Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Nike Was On To Something...

So at 7:40 this morning I'm standing outside my door, trying to balance my laptop, purse, smoothie, water bottle and bookbag in a way so that I can still manipulate my keys enough to lock my door, and I'm already thinking "This is going to be a loooonnnngg day." As I walk down the stairs, I mentally catalogue all the things I have to remember to do: copy the study aid my classmate let my borrow [to the chagrin of the publisher], draft my main points and "umbrella" section due for LSVII tomorrow, finish my reading for Civ Pro tonight, go to the gym -- do I have my gym clothes? Oh, yeah, there from yesterday since I skipped it last night, so I HAVE to go tonight -- walk my dog, etc. And I think, "How am I going to do it all?" I sigh and answer myself, mentally, of course, "I guess I'll just do it." PAUSE ... A lightbulb goes off in my head (and some cash register in Nike headquarters chimed, I'm sure). "Aha!! THAT's where 'they' got it from." Someone, somewhere, some time ago looked in the face of some immensely daunting task, wondered desperately how in heaven's name she/he could get through it and thought "I'll just do it." And a millionaire was born.

I'm in my third week of my new health regimen; I've been pretty good and disciplined. But the scale doesn't want to cooperate. I feel GREAT. I've been functioning on 5-6 hours of sleep a night and despite my incessant griping and my afternoon crash yesterday (which I solved with 5 Hour Energy, my new best friend!), I'm doing pretty okay. Except the scale doesn't want to cooperate. And though I know I shouldn't be so numbers focused, I can't help it. It's really the only concrete measure of success ... or failure. :-( So, I'm taking a page from Blah-blah-blah Blagojevich's book and boycotting my scale. It's a way to focus on the other benefits of working out and trying to be health conscious, yada yada yada. So, my oath is this: I WILL NOT WEIGH MYSELF FOR ___ (I haven't figured out for how long yet) I'm going to start with getting through this week. Maybe it would help if I throw it off the balcony. Just a thought.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Who Has Time to Blog??

Okay, not that I want to neglect my audience, but geez, between school and work and occasional but frequently diminishing sleep, who has time to blog?? But I 'blog' in my head all day long: driving to work or school I'm constantly mulling over issues that I think would be great blog topics, only to realize I have no time to write it! [Keep this on the down low, but I'm sneaking in this blog at work and I'm on the clock - ssshhhh!!]

Quickly, how 'bout that President Barack H. Obama? I heard the speeches and events were awesome, only I didn't get to see much of it. I saw jerky streaming of footage on cnn.com for a while and then I lost the stream and couldn't get back on. I tried listening to it on the radio, on the NBC6 television broadcast that has a sister radio station but it doesn't come in very well in the office building and I kept hearing bits of Spanish music during the speech. I taped about 6 hours of footage though, but I'm guessing I'll be well into the summer months before I really have time to sit and digest it all. Thank goodness for youtube. and the like.

I'm in week 2 of my recommitment to health. I was great last week, managed to hit the gym 6 out of 7 days and did my morning crunches each and every weekday morning, capped off by an 8:30am session with my trainer Saturday morning. On the 7th day I rested, like all us Great ones do, and all I did was walk my dog. Did my crunches this morning, drank my smoothie, and I'm off an running...

Now, why is that I seem to have NO time to blog (though the length of this blog may lead you to believe otherwise -- my boss is on the phone)? The reading for my constitutional law class is some of the most dense, intense reading I've ever had to do. I keep thinking, "I speak English, I read in English, this book is in English, WHY DON'T I UNDERSTAND???" Crazy.

Damn, she's off the phone. 'Til next time!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Day 2...

For whatever reason I just recently FINALLY figured out that I do better with a structured routine. Last semester when I was super busy with my work and school schedule, I managed to work in 4-5 workouts a week, not to mention daily walks with my dog (even if for only 15 minutes). Anyway, when school ended and I suddenly had all this time on my hands I wasn't nearly as focused or disciplined. Don't get me wrong, I did work out, but only 3-4 times weekly -- even though I had MORE time! Now, I realize part of that was that it was the holiday season and with visiting friends and family, my schedule was still pretty hectic. But my point is I do better when I'm busier. It's probably why my New Year's resolution to upgrade my workout regimen coincided with my first day of school (yesterday) and not the golden day of January 1st.

So, today is day 2 and for the 2nd day I started off just right: woke up 20 minutes earlier than usual to do 100 crunches and 45 leg raises and made my smoothie w/ whey protein (on my brand new Fit & Fresh smoothie maker from GNC, that I got on SALE). Yesterday I did 50 minutes of cardio before class and walked my dog for 20 min before bed. I hope I manage to do the same today.


Also, yesterday I upgraded my personal training at LA Fitness. When I signed up last year (Oct. 2007) I also signed up for a personal trainer through their ProResults (then Body of Change) sister company. I got a very basic plan to match my very basic budget - 2 sessions a month at $29 each. The theory was I'd have the training session and at the end he'd give me "homework" ("gymwork"?) to do until my next session. Yeah, well that didn't work out so well. I could barely drag myself into the gym when I had an appointment let alone do stuff on my own. But, again, once school started I made a commitment to myself to try harder and be more consistent. By then I'd accumulated all these sessions I hadn't used so I took it as an opportunity to jumpstart my program. I've since depleted those sessions and find myself wanting to train more. (OMG, did I really just write that?!) So, I bit the bullet and upgraded my program. Now, I have 54 sessions for the year @ $120 a month. I'm actually saving about $1.30 per session. I've worked with the same trainer since the beginning and Jason is really patient but demanding, which is good. I tell him I hate him every session. He understands.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

First Day of School - 2nd Semester as a 1L

I start classes again today. I approach this second semester as a 1L at FIU Law with enthusiasm and a little bit of anxiety. It's not so much the course load -- last semester I managed a B average (though I did better in Torts than in Contracts, bummer) -- but the schedule is a bit hectic and sometimes the mere thought of it is paralyzing. I know I'm by no means the only person who works and goes to school, but I'm lazy so it kind of sucks. I leave my condo by 8am, work from 9 - 3p, suffer through westbound traffic from downtown Miami to SW 112th Ave., try to stay alert during classes from 7 - 10p on Mondays and 7-9 Tues through Thurs. OMG I need a nap just thinking about it. And amid all of this I supposed to try and cram in workouts at the gym either before class at 5 or after class at 10p. Ugh. Oh, and I have a dog to walk too, but I get help with that one. (Thanks, Danny!)


But it pays off. Toward the end of last semester I kind of hit my stride and I managed to do all those things. Of course, I wasn't perfect everyday; but I was good more days than I wasn't. So, my goal is to continue on the same path and progress. I gotta be the 'not-so-little Cassandre that could'. I will.

This semester I have the pleasure (?) of taking Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law and round 2 of Legal Skills & Values (LSV). Sounds rather boring, don't you think? I'll let you know.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Happy New Me, 2009!

Hello Readers:

Remember me? Yes, I know it's been quite a WHILE -- about a year and a half, in fact; and while so much has changed, many things have stayed the same. You know how at the end of a year, people say, "Out with old, in with the new"? Well, I think it's more like "In with the new, but make room for it cause most of the old ain't going anywhere".

So, what's new, you ask?
  • Since I last actively blogged...I started law school at FIU last semester. I now work part time for a solo practioner and go to school at night. Classes start again next week and I'm getting tired just thinking about it. So, if all goes according to plan I'll be a bottom-feeding, scum-sucking, ambulance-chasing lawyer -- can't wait!

  • Since I last actively blogged...A little known Illinois senator with big ears and a funny name thought it would be a good idea to run for president; in just 13 days Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th President of the U.S. Now, if THAT isn't change, I don't know what is.

  • Since I last actively blogged...The Miami Dolphins were recovering from a terrible 1-15 season; Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas went to different teams, we hired a can a tuna and got a head coach only people in Dallas had ever heard of; the Dolphins won the AFC East Championship this year by beating the dirty, rotten, stinkin' New York Jets.

  • Since I last actively blogged...Our economy has TANKED. AIG and Lehman Brothers (companies that only people with serious money to invest cared about) went belly-up and now the blue-collar automobile industry is crumbling. Gas prices averaged $2.55 and were on the way up, where they would eventually top $4 a gallon! Though the past 4 months have brought steady decreases, as low as $1.63 just last week, they are back on the rise and it cost me $1.77 a gallon when I went to BP last night.

  • Since I last actively blogged...We've lost notables like George Carlin, Bernie Mac, Paul Newman, Isaac Hayes, Anna Nicole Smith, Kurt Vonnegut, Heath Ledger, Charlton Heston, Tim Russert, and so many, many more.

  • Since I last actively blogged...I had just joined LA Fitness and despite an enthusiastic start, I stumbled and went weeks at a time only driving through it's parking lot on my way to Publix or Chick 'N Grill. However, over the last 6 months I've recommitted and am pleased to report that though I'd gained a significant amount of weight back (No, I will NOT tell you how much) I've managed to get rid of most of it and am within 10lbs of my lowest weight. This is actually a good thing since my trainer is convinced I've converted fat into muscle which weighs more...yada yada yada. Point is I'm getting back on track physically and feeling great for it.

Actually, the hectic schedule of work and school has actually made it easier for me to work out and eat better. I actually lost 12lbs last semester. I think I do better within a structured routine and I hope that I will continue on the same path this semester. But it's all about baby steps. Below is a picture comparison of me on 12/31/06 and 12/31/08. Hopefully, the 12/31/09 installment will show significant progress.


Anyway, I hope to be back for good. Blogging is good for the soul. Thanks for the inspiration, Trudy!