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Two of the sports teams that claim my heart share the United Center--here's the best of both worlds in that one great place.

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also this is one of the greatest things ever

June 2nd, 2013: Jonathan Toews thanks Corey Crawford for sticking up for him.

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Things I have done to make it feel like my life is kind of in order, in spite of really having no idea what I'm doing

Less binge drinking

Reading the news

Cleaning my apartment (even if only a little)

Working for—and getting—promotions in both departments at work

Getting to be closer buddies with the coworkers

Joining a research lab as a URA (undergraduate research assistant)

Stepping forward to practice things in said research lab, because I’m terrified of screwing up badly

Meeting new people through that

Volunteering at the hospital (and meeting new people through that as well)

Learning stuff—about (inpatient acute) physical therapy via the hospital, or just random things by reading them on the internet (such as for one, the “petals” on my plant are not actually petals but they are modified leaves, and they turned green because they are in a lower-light condition and that was just chlorophyll for photosynthesis)

Growing a plant, successfully (considering it’s a pretty easy plant to grow)

Actually sitting down and studying for the GRE and not hating it

Going for a run, with my new New Balance running shoes, in perfect weather on a route I don’t usually take (and also not hating it, surprisingly)

Otherwise accepting the fact that I hate running and prefer lifting and playing sports, given the opportunity

Using MapMyRun so even if the weekly progress is 3 total miles in 35 minutes over only 3 runs a week I can still feel accomplished (having accepted the fact that I hate running)

Living in my apartment alone

Grocery shopping and coming out with only healthy things (so much produce!)

Signing a lease on an apartment for the next school year

Caring about something—even if it is just sports—and following it

Stumbling into a bookstore and realizing I want to read EVERYTHING—so much knowledge

Chatting for hours about everything late at night with a friend, about how right now we may feel like our lives are complete messes, but realizing it’s just for now, and this moment now is the only thing right now—but it’s only for right now.

Doing laundry--especially the sheets and towels

Trying a new scent of body wash

Shaving my legs (not even kidding)

Flossing regularly, a couple times a week--also not even kidding!

Trying to enjoy the healthy foods I don't usually like--I sliced up half of one of the tomatoes I bought the other day, grilled it in a little light olive oil cooking spray, and seasoned it with garlic powder, pepper, and a little oregano.  Delicious!

Getting rid of things I don't need--donating primarily, and lots of recycling.  Or, you know, deleting phone numbers and "un-friending" on the facebook/un-following on twitter, those kinds of things too :)

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First of all, hi everyone. It feels like I haven't blogged about anything sociologically substantial in a while, and I might be a bit rusty so please pardon the potentially poor prose. Anyhoozle. N...

Also, this.  Friend on facebook just posted it and I had to look.  Absolutely love it.

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These are just a few of my favorite cookie recipes but there’s tons of other healthy cookie makeovers here. :)

Living a healthy lifestyle is about moderation, balancing a mostly healthy meal plan with occasional snacks and treats. With these healthy recipes you can enjoy a cookie or two (or even 3!) with a glass of milk and still feel good about your nutritional choices. Keep in mind, no one cookie, cupcake or one anything is going to “ruin” your progress but if you want a healthier dessert you can have daily, these are a great option!

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Difficulty

My BMI is a healthy one.  Now I know it's not the  best indicator of anything, but it can be a decent one in some cases.  But either way, I'm a healthy weight for my height, and I know I look (without trying to sound vain) just fine.  BUT I do have some flab here and there that I want to get rid of.  Just a couple unnecessary pounds left on my body that I could do without.  So I made a goal to lose five pounds.  2 off the belly, 1 off each thigh, and maybe about half of one off each arm?

"OH MY GOD LEE, STOP, WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, NA NA NA NA NA, WHERE WOULD YOU LOSE THOSE LBS FROM"

So my clothes hide them, so I suck it in, so I carry myself in a manner that doesn't show that flab.  But put me in a bathing suit on a beach and there it is.  Or, more frequently, when I'm sleeping or sitting or anything, I can feel those pounds.  It's for ME.  It's a personal thing, a personal goal, I want to drop those 5 (if not less) pounds for ME.  It would make ME feel good.  Call me selfish but you know what?  Whatever. I'd love to help others achieve their goals too, but no one wants to hear it.

(But for real, if you have a health/fitness goal and you need someone to help kick your ass towards it, hit me up.  I really would love to help.)

But no one wants to hear about my goals and my achievements so far in the goals because I am "fine and don't need to lose any weight."  So I am the only one pushing myself in this.

You know fuckin' what? (pardon the language, this upsets me.)  I've lost two pounds.  Two weeks ago I weighed 140 and made the goal to be 135 by the end of February or so.  And now, two weeks since I made that goal at 140 lbs, I'm 138.  And it's fucking awesome.

Why does this feel so good? BECAUSE I'M WORKING FOR IT.  I'm counting my calories a little more strictly.  I'm getting off my ass and working out.  Getting just a little more cardio and a little more strength training in each day.  I'm putting away the goddamned chips (sometimes, I actually had some BBQ chips yesterday).  I don't buy myself ice cream.  I've been drinking less alcohol.  On the phone with me?  I'm probably doing some freaking squats while I'm listening to you talk.  I've earned losing the two pounds I've lost and I've earned the right to be happy for it so fuck everyone who scolds me for it.

People make faces at those pictures of those pictures of fit-ass ladies on Pinterest and shit saying na na na, that's unrealistic, na na na, that's gross, blah blah blah.  You know fuckin' what (again)?  It's SO realistic!  I'm not going to get as fit-looking as some of those six-pack-abs ladies because I do enjoy beer and pizza too much for it. but I'm gonna get just a little bit closer.  Because I fuckin' can.

Do you want it?  Then work for it.  Do something for it.  Make little changes here and there.  Do some squats.  Do some jumping jacks.  Do some push-ups and love them.  Love them and love yourself.  Do something good for yourself.  That's what I'm doing and it's awesome.

Encourage people towards their goals, don't scold them for achieving.  Seriously.

#fitness #goals #BMI #weightloss #achievement #Pinterest

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Counting Calories

I count calories.

I have since I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app when I got my smartphone over the summer.

I am not very strict about counting.  I do not always include everything I've consumed.  (I only officially "complete the entry" when I do, though.)

Since food is important to me-- I probably love it more than the average person should-- the calorie counter comes into play a lot in my life, so I mention it a lot. Almost everyone has a reaction to this.

"You count calories?  Why on earth would you do that?  You don't need to count calories.  Counting calories can be bad for you!  Live a little, eat some food!  Calorie-counting makes me feel bad/worse.  You're making me feel bad about my eating habits.  You're making me feel like a fatass."

Those are a lot of the things I hear when I even mention calorie-counting.  So naturally, for those of us who do count and enjoy counting, we need to fight back.

Yes, I count calories.  I count because it really helps me watch what I eat, and motivates me to eat healthy (or at least, less unhealthy).  You say I don't need to count because I look good, well you know what? I look good (partly) because I count.  It's bad for you if you lose control of it, if you let it control you.  I know someone who went crazy by counting, and consumed way too few calories in a day.  That's not healthy.  I'm relaxed about it.  I might have a piece of dark chocolate that I don't count.  I probably (definitely) don't count quite all of the  beers or whiskey sours I consumed on a night out.  I go over my supposed "limit" all the time, but do I look upset about it? No!  I'm living my life how I want and eating awesome food and not feeling bad about it (though I did feel bad after eating a Crunchwrap Supreme and Doritos locos taco from Taco Bell, seriously, my body was not happy).  You don't need to tell me once to live a little when it comes to food.

Calorie-counting should also not make you feel worse about your eating habits, that's not what it's there for.  It's there to help you eat at least just a little healthier, or at least to make you aware of what you put in your body.  If you start to feel bad, switch to making it make you feel good by altering the part that makes you feel bad: what you're eating.  It doesn't have to be a big-time change or anything.  Just simple little stuff.  That's what I've been doing with my eating habits.  (And I ate at a Greek restaurant in Chicago the other day.  Of course we ordered the flaming cheese.  It was so good.  I ate it with so much bread.  Whaddup carbs.  I love you and I'll never leave you.)

And I of course don't mean to make anyone feel bad.  I talk to friends about my calorie-counting because I'm excited about what it's helping me to do, and I'm happy and feeling good (mentally and physically!) thanks to it.  I will never, ever force someone to count.  I'm not even recommending that anyone start counting by this blog.  I'm simply providing my explanation for it, and talking about it, because I feel good about it, and it helps me accomplish goals.  

It's part of my relatively new-found love for fitness and health, and that love and care is part of why in these days of my life I'm the happiest I've ever been.

(I'm also a very happy person because I eat delicious food like Geo's chicken strips and pizza and I drink beer and stuff.  There's a balance there.)

#caloriecounting #calories #fitness #weightloss

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Also, this is about as real as it gets.

Fuck Everything, Nation Reports: Full Story

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Finals week and things

I haven't done much of this in a while and I figured what better way to avoid studying than with social media websites you haven't checked up in for a while?

Here's some finals week guidelines/rules:

("Week" refers to the entire period of finals, starting from the beginning of studying to the last final.)

It's perfectly acceptable to wear the same outfit all week.  (Though please try to remember at least to change your underwear and to put deodorant on.)

It's perfectly acceptable to not wear a bra all week. (This applies to all genders.)

It's not acceptable to look decent unless you have a very good reason.

Non-coffee drinkers might have a coffee or five during this week, but that's okay, just during this week.

Tragedies may happen, but your long "heartfelt" post about it had better actually  be heartfelt, and not solely to avoid studying.

Your gun control posts are annoying.  Weed is illegal here but who is that stopping?  (Note: this isn't to post any of my own views, I am currently keeping those private.)

Calories don't count during finals week.

A protein bar or two is a perfectly acceptable dinner.

Libraries are useful to study at, because there, you can't notice just how filthy your apartment is and proceed to spend 4 hours cleaning it (to avoid studying).

Muttering to yourself at the library isn't something to be ashamed of, but make sure that you are not on the quiet level.

The "What Would Sandeep Do?" Rule:  Sandeep would study hard and learn his shit,  but when it comes to within an hour of the exam, he'd chill out and stop studying, because he knows the information, even if he doesn't feel like he does.  (Sandeep is my super-cool anatomy and physio lab TA, who tells us to stop studying when we're looking over our notes just before exams.)

Power-naps WORK!  I slept in my library chair for about 12 minutes (having a friend to make sure that my computer didn't get stolen and to wake me up when necessary), and then felt fabulously awake and focused after said nap.

There's no shame in drinking a good beer at your favorite bar by yourself after your hardest final.

Set at least three alarms, regardless of what time the exam is at.

Remember what you are studying for: getting a good grade on the final will get you a good grade (probably) in the class, which will hopefully help that one, tiny little number, that takes up minimal space on your resume, go up slightly higher.

Do work.

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Quietly enjoying grilled cheese and tomato soup on a rainy Sunday afternoon in December, listening to ColdPlay. Hint: for the grilled cheese, use mozzarella and add turkey, tomato, spinach, and basil. For ColdPlay, make sure it's a calming album no more recent than X&Y.

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DIS-like-ables!!

POETRY and A CAPELLA!!!!  I hate them both so much!!!!  I know poetry is in music and stuff and whatever but the stuff by itself is just really awkward and stupid-sounding.  And a capella has got to be one of the most annoying music types out there.

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was basically my to-do list already!

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The Best Party

The best party is literally across the street from your own apartment.

It wasn't intentional until about an hour or two before it started, not planned at all.

It's on a chilly, beautiful fall evening, and you're buddies with the hosts.  You saw the casual invite through social media, or they mentioned it to you as you passed their house on your way home from work.

You weren't necessarily planning on doing anything that night, so you're wearing baggy sweatpants, a sports bra, a hoodie, slip-on shoes, a plain black jacket, and your really cool gloves-with-flaps.  Your makeup is basically gone and it's a miracle your hair still looks good (but really it's because you have the best hair in the world, let's face it).

You'd started the evening pretty crabby so had started drinking a bottle of wine, straight from the bottle.  So naturally this made it over to the best party with you, wrapped in a paper towel.

The best party is small, probably not even thirty people there.  But you know pretty much everyone, and those you don't know, it doesn't matter.  It's their dream to know you, to be you.

You: the girl in the baggy sweatpants, with the cool gloves, drinking straight from a whole bottle of wine at the best party.

The music at the best party is pretty standard for that house, and you know what's standard for that house, since it's your buddies across the street.  It includes that 369 song, Barbara Streissand, All I want for Christmas is You, that song from Mulan, and maybe the occasional band tune or two.

The beer at the best party is free to you, and the relatively old guy (27 and just graduated) is making delicious shots for anyone who wants them.

Sometimes at the best party, you walk into the beer pong room and one of the players has his pants around his ankles.  No surprise.

At the best party, by the end, just about everyone's got someone.  Except you, but that doesn't matter.

Because you're you.

#the best party #wookie camp #party #you #beer #happy #tipsy #tipsy tumblr #wine #baggy sweatpants #too many tags

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can I just say…

and I can’t be the only female baseball/Cubs fan that thinks this…(sorry to the male followers)…

…Brett Jackson is sexy. So is Anthony Rizzo. 

Okay, I’ve said it. Thank you for putting up with some of my Cubbie baseball sexual frustration. 

Back to liveblogging the game…

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