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| Pouf #1 |
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| Pouf #2 |
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| Pouf #3 |
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| Pouf #4 |
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Le Pouf
I like to pretend that I have my own apartment...it's completely empty and just waiting to be decorated. When this actually happens I think I'll have a hard time deciding on a theme/color scheme, but in the mean time let's go fake-shopping for a little ottoman. Anyone out there have a favorite?
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Some Tunes
Today I've been taking lots of music breaks and this is some of what I'm listening to.
Sadly my attempts to see The Staves were foiled by sold-out tickets, and Florence is playing in Milwaukee the weekend before my huge M2 final. :(
Maybe I'll make an effort to go to one day of Lolla this summer...
Sadly my attempts to see The Staves were foiled by sold-out tickets, and Florence is playing in Milwaukee the weekend before my huge M2 final. :(
Maybe I'll make an effort to go to one day of Lolla this summer...
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Weekend Update
My weekend via camera phone pictures...if only Tina Fey was here to narrate.
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| Argo Tea: matte latte + chai chicken and quinoa. |
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| The perfect pre-CrossFit dinner. |
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| The John Hancock - some Friday afternoon studying views. |
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| Stuck in traffic on my way to CrossFit. |
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| A pretty window display in Forest Park, |
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| Out celebrating Doug (and Carl's) birthdays. |
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| The boys stopped for cigars. |
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| Busted out my spring/summer bedding. |
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| The magnolia tree in my parents' front yard. |
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| Pear & lime juice at Orange. |
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| Popeye omelet at Orange. Celebrating Zach's return to Chicago! :) |
Alas, I did not celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year. Dragging myself to the city from the suburbs is a pain in the you know what. But I did manage to eat a lot of food, get a bit of work done, and finally watch Water for Elephants. TTFN.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Spring Break Escape
**Disclaimer, this post is a little late. I started it right after I got back from Spring Break (so about 2 weeks ago) but I hope you enjoy the photos**
My school has our spring vacation scheduled for the end of February which is somewhat early, but it's also a nice break after two months of classes and exams. Right now Chicago is cold and grey...the wind howls, the plants are frozen dead, and I never seem to fully feel warm. Luckily I was able to escape the dreary weather for a few days in Florida with my dad. Our time was divided between a few popular Orlando attractions and seeing our family who lives in the sunshine state. It was a great three days, and I'm excited to share it with you all! (All four of you reading out there...)
Tuesday, February 28th -- SeaWorld Orlando
I've been to SeaWorld in San Diego, and the Florida version did not disappoint. After a leisurely morning (we arrived in Orlando around midnight) we got to the park with a beautiful day ahead of us. In addition to the amazing fish, aquatic mammals, and reptiles we braved the park's two roller coasters. We caught a few of the shows, and though they were cheesy, they were also a lot of fun. If you've seen the movie The Cove, it's a bit hard to justify keeping animals like dolphins and whales in tanks but I tried to enjoy the rare opportunity at hand.
Wednesday, February 29th -- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Harry Potter has been a part of my life for fourteen years. I can't claim to be the biggest superfan out there, but I love the books and was definitely disappointed when I didn't get a letter from Hogwarts growing up...If you are a Harry Potter fan, you MUST see this park! The creators did a fantastic job and made so much of the books come to life. The little details were priceless...even with the hot and sweaty tourists walking around it feels like you really are in Hogsmeade. We got lucky that the park (part of Universal Islands of Adventure) wasn't crowded that day, and so we never had to wait more than ten minutes for a ride.
The two main "adult rides" (there is one family-friend mini coaster) are The Forbidden Journey and Dueling Dragons. Dueling Dragons is your typical roller coaster and very fun to go on. On the way up to the ride you pass through a Goblet of Fire arena -- complete with contestant tents and magical singing eggs. The Forbidden Journey is part 3D Imax experience and part mini-ride through the Hogwarts castle. You help Harry find a missing dragon and "fly" around the inside and outside of Hogwarts. It's a long walk up to the ride and during it you get to see the inside of the massive, intricate Hogwarts castle they built. There are talking paintings, Dumbledore holograms, and the Sorting Hat! After the ride you pass through a gift shop. I picked up some goodies for a few friends and wanted to buy a Marauder's Map, but it was fifty bucks! Sadness. Hopefully the next few pictures give you a sense of what it was like to be at the park...it was AMAZING and I'd love to go back.
Friday, March 1st -- Family Time
My dad and I drove out to Ormond Beach where my grandma and aunt live. We spent the day there and took an hour to walk along the ocean which was only a ten minute walk away. On our way home in the evening we stopped at my cousin's place in Orlando to see her, her husband, and my little cousin Marco. He was so adorable and smart. We brought him a little moving Easter chicken and children's book which he wanted me to read to him twice :)
It was a great relaxing day, but unfortunately no flattering pictures were taken...
**I'm back in Chicago now, enjoying our little heat wave, and struggling to stay afloat in the 2.5 months before my Step 1 exam (FML). Blogging seems to be a great way to procrastinate so look forward to some more posts**
My school has our spring vacation scheduled for the end of February which is somewhat early, but it's also a nice break after two months of classes and exams. Right now Chicago is cold and grey...the wind howls, the plants are frozen dead, and I never seem to fully feel warm. Luckily I was able to escape the dreary weather for a few days in Florida with my dad. Our time was divided between a few popular Orlando attractions and seeing our family who lives in the sunshine state. It was a great three days, and I'm excited to share it with you all! (All four of you reading out there...)
Tuesday, February 28th -- SeaWorld Orlando
I've been to SeaWorld in San Diego, and the Florida version did not disappoint. After a leisurely morning (we arrived in Orlando around midnight) we got to the park with a beautiful day ahead of us. In addition to the amazing fish, aquatic mammals, and reptiles we braved the park's two roller coasters. We caught a few of the shows, and though they were cheesy, they were also a lot of fun. If you've seen the movie The Cove, it's a bit hard to justify keeping animals like dolphins and whales in tanks but I tried to enjoy the rare opportunity at hand.
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| Admiring the flamingos, note my paleness. |
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| Obligatory theme park Dippin' Dots. |
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| There are about 500 species of rays. |
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| Petting the manta rays! They are slimy and leathery, awesome! |
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| Playful dolphins. |
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| I like his smile. |
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| Two seals and one BIG walrus. They even had sea otters in the show. |
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| Sea turtles. |
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| The turtles at the park are all injured & have been rescued. They're released back into the wild once they recover. |
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| The Manta Ride. |
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| The Kraken. |
Wednesday, February 29th -- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Harry Potter has been a part of my life for fourteen years. I can't claim to be the biggest superfan out there, but I love the books and was definitely disappointed when I didn't get a letter from Hogwarts growing up...If you are a Harry Potter fan, you MUST see this park! The creators did a fantastic job and made so much of the books come to life. The little details were priceless...even with the hot and sweaty tourists walking around it feels like you really are in Hogsmeade. We got lucky that the park (part of Universal Islands of Adventure) wasn't crowded that day, and so we never had to wait more than ten minutes for a ride.
The two main "adult rides" (there is one family-friend mini coaster) are The Forbidden Journey and Dueling Dragons. Dueling Dragons is your typical roller coaster and very fun to go on. On the way up to the ride you pass through a Goblet of Fire arena -- complete with contestant tents and magical singing eggs. The Forbidden Journey is part 3D Imax experience and part mini-ride through the Hogwarts castle. You help Harry find a missing dragon and "fly" around the inside and outside of Hogwarts. It's a long walk up to the ride and during it you get to see the inside of the massive, intricate Hogwarts castle they built. There are talking paintings, Dumbledore holograms, and the Sorting Hat! After the ride you pass through a gift shop. I picked up some goodies for a few friends and wanted to buy a Marauder's Map, but it was fifty bucks! Sadness. Hopefully the next few pictures give you a sense of what it was like to be at the park...it was AMAZING and I'd love to go back.
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| Hogwarts Castle from afar. |
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| A nice close-up of the castle. |
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| Winged boars at the front gate. |
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| Hogsmeade! |
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| Lots of shops and things to look at. |
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| Me, about to enjoy a sugary treat. |
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| The Butterbeer was delicious. |
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| Lots of great little details. The ATMs were part of Gringotts bank & the bathrooms had Moaning Myrtle audio playing. |
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| The Three Broomsticks where we had lunch. |
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| Zonkos which was connected to Honeydukes. |
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| The main shop and owl post center! |
Friday, March 1st -- Family Time
My dad and I drove out to Ormond Beach where my grandma and aunt live. We spent the day there and took an hour to walk along the ocean which was only a ten minute walk away. On our way home in the evening we stopped at my cousin's place in Orlando to see her, her husband, and my little cousin Marco. He was so adorable and smart. We brought him a little moving Easter chicken and children's book which he wanted me to read to him twice :)
It was a great relaxing day, but unfortunately no flattering pictures were taken...
**I'm back in Chicago now, enjoying our little heat wave, and struggling to stay afloat in the 2.5 months before my Step 1 exam (FML). Blogging seems to be a great way to procrastinate so look forward to some more posts**
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
CrossFit - 1, Kat - TBD
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a bitch. Last night I took my first CrossFit class and woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. Seriously, it was some kind of exercise hangover. Despite going to bed late, I woke up around 6:30am, unable to get back to sleep, with a dry, parched throat and wicked headache. I probably skimped on the carbs yesterday, but I definitely hydrated, so I guess this is just part of my weakling body getting whipped into shape. This past weekend I prepped my body by picking up some new (and needed) gear.
I've been wanting to try CrossFit for a while now. I have a few friends that do it, and though I'm not the most competitive person out there, the self-challenge aspect of the program appealed to me. I snagged a Chicago Gilt deal for Atlas CrossFit in the city and signed up for their Elements Program. It's basically a six session program where they teach you the basics of CrossFit and try to prevent you from hurting yourself. My coach Tim is super friendly and encouraging, and I'm trying to stay confident despite the fact that it's little old me + 4 mildly in-shape dudes.
During the first session we learned a few basic moves and did a intro WOD (workout of the day). You keep track of your times for each particular WOD, and after more training you try to beat your personal records. Below is the workout that kicked my ass. I thought I was going to throw-up afterwards but my body pulled through and I was OK. I may not be able to do real push-ups or pull-ups yet, but I had the best air squat in our group :) Our WOD consisted of:
1x 500m row
2x 25 air squats, 20 mat crunches, 15 push-ups, 10 jumping pull-ups, 5 burpees
Tomorrow we'll cover basic lifting moves -- I'm so excited! It's something I've wanted to learn for a while now. I'm sick of being scrawny and weak, and I'm ready to put on some muscle. Hopefully my body recovers a little bit by tomorrow night because right now I can barely get my clothes on. I've been taking Advil and rubbing Tiger Balm onto whatever body part is sore all day. Tonight my foam roller became a Medieval Torture device, but I think my self-care routine will help me feel better faster. I'm planning on icing while reading some Hunger Games before bed.
I really shouldn't be reading Hunger Games right now because I literally have ZERO free time with school getting in the way of having a normal life. I also really shouldn't be driving into the city 3x a week either, but c'est la vie. School has gotten crazy busy (understatement), my Step 1 exam is a measly three months away (FML), and I'm going to New York City this weekend for a friend's bachelorette celebration (yay!). I was stressing pretty badly today so I started cleaning out my closet like the Type A person I am. My mom did make me a tasty treat (yes I live with my parents, it's not glamorous but I am saving lots of money). Behold coconut milk rice pudding with fresh mango! YUM.
So that's it. My exciting day. See you all soon-ish.
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| Some new Nike trainers, I'm sure they'll be dirty in no time. |
I've been wanting to try CrossFit for a while now. I have a few friends that do it, and though I'm not the most competitive person out there, the self-challenge aspect of the program appealed to me. I snagged a Chicago Gilt deal for Atlas CrossFit in the city and signed up for their Elements Program. It's basically a six session program where they teach you the basics of CrossFit and try to prevent you from hurting yourself. My coach Tim is super friendly and encouraging, and I'm trying to stay confident despite the fact that it's little old me + 4 mildly in-shape dudes.
During the first session we learned a few basic moves and did a intro WOD (workout of the day). You keep track of your times for each particular WOD, and after more training you try to beat your personal records. Below is the workout that kicked my ass. I thought I was going to throw-up afterwards but my body pulled through and I was OK. I may not be able to do real push-ups or pull-ups yet, but I had the best air squat in our group :) Our WOD consisted of:
1x 500m row
2x 25 air squats, 20 mat crunches, 15 push-ups, 10 jumping pull-ups, 5 burpees
Tomorrow we'll cover basic lifting moves -- I'm so excited! It's something I've wanted to learn for a while now. I'm sick of being scrawny and weak, and I'm ready to put on some muscle. Hopefully my body recovers a little bit by tomorrow night because right now I can barely get my clothes on. I've been taking Advil and rubbing Tiger Balm onto whatever body part is sore all day. Tonight my foam roller became a Medieval Torture device, but I think my self-care routine will help me feel better faster. I'm planning on icing while reading some Hunger Games before bed.
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| Trying to regain some range of motion. I was too weak to walk my dog today. |
I really shouldn't be reading Hunger Games right now because I literally have ZERO free time with school getting in the way of having a normal life. I also really shouldn't be driving into the city 3x a week either, but c'est la vie. School has gotten crazy busy (understatement), my Step 1 exam is a measly three months away (FML), and I'm going to New York City this weekend for a friend's bachelorette celebration (yay!). I was stressing pretty badly today so I started cleaning out my closet like the Type A person I am. My mom did make me a tasty treat (yes I live with my parents, it's not glamorous but I am saving lots of money). Behold coconut milk rice pudding with fresh mango! YUM.
So that's it. My exciting day. See you all soon-ish.
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