Handwriting

1. Your name (I messed it up a little but oh well)
2. Your blog URL
3.  "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."
4. The date.
5. Some favorite bands
6. A favorite quote
7. The name of a person you love.

I don't know why but I'm really bored today! I feel kind of restless and I have a lot on my mind. We're picking up my best friend tonight and she's staying with us through the weekend! So I keep trying to find stuff to do till then but sadly I've been glued to the computer since I finished my workout.

I should really get away from the computer because all I do is lurk in places I shouldn't. I need some foooood!

A Change In Color

   I've been meaning to do this for a long time. I kept putting it off or chickening out or I just plain didn't have the money. Finally while at the mall yesterday I just sucked it up and bought some bleach and dye and had a friend help me get started.
   I have a ton of hair so it took a while, about an hour each time. And you can probably tell from the pictures that my hair is fried, which is what I was afraid would happen. I need some serious conditioner therapy.
I haven't done anything besides get my hair trimmed since my senior year of high school. I just really wanted a change.
   So now the ends are this shimmery dark purple. Michael did the purple part, and we got purple all over ourselves. Definitely stained some bits. I wanted blue for a while but I like purple too. I sort of just wish it had been lighter, but A) it's supposed to be a dark purple, not a neon B) my friend recommended bleaching again but I was too afraid to.
   That's that really, I now I have a dark dip dye look.

P90X: Week One Done!

   So I kept hearing people say "P90X" and for a while it was just some weird code for some workout program. It's been going around here, although I don't know who all is sticking to it necessarily because I don't see them very often.
   Last week Michael downloaded the whole series; a set of workout routines, nutrition advice, and all kinds of print outs you can use to help yourself along. After watching the intro and learning about the different regiments I chose the Lean workout, which is the schedule you see above.
  I'm hoping for results like this woman got:


   So amazing! I love seeing such drastic before and after results. Now, I've been trying different kinds of exercise for months and I always get off track. I also do not believe in scales and numbers. I'm so done with being disappointed when I look down. However, last time I weighed myself (a couple months ago) I was around 160+. I'm 5'6" so it's fairly evenly distributed, but I haven't been happy with my image since last summer when I was starting to lose weight swimming and working out but gained it all back around the holidays, the wedding, and moving.
   I like food. And although I'm not immediately dedicated myself to the diet that comes with the P90X program, I am slowly consciously eating more vegetables, drinking a lot more water, and snacking less. I may pick up some energy bars and some healthy smoothie ingredients during our next shopping trip, but I'm not going to starve myself on lettuce and plainly grilled fish. This means I have to work pretty damn hard for results, and that's okay.

As of week 1

   Day 1 kicked my ass, of course. But looking back I think it's my favorite workout. That or Cardio X. They have great mixes of a lot of different exercises, whereas the others are very focused.
   I've been sore aaaaalll week. It's been hard to get out of bed, or reach for something, or bend down; something different every day hurts. But it feels fantastic! After one workout day I kept going and got on my trampoline and did some assisted pull ups!
   I already feel better than I did before I started, and it really only takes an hour or two to get it done every day. Today is my rest day, but I'd also like to see what Stretch X is like so I'll be doing that this afternoon.

    My goals:
♠Slim down! I want more of a thigh gap and my hip bones back. I miss them. If I had to put a number on it, around 20lbs would be ideal.
♠Keep trying to eat a little better. Replace unhealthy snacks with a fruit smoothie and take vitamins more consistently.
♠Follow through! The program is 90 days and I want to stick to it. By announcing this publicly, I am pressured to show people I can really do it.
♠Be able to do at least three pull ups with no assistance. I've never really been able to do that, not even when I was in shape, because I've never had to focus on upper arm strength, but P90X calls for it!
♠Keep going when it's over. I may just go to a different workout regiment instead of Lean. By then I doubt I'll want to stop because I'll be in great shape!
   My inspiration: Old pictures of me at my ideal weight and shape!

Hair Styles According to Instagram

I've been into finding new things to do with my hair the last few months because it's about as long as it's ever been since my childhood and I like making it look nicer or at least getting it out of the way.
I've learned:
-a 5 strand braid
-a braided bun
-big 60's bun
-side french braid
-hair bow
Things I still can't do:
-curl my own hair
-two side french braids
Basically when I'm bored I type "hair tutorial" into YouTube and click on something that intrigues me and try it out right then and there. I really like the 5 strand braid; it was a challenge but worth getting the hang of!

A Father's Day Post

Graduation night, 2009

   Growing up I had kind of a distant relationship with my dad. My parents divorced when I was about five, right around the time my brother was born and I don't remember much about it, but I do remember moving to Prescott. I went to Phoenix, where my dad moved, every weekend until I hit my teens. I missed a lot of slumber parties and birthday parties and I'd always have to say: "I can't, I have to go to my dad's."
    But he did so much for me that my mom just wasn't able to do and I didn't realize it growing up. I was even angry that he didn't do enough when I was fourteen (The Year I Was Angry About Everything) because he wasn't all there emotionally in my eyes. He watched a lot of sports. But he always helped me with my math homework and always bought me things I asked for during the holidays.
   When I got older, he made it possible for me to start college. If it weren't for him, I'd probably have no education past high school. He pressured me, and even though it bothered me sometimes I'm so happy I have two years of college under my belt because of him. Just about any time I talk to him he asks me about going back to school. Right now since I don't know where I'll be at the end of the year, it's likely I'll wait, but I know I want to go back when we're in a more permanent place.
   He also paid for just about the entire wedding. He helped me pick my wedding dress online and was there the day it came and I made sure it fit. I was living with him by then, going to school in Phoenix and having no idea what the future would be like. He drove me around to some far away stores to find things to go with my dress, we went to movies, stayed up watching tv shows and I really got used to being there. I finally got to know him and he made more sense. In turn, I saw traits in myself I never knew I got from him.
   I never thought I'd miss living in Phoenix. I've been in Oklahoma about five months now and I keep missing all these holidays that I was always there for and it just feels so weird. Usually I'd be in Phoenix with my brother and my dad would take us out somewhere.
   I just can't live this far away from family forever. Some families are spread out over the country and hardly ever see each other except for Christmas. But my immediate family is in Arizona, or very close to it. I feel like we might end up in Phoenix one day.

Day 26: Things You Always Think About

The Past.
Which I'm always saying to other people you should just forget about, but when it comes down to it I think about it everyday. At night I think about:
past loves,
past friendships,
things I did (that I wish I didn't),
things I wish I did,
things I shouldn't have said,
and things I have.
Nights I wish I could relive,
nights I sort of wish didn't happen,
things I should've said no to,
or said yes to.
I go back to memories in my head
with the knowledge I have now
and imagine what I'd do instead. 

I kinda feel like the most nostalgic person in the world because I think about something that's already happened at least once a day. It all happened for a reason and I'm glad but sometimes I really miss some of it.
Everything is really really different. The world moves on whether you like it or not. And although I don't miss any of the drama or the tears I miss all the good parts. I think everybody probably feels the same way about their lives.

As they say: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

June, The Month of New Stuff

In the last two weeks:
♥Two shows started back up again and I'm watching them without shame: Teen Wolf and True Blood
♥I started P90X, a super intense workout program. Today is day three and I'm sore as fuck. I can't take a break until day seven.
♥My dad sent me Mario Party 9; it's very different from the others but Michael and I enjoyed it anyway.
♥I bought a new blue Wiimote because my best friend is visiting in less than a week and I want her to be able to play MP9 with us!
♥I also ran out and bought Lollipop Chainsaw, a hack and slash blatantly perverted game that I'm also shamelessly enjoying. I'll see about writing a review when I'm done!
♥My dad finally sent me my Magic Bullet so I can make smoothies and stuff again, which I'm way too happy about.
♥I'm still waiting to see if I got the job I interviewed for last week!
♥ I got this shirt in the mail from Deroy today! (the text is white, I just filtered it with night vision because....I don't know.)

I always feel so spoiled in June! It's like my birthday all month.