Mish-Mash of Stuffz!

So, I'm back to my ol' self these days, finally. Cutting back a little on my asthma meds, but still feeling fine. I've decided to do no less than 60 minutes of cardio each session if I can manage the time.

I've created a mantra for this week and I find it motivating enough to stick with:
GYM IT TO WIN IT! (Awwwww yeeaahh!)
And my motivational song this week has been:
"Under Pressure" by David Bowie & Queen (Good beat, good reminder about love... Win/win.)

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to sit through a "lecture" so to speak given by two amazing people: Gerhard Maschkowski and Hanna Marx. Both are survivors of the Holocaust. It was incredibly moving to hear their stories of heartbreak and survival. You can find more information on holocaust survivors at the UCSD Living History Workshop project at:
http://libraries.ucsd.edu/hl
hw/index.html

That being said, if you find out there is a survivor speaking near you, I encourage you to go see them. These two wonderful, warm people were well into their 80's, and were only kids/young tweens when things started to go down, so there aren't many survivors left. Go listen to their stories. You won't regret it.

The warm-hearted Hanna Marx.

The friendly Gerhard Maschkowski.

This last Sunday I went to a wedding. It was a difficult day to get through. Mostly because I don't think these two people should have gotten married, but it did not feel like my place to say something (not that it would have mattered- it would have happened anyway). I also got suckered into being in the wedding party (the only member of the wedding party, I might add) about 5 minutes before the wedding ceremony started. Yup. If/when I get photos of the event, I'll post a few. I liked the dress I was wearing and I liked my makeup.

I went to the Santa Fe Depot train station in downtown San Diego to pick up some precious cargo (my bff's mom) and I thought the architecture of the place was really gorgeous. It feels like you're stepping back in time when you walk in. It has been restored gloriously, with its Spanish-revival architecture reminding all of California's roots. It was a really neat train station.


Well, I'll be heading back to my hometown for the Thanksgiving holiday, for better or worse (in regards to my family drama). I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family, as it's been quite some time since I've visited (or anyone came here to visit me). It looks like I'll have 3 feasts to attend on that day- lunch at my grandmother's house (I have NO IDEA how that will go- it's been almost 8 years since I've spoken to her; she is not the nicest person...), dinner at my parents, and dinner at my aunt's. Traditionally, my celebration is at my aunt's only... but, thanks to some petty, immature, ridiculous squabbling among the older members of the family, my parents (and maybe even my brothers/sis-in-law) won't be attending that particular dinner. So, my parents decided to do our own dinner at their house. Which I find hilarious since they don't have a dining area, table, or chairs for us to eat at. No couch in the living room, either. So, my guess is we'll all take our plates of food, retire to our individual rooms, and eat solo. Real special.

I plan to moderate my food very carefully, since I'll be having three meals. Lots of veggies, white meat turkey, and 1/4-1/2 cup scoops of sides (like mashed potatoes and stuffing) and no going back for seconds. No dessert until the end of the day- that'll be the last thing I eat. I don't tend to overeat during the holidays, anyway, so I'm not that worried about it. I'm worried about being questioned about why I'm the sole representative of my family attending the function at my aunt's. I haven't come up with what I'm going to say about that yet.

I'm also planning to pack my walking shoes and workout gear so I can keep up my fitness (GYM IT TO WIN IT!) while I'm there. I won't have gym access, so I'll have to hit the local park trails to get my cardio in, unless I can break into the high school field's track. Once again, I'm not worried about it. I'll do what I have to do to get it done. Hmmm... I kinda feel like I should have another picture to end this with.

There. Something I cooked a week or two ago- baked tilapia with lemon pepper seasoning, roasted asparagus, and roasted tiny potatoes, carrots, and fennel. Talk about delicious.