party. Everyone agreed that they took it a bit too far with the pants at the end, though. See for yourself:
Doritos - The Best Part
BEST ANIMATION
Fairly good amount of animated spots last night...here's the one I thought was done best:
VW - Black Beetle
BEST RACK
I love the tone of this spot. Also love that Faith Hill's just kinda in it. Check it:
Teleflora - Help Me Faith
BEST ROSEANNE TACKLE (by a tree)
Taking off with the concept they introduced last year with Betty White, Snickers continued a pretty clever concept this year:
Snickers - Logging
BEST SONG OF THE NIGHT (Including the Halftime Show and National Anthem)
Might just be partial to this Elton John diddy, but I rather enjoyed this commercial:
Budweiser - Wild West
BEST AD FOR PEOPLE WEARING BOAT SHOES, SHORTS WITH LITTLE ANCHORS SEWN INTO THEM, AND WHO GO BY THE NICKNAME "CAPTAIN"
Part of Audi's whole "Startled Smart" campaign, here we see several people trying to escape from Luxury Prison. I don't know why they'd want to leave really. As I watched them escape I was dining on some delicious quail, and listening to some smooth jazz with a cardigan wrapped around my shoulders. If that's not the dream I don't know what is. Anyways, I digress. The spot:
Audi - Release the Hounds
MOST TURNOVERS
This spot goes through a variety of scenarios before finally coming back to where we started. Since I'm a fan of all things silly, this one kind of made me giggle:
Carmax - Kid in a Candy Store
Alright, that about does it with my notable commercials from the evening. Hopefully next year there are a few more inspiring spots, and less where people are getting knocked over or hurt in some way.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
lunchtime wod
had a few problems with people on equipment, so this turned out to be out of the order I originally intended. also just threw 100 double unders in there while i waited... here's what I ended up with:
15 thrusters (50#)
15 pull ups
21 thrusters (40#)
36 thursters (30#)
21 jumping pull ups
100 double unders
36 pull ups
kinda weird, but... did what I could.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
wod
For time:
50 box jumps
50 kettlebell swings (20#)
50 sit-ups
20 pound dumbbell Hang power clean, 50 reps
50 Back extensions
800 meter Run
13:40
cool down:
bike 2 miles
7:30
Nike Cooperstown Heritage
Nike's new line of tee's honor some baseball legends with a special graphic shout out to their facial hair, and other accessories. They are pretty awesome, especially if you appreciate baseball and facial hair (as all real men should).
Check them out here.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
good news, bad news.
good news! get to go home tonight and sleep in my bed for the first time in almost 2 weeks.
bad news! delayed plane!
good news! the plane will take off tonight!
bad news! not sure when it will take off!
good news! got a sick "virginia is for lovers" hoodie from the gift shop.
...as long as I get home tonight the good news outweighs the bad I say.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
wod!
crappy hotel gym day 2.
four rounds for time of:
run 400M
12 burpees
11:50
then 3 ab progressions and 3 planks (60 sec each)
although the gym stinks, there is a pro to this hotel - its right near a pretty cool bar that has mug night tonight! buy a beer, keep the mug. count me in.
Monday, January 31, 2011
a skiing success
This past weekend was a time of many firsts! First time skiing EVER, first time visiting Vermont EVER, first time seeing a floor that lifted up off the ground to reveal a pool and hot tub EVER, and first time shredding that fresh pow EVER (#shredfest2k11).
Have to say, I enjoyed it immensely. Now I get the whole why people like to ski thing. Although I only skied for one day, it was a fun one. After falling down on my first attempt down the bunny hill, things got much better! I'd have to say the most terrifying part of skiing is trying not to hit little kiddies taking lessons. But once we left the bunny hill, this became less of a problem.
First time down the big hill I ate it once. But I dusted myself off and tried again. And I didn't fall for the rest of the day! Bonus points!
Definitely recommend getting out there and trying to ski if you haven't before. It's a fun time even if it is a bit terrifying for a beginner. I also recommend getting a ski house with 35 of your friends (or people you don't know) and having the biggest dance party since Wed. nights at Dino's. Those were some great dance parties...
I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pieces of artwork from our ski castle (ed note: check out THE HOOV TUBE on youtube in the next week or so for a more detailed video of the place).
standard deer shot in every great skiing/hunting palace.
you know, just a normal sign, telling you not to swim unless you want to drown and raise your hand helplessly up in the air trying to be saved...
see y'all on the slopes!
wod
the gym at this hotel is the worst! it only has 2 treadmills 1 bike and 1 elliptical. not even any weights! I miss the old hotel down the street from here...
biked 3.25 miles - 10:23
3 sets for time of:
10 push ups
10 squats
10 sit ups
6:24
ran .5 miles - 4:08
gotta work with what you have...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
50 people, one question - Ithaca
mal posted this cool little video on her blog! the music reminds me of Friday Night Lights. i love the way it's shot, too. check it out.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
sisterhood of the traveling bad luck.
Today's the day I'm supposed to get back to NJ, pack up and take off for VT for my first ever ski trip! This should be a time of jubilation. Instead, I am feeling stressed out and uncertain thanks to a SNOWSTORM.
Just googled "New York weather" and the forecast is NOT looking good. Mayor Bloomz told everyone to stay home from work, airports are closed, and just other generally unfavorable things for someone trying to fly into the area are happening. This is causing me immense sadness and worry.
Apparently Newark closed last night around midnight and is supposed to resume services today at 7 a.m. My fingers are crossed that this information is accurate! Otherwise, instead of skiing this weekend, I may be dining at EVEN MORE chain restaurants in the greater Richmond area...
Updates to come. If y'all live in the nyc area, be safe! and ENJOY YOUR SNOW DAY !
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
wod
3 rounds for time of:
run 800 Meters
rest 2 minutes
3:33, 3:29, 3:30
then swam 30 mini laps! Still trying to figure out how big the pool is...
jersey shore podcast!
My favorite edition of Bill Simmon's B.S. Report came out yesterday -- Reality TV show talk! 57 minutes of Jersey Shore commenting = awesomeness.
Check it out here (It's listed as "Reality TV Czar," it's the second bullet as of posting).
Enjoy.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
double workout all the way!
So I woke up this morning and took advantage of the little hotel pool. 30 laps. Still trying to figure out how big the pool is so I can convert that to meters and decide if it was a good workout or not.
Then I had some time to kill before dinner, so gym'ed it up again.
Run 1 mile (7:55)
then 3 rounds of:
15 bench press of 10# dumbells on stability ball
15 sit ups
10 push ups
Now it's almost dinner time. Richmond, VA seems to have every chain restaurant known to man conveniently located near the hilton. Gonna be hard to decide where to go... PF Changs has my vote! BOOYA.
Monday, January 24, 2011
hotel wod
crazy dayyyy. about to run to a fancy client dinner, but got a workout in before -
run 1 mile (7:48)
50 wall ball shots (8#)
50 back extensions
50 bent over rows (10# dumbbells)
10 deadlifts (with 2 30# dumbbells)
ab progression.
its somethin...
a great new hat
Bec gave me an awesome bills winter hat for my bday so obviously I rocked it on long island yesterday...an oscar photoshoot ensued. Here's some of the best shots:
oscar looking bangin' while supporting the greatest sports team of all time.
a make out session ensued.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
hulu plus!
I just signed up for a free week long trial of Hulu Plus with a mission — to try to watch the entire 2nd season of Parks & Recreation in a week! I want to watch Season 3 (which just started), because I heard the show's really funny. BUT first I needed to catch up. I had seen some of the first season, but for my catching up purposes I think watching Season 2 in it's entirety will get me to a good enough place to watch and enjoy the new season.
My free trial with Hulu Plus only lasts ONE WEEK, and if I don't cancel by the end, they'll charge me $7.99 per month to continue my subscription. So time's ticking... I've already watched 2 episodes this morning, so I got 22 to go!
Also want to look around at other stuff I can watch with Hulu Plus... if I ever want to catch up with other shows, it might be a better idea to just get a month long membership with Hulu Plus instead of buying DVDs/downloading from iTunes.
Gotta go -- time to watch more Pawnee, IN civil servant funnyz.
fridays wod
For time:
21 pull-ups
20 squats
18 pull-ups
16 squats
15 pull-ups
12squats
12 pull-ups
8 squats
5:10
rode 4 miles on a bike. 13:59.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
happy travels...
Just found out that work is sending me to client meetings in Virginia from Monday - Thursday next week, and then Monday - Wednesday the next week. So ... I'll be living in a hotel in VA for the next few weeks. To further complicate matters, next weekend is going to be my first attempt at skiing -- in Mount Snow, VT.
So I'll be hustlin' home on Thursday to get in a car and drive to VT. Thennnn on Sunday, I'll have to ask to get dropped off in Hartford, CT on the drive home in order to fly to VA again.
I feel like George Clooney in Up in the Air.
heard it babysitting...
while waiting in line at mcdonalds:
Val: What are you gonna get to drink?
Me: Dr. Pepper
Val: You always get Dr. Pepper! Why?
Me: Because I like it.
Val: You're going to turn into a doctor. And a pepper.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
wod
Four rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
12 Burpees
15 Two-hand dumbbell Bent over row, 12 pounds each
14:40. wanted to do 5 rounds but had to get back to work for a meeting!
man's best friend.
This dog's owner was killed during last week's catastrophic landslides in Brazil. Here's the loyal dog, named Leao, sitting next to her grave for the second day in a row.
from msnbc's photoblog.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
wod
21-15-9
cleans (40#)
dips
couldnt time it cause i got pushed off the dip machine and had to wait a bunch.
ran 1 mile.
felt sick ! too much chipotle.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Golden Globes!
So Kate and my game plan for today is to watch the Jets play the Patriots at a bar somewhere, then go home, put on gowns, drink swanky dranks and watch the Golden Globes. Sounds like a good plan to me.
Since I can't bet on the football game like I was going to, I'll make Golden Globe predictions instead. Here goes:
Best Motion PIcture:
Black Swan
The King's Speech
The Fighter
Social Network
Inception
I've actually seen all of these films, and enjoyed each a whole lot. I think The King's Speech is going to come away the winner here, and I can't quite tell you why. So that's that.
Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical)
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are Alright
Red
The Tourist
I think The Kids Are Alright is on a whole different level than the other films in this category, so I'm hoping (and thinking) it will win this one.
Best Television Series
Boardwalk Empire
Mad Men
Dexter
The Good Wife
The Walking Dead
I'm gonna be biased here and go with the only one I watch. I know the other contenders are good shows, but Mad Men is just SO GOOD. I think it deserves it.
Best Television Series (Comedy/Musical)
30 Rock
Big Bang Theory
Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
It's hard to choose from this group, but I'm going Modern Family. It's so hilarious every week, relatable and has brought back the idea of a family comedy that an entire family can enjoy together. It's like Full House of the digital age. Or Step by Step 2.0. Can't go wrong with it.
Those are the only categories I'll be guessing, because I just got tired of typing. Guess we'll see how right I am a little later on tonight...
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
veggie week = over
Yesterday was my last official day of being a vegetarian. It was a pretty good challenge, only really had a few times when I really wanted meat...but I overcame my cravings.
To celebrate being done, I had a nice Shack Burger for lunch. And holy cow (hehehe) was it good!
Challenge Breakdown:
Completed.
Did I cheat? No.
How difficult was this challenge (1 is easiest, 10 is hardest)? 5
Did it make me feel any better/worse than I usually feel? Hard to tell, since I was sick for a majority of the challenge. Generally I did not feel much different though, I still got my fill of food and felt full after meals.
Would I do it again? For a week, maybe. Def not something I want to incorporate into my lifestyle full-time.
I LOVE MEAT!
wet n' wild...
is a funny name for a Triathlon, but its the name of the tri that I registered for last night!!! It's on August 6th so I got some time to train, so I can try to keep up with my IRONMAN uncle! My brother may participate as well, so its lookin' to be a fun time. Anyone is welcome to join in on the fun, since my parents turned my bedroom into a guest room (mean) we have plenty of room for people to stay.
now i just gotta find a pool to swim in, buy a bike, and get goin on some traininggg.
600M swim
20 mile bike ride
5k trail run
Thursday, January 13, 2011
wod
as many rounds as possible in 15 min of:
250M rows
25 push ups
5 full rounds. did the row and 2 push ups of round 6.
national anthem fail turned good.
This little girl was rockin' out the national anthem at a hockey game when her mic went dead right at the grand finale. But the crowd jumps in to save the day!
Great video for two reasons:
1. It shows how great it is to be American and is an ode to the American spirit!
2. It reminds me of when my brother was little and sang the national anthem at a Buffalo Bisons baseball game. Now THAT is an amazing video. (side note: I think I need to start a blog where I take all of our old home videos and put them online for the world to see. they are too good to be kept on VHS forever)
via devour.com
heard it babysitting...
Val: Wanna hear what I'm doing for my birthday?
Me: Sure, what are you doing?
Val: We're having a big soccer game. My team is me, my mom, Alex, his brother, and their dad.
Me: Who do you think is gonna win?
Val (looking at me in disbelief that I even asked such a question): My team! We have 4 professional soccer players. Actually, 5 including me.
He also tried to get me again with the ICUP joke. I wouldn't be got! I outsmarted an 8 year old. Advantage: me.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Shelby's Nike Free Run+
Was looking through the sneakers at nike.com and found these amazing kicks:
They are Nike Free Run's designed by a girl named Shelby Lee, a 12 year old with heart disease. After five surgeries to fix her heart, Shelby is now able to run. This sneaker (designed by Shelby herself) was made as a tribute to her life story.
Amazing story and some awesome shoes. I wish I could order a pair, but it seems they are all sold out. Limited editions. I still want to try Nike Free Runs though, so I might be ordering a pair soon...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
great banner ad
did you hear the news?
lawsuits steal things like swing sets away from children. why do lawsuits gotta be like that?
mushroom lasagna!
Day 5 of being a vegetarian and I finally got ambitious with cooking! Made mushroom lasagna with a recipe from the blog Smitten Kitchen - very yummmy. Although I would probably recommend starting before 8:45 so you can eat your dinner before 10:30 (whoops). It was worth the wait though, very delicious.
shrooms!
noodles!
sauce!
yummy!
wod
yesterday:
had my free personal training session!
3 sets of:
1000M row
20(each side) one armed kb swings (10#)
20 modified burpees (no jump)
30 sec wall squat hold
then a bunch of ab work. pretty good workout, had me sweatin' good!
today:
6 pull ups.
6 dips.
30 wall ball shots (8# ball)
15 push ups.
3 rounds for time.
8:38
now im getting ready for the blizzard...with mushroom lasagna that is taking FOREVER to cook im so hungryyyy.
hope everyone stays safe and has fun in the snow tomorrow!
Monday, January 10, 2011
hello, beast mode.
ridiculous! oh marshawn...
you knew he'd be good when he gave this gem of an interview before the 2007 draft:
best line-
interviewer: "define yourself."
marshawn: "myself? Me!"
1/2 way through veggie week
So its day 4 of my week of being a vegetarian, and I'm still going strong. Saturday brunch was a bit hard, because I REALLY wanted a turkey burger, but I settled on chips and guacamole and that did the trick just fine. Sunday I had some really yummy vegetarian chili at grey dog cafe before seeing blue valentine. That did not leave me wanting meat at all!
This week I think I'll be doing salads for lunch - today's had avacado, tomato and black beans to give it some substance and I am feeling good!
Hard to say overall if eating no meat has made me feel better or worse because I've been sick all week... honestly though I don't think it's made a big difference in how I feel. I've been able to find stuff to eat and feel satisfied at every meal.
But I do kind of miss eating meat...looking forward to Friday when I can eat some meat again, maybe I'll treat myself to a burger!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
bedroom wod
not feeling so great this weekend, still tried to get a little WOD in tonight, utilizing anything i had in my bedroom. heres what i came up with:
4 rounds for time of:
5 wall climbs. 10 kb swings (20#). 10 push ups. 15 squats.
9:38
gotta say, my wall climbs were pretty pathetic - they are hard!
feeling good afterwards though...always good to sweat it out when youre sick!
blue valentine...
was really good. just saw it this afternoon.
it hurt my heart like i knew it would. definitely recommend checking it out. felt very real. great acting by gosling and williams. not your average love story. VERY different from the notebook :) haha only similarity (besides gosling) is that they both made me cry.
worth a watch for sure, so check it.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
a great surprise!
today I checked the mail and got something from "Hot Guys and Cute Animals." intrigued, I opened it up and it was a 2011 calendar! what a great surprise. it's the perfect replacement for my 2010 "The Office" calendar, and brings back some memories of the few years before that when I had the Firemen of New York Calendars.
I thought to myself, "who could of sent this wonderful surprise gift?" I narrowed it down to 2 people, called my first guess, and WAS RIGHT!
Looking forward to 12 months of hot guys and cute animals! THANKS MOM
Challenge #1 - Vegetarian for a week
I started my first challenge of 2011 yesterday -- and that means no MEAT for a week. So far, so good, and it actually wasn't too hard. Breakfast stayed the same as usual, yogurt and granola (I think breakfast is probably the easiest time not to eat meat, except when bacon or sausage are offered....mmmm).
Lunch was a salad, some honey pretzels, a banana and a cheese stick! Just a heads up, at work I usually pack lunches that an elementary child would eat, so as long as I don't put cold cuts on a sandwich, avoiding meat is fairly easy here as well.
For dinner I split spinach and artichoke dip with Liz before we hit up the Rodeo (more on that later...)
And that's it! No meat, no problem. I think the weekend is going to be significantly harder, so I guess I gotta get my will power ready.
1 day down, 6 to go.
Friday, January 07, 2011
speaking of happiness....
this woman is apparently NAMED happiness...and watching her dance made me laugh aloud at my desk. enjoy:
thanks liz!
blue valentine
hoping to see this sometime this weekend. im kinda nervous, which is weird before seeing a movie. but im expecting it to be heartbreaking.
RYAN GOSLING!!!! YOU AND YOUR MOVIES THAT MAKE ME CRY!!!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
wod
three rounds for time of:
400M run
30 OH squats (20#)
21 pull ups
17:14
had to walk up and down stairs to get to treadmills. there was a member appreciation day going on so it was a ZOO! got a free personal training sesh for friday though... bang it
nfl fantasy playoff football
If you're already going through fantasy football withdrawal, NFL.com runs a playoff challenge where you can pick 8 guys per week to rack up as many points as possible throughout the playoffs.
Since the Bills are already out of the mix, this will help give me something to root for as I watch the upcoming games.
Enter your own team here.
Monday, January 03, 2011
wod
as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 box jumps
10 kettlebell swings (20#)
10 push press (50#)
10 rounds plus 4 box jumps.
the push presses killedddd me
the challenge of 2011
this year I've decided to challenge myself a bit every month. each month, for one week I will take on a challenge, and document how the challenge plays out on this here blog. some challenges include:
no cell phone for a week
vegetarian for a week
vegan for a week
no gchat for a week
drink 8 glasses of water every day for a week
paleo diet for one week
no alcohol for a week
write for an hour a day for a week (outside of work)
no television for a week
no facebook for a week
a week long "cleanse" diet
i need a few more challenge ideas, since there are 12 months and as you can see, I do not have 12 challenges. post any ideas to comments!
i'll be taking on my first challenge of the year (vegetarian for a week) pretty soon. stay posted...
not so miserable marci
okay, sticking with the new years resolution, instead of posting a rant about how my plane was delayed last night and i didn't get back to dirty jers until 2:30AM and now i'm back at my favorite place in the world...my job...
whoops almost fell into miserable mode there. but the theme of the year is happy. so...
:)
Sunday, January 02, 2011
happy 2011!
hope everyone's new year celebration was funnnn. judging by the amount of scratches and bruises on my person, mine included a lot of falling. and judging by my dress, that falling took place where there was a lot of mud around. and judging by throwing up at 5:30 and 6pm, it also included too much alcohol! hope your celebration was just as fun but less painful the next day.
my resolution:
try to be happy.
here's the first funny looking animal of 2011:
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