Tonight I spent the first half an hour of Earth Hour watching my third or fourth episode of the Law & Order SVU Marathon. Then, Greg (Melissa's boyfriend) and I made a Scooter's run. After they shared a piece of their deep dish pizza with me, I went for the Caramel Fudge Nut Brownie Chip (AKA. "CFNBC")- "Vanilla Custard, Scooter's Fabulous Fudge Nut Brownie, Caramel Fudge & Chocolate Chips." It was delicious. In general, it was a lazy, amazing day. This morning I picked up Sarah and Sarah from their hotel downtown, and we came back my way for brunch. (There was a bit of drama last night, and I didn't end up meeting up with them.) They both said they didn't need meat for breakfast, so we went to Victory's Banner (http://www.victorysbanner.com/about.php). You would find this out by looking at the website, but all of the employees are meditation students and study with the Indian Spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy. "The restaurant is a reflection of the impact Sri Chinmoy has had on our lives, and it is inspired by him. His philosophy encourages a sincere inner life with an active outer life." You know me. I like supporting these types of places. :)
I would say that we waited no more than 15 minutes, and we got our food after about ten minutes. I started out with Very Veggie Juice (tomato, carrot, celery, beet, parsley, lettuce,watercress and spinach) and ordered "Eggless Wonder #2" (marinated tofu with broccoli, onion, tomato, mushroom, zucchini, potato, feta cheese, pesto and brown rice, served with
hearth bread). Both were flavorful and delicious. There lunch menu has some great offerings as well, so I will have to go back again sometime soon. It was great to catch up with the two of them; it had been awhile.
After brunch Sarah Richards needed to go to Navy Pier to pick up her "bib bag" for the Shamrock Shuffle tomorrow. It was crazy there- people and cars all over. The most humorous part of the day was the drive from Navy Pier to Union Station. While it was about half a mile away, the GARMIN (GPS) was having a hard time getting us there. I don't know if it was the skyscrapers or what, but it would say, "Turn right. Then turn left. Recalculating... Turn left then turn left." We were driving all over the place and in crazy tunnels.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
It's Official...
I am a full-time student starting May 4th.I had my final interview with the dean before work this morning and am now even more excited to start school. :)
I am on my lunch break now and feeling tired. I did not sleep well last night. It was Kaitlin's (my roommate) Birthday, and she had her family and some friends over. I must say that I was pretty jealous of her parents' display of love. They brought her a birthday cake and champagne on top of her presents: a wii, wii fit, controllers, games, some flip-flops- pretty special. Some of those are definitely apartment gifts.
In general though i haven't been sleeping very well. Surprisingly, when my alarm went off around 5:30 this morning, I actually did wake up and go to the 6AM Turbokick class.
All in all it's been a good week but also a rather exhausting one. One of our teachers left last week, so I have been trying to help out everywhere and anywhere I can, which often means being with the two year-olds. For that reason I have had a very hard time getting out of bed most mornings, feeling utterly exhausted. Sarah Dahl's coming into the city tonight, and I can't wait to see her, Sarah and Vanessa.
I am on my lunch break now and feeling tired. I did not sleep well last night. It was Kaitlin's (my roommate) Birthday, and she had her family and some friends over. I must say that I was pretty jealous of her parents' display of love. They brought her a birthday cake and champagne on top of her presents: a wii, wii fit, controllers, games, some flip-flops- pretty special. Some of those are definitely apartment gifts.
In general though i haven't been sleeping very well. Surprisingly, when my alarm went off around 5:30 this morning, I actually did wake up and go to the 6AM Turbokick class.
All in all it's been a good week but also a rather exhausting one. One of our teachers left last week, so I have been trying to help out everywhere and anywhere I can, which often means being with the two year-olds. For that reason I have had a very hard time getting out of bed most mornings, feeling utterly exhausted. Sarah Dahl's coming into the city tonight, and I can't wait to see her, Sarah and Vanessa.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New Loves of My Life
I typically despise going to the gym after work, but since I haven't been sleeping well lately, I packed a gym bag and went to Xsport straight from work yesterday for a 7PM "Turbokick" class. Oh my gosh... I loved it- so much fun! It definitely broke my workout rut. I would describe it as a combination of kickboxing and dancing. I guess they do a new routine every 12 weeks. I caught the last class of the session and caught on pretty easily. The instructor, Julie, was totally into it and had the perfect personality to teach the class: funny, yet motivating. I guess she teaches on Friday mornings at 6AM also. There's really no need for me to wake up that early during the week, but I may just have to for this class.
One of my favorite things to do after a good trip to the gym is head next door to Whole Foods to pick up some healthy ingredients for dinner. There's a guy in produce named Robbie, who is always having me try new things. He told me that a lot of people come there after the gym to get "young coconuts" for their water. I guess coconut water is known for aiding in relaxation?! I was immediately curious and asked him what the water tastes like. He went and opened one up for me. I was surprised at how "sweet" this water is. I have a pretty big sweet tooth, but maybe a glass of coconut water would help curve it. I wonder how I can use it in recipes.
One of my favorite things to do after a good trip to the gym is head next door to Whole Foods to pick up some healthy ingredients for dinner. There's a guy in produce named Robbie, who is always having me try new things. He told me that a lot of people come there after the gym to get "young coconuts" for their water. I guess coconut water is known for aiding in relaxation?! I was immediately curious and asked him what the water tastes like. He went and opened one up for me. I was surprised at how "sweet" this water is. I have a pretty big sweet tooth, but maybe a glass of coconut water would help curve it. I wonder how I can use it in recipes.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sushi Champion!
While it's a bit gloomy today, I have been LOVING this spring weather. I was stir crazy in the car on my way back to the city yesterday afternoon. I had the windows down, and the sun was shining. I found out on Saturday that Dave is back in Chicago for a little while, so we made plans to get together yesterday. It was originally just dinner, but once he heard that I was going for a run, we decided to go together. I didn't think that would be a good idea since I haven't been too consistent with my running, but it worked out well. It was so good to see him. Was it really about a year since we'd seen each other? Time really does go by fast.
I wish I knew how much we ran. Just going to and from my place, I ran about 3.5 miles. After running we got ready and went out for sushi. We had decided on another place, since I went to House of Sushi and Noodles recently, but he was pretty pumped to hear about the all you can eat buffet, so we had a change of plans. I didn't really care, so we went there.
I don't know if this is something that I should be proud of, but for him being "starving" and me feeling "not so hungry," I ate more sushi than him (just by a piece). I finished all three of my rolls: North Carolina Maki (Sweet Potato Tempura with Crunch Batter, Cream Cheese, Green Onion, Unagi Sauce with Mayo, Crunch Batter), Mang Tango Maki (Unagi Tempura, Mango, Cucumber) and some kind of Tofu Maki. I actually felt like I maybe could have eaten another one, but it definitely was not necessary. haha In his defense, one could argue that his were more filling because they had fish in them. If I wouldn't have been so full on sushi, I might have suggested a stop at Scooters, which has reopened for the season, but I think that will have to be another day.
I wish I knew how much we ran. Just going to and from my place, I ran about 3.5 miles. After running we got ready and went out for sushi. We had decided on another place, since I went to House of Sushi and Noodles recently, but he was pretty pumped to hear about the all you can eat buffet, so we had a change of plans. I didn't really care, so we went there.
I don't know if this is something that I should be proud of, but for him being "starving" and me feeling "not so hungry," I ate more sushi than him (just by a piece). I finished all three of my rolls: North Carolina Maki (Sweet Potato Tempura with Crunch Batter, Cream Cheese, Green Onion, Unagi Sauce with Mayo, Crunch Batter), Mang Tango Maki (Unagi Tempura, Mango, Cucumber) and some kind of Tofu Maki. I actually felt like I maybe could have eaten another one, but it definitely was not necessary. haha In his defense, one could argue that his were more filling because they had fish in them. If I wouldn't have been so full on sushi, I might have suggested a stop at Scooters, which has reopened for the season, but I think that will have to be another day.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Busy Week!
Once again a week has gone by, and I have not written at all; I constantly feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. This entire week I stayed up later than normal and had an almost impossible time waking up to start my day.
Monday morning started out well as I dropped off a few Bum Bar sample packages. The morning was warm, and the sun was shining. However, as soon as I walked into the classroom, I sighed. I just didn't want to be there. Yet. as the day and week progressed, I found myself enjoying work more, especially on St. Patrick's Day. The temperature reached almost 70 degrees that day, and we spent the afternoon outside playing. Everyone was out and about in full force Tuesday night. On my walk to yoga I saw so many people running, walking their dogs and playing outside with their children. The warm weather really is a beautiful thing. :) I was planning to meet up with friends in Lincoln Park that night, but as they changed their party location to Wicker Park, and my workshop got out early, I opted for a quiet night at my place instead.
Wednesday night I made a delicious dinner of "nutty broccoli." It was so simple: I steamed some broccoli as I made a sauce of peanut butter, Braggs/soy sauce and orange juice. I combined it all with brown rice and chopped some peanuts for the top. (If you'd like the recipe, let me know.) Then, I went to work on so much waited for cookies for my grandparents. My Grandma's favorites are Mexican Wedding Cookies, and my Papa likes your American favorite chocolate chip (with pecans). Before I knew it, it was much later than I wanted it to be.
I don't know which days these happened, but here are a few funnies from the kids at my school:
Me: "X, You better be careful, or you could fall and crack your head open." X: "I'm not an egg. Eggs crack."
Me: "Y, Did you toot?" Y: "No, I farted."
One of my four year-0lds was singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" as she was supposed to be working on here homework. Another one of the girls, who just changed her name for the second time, decided that she wants to be a queen when she grows up. :)
On Thursday morning I met with Master Alena to discuss my Shim-Sung experience and receive guidance from her. I am to do 103 bows, a form of meditation, each day. (In case you were wondering, it takes me about 25 minutes, but my mind is pretty clear halfway through.) My Shim-Sung follow-up occurred later that night. After a week in the "real world," it was nice to be re-inspired to have visions and to make a difference. The mental state/happiness of our world is so much lower than it should be, and the more "enlightened" each person becomes, the more the world will change for the better. I have hope that conditions will improve. I should have tried to write more on Thursday, and I'm a bit tired now, so I will try to write more later.
I drove home late Thursday night because I scheduled myself a dentist apt and a doctor's apt on Friday. Those did not go like I expected. After brushing at least twice a day and flossing every day, I have a cavity that I need to get filled. The dentist told me that sometimes the enamel forms so deep in the tooth that bristles cannot reach those spots. I guess there's not much I can do about it. As for my doctor's appointment, I don't want to write too much, but what I expected to be the typical yearly exam turned into an ultrasound (No, I'm not pregnant.) and blood work. I was freaking out during the ultrasound: she was checking for cancer. Fortunately, all looked good there. I just have a lot of follicles in my ovaries?! I'm still not entirely sure what this means, but she told me not to stress. She'll call me this week with the lab results. So more to come on this.
That night I grabbed dinner with my parents and just relaxed. This morning I woke up to go to my massage at 10 at Essential Elements. I was redeeming a gift certificate, which makes any massage even more enjoyable. :) It was a Beautiful afternoon, and I spent it with my Grandparents and then taking Chief for a walk with my parents. Tonight I met Jesse for dinner at India House Restaurant. I had not seen her in so long, so it was great to catch up, and the food was delicious. Time for bows and bed haha. Oh yeah... official "final interview" for school on Friday. Otherwise everything else is in for a May 4th start.
Monday morning started out well as I dropped off a few Bum Bar sample packages. The morning was warm, and the sun was shining. However, as soon as I walked into the classroom, I sighed. I just didn't want to be there. Yet. as the day and week progressed, I found myself enjoying work more, especially on St. Patrick's Day. The temperature reached almost 70 degrees that day, and we spent the afternoon outside playing. Everyone was out and about in full force Tuesday night. On my walk to yoga I saw so many people running, walking their dogs and playing outside with their children. The warm weather really is a beautiful thing. :) I was planning to meet up with friends in Lincoln Park that night, but as they changed their party location to Wicker Park, and my workshop got out early, I opted for a quiet night at my place instead.
Wednesday night I made a delicious dinner of "nutty broccoli." It was so simple: I steamed some broccoli as I made a sauce of peanut butter, Braggs/soy sauce and orange juice. I combined it all with brown rice and chopped some peanuts for the top. (If you'd like the recipe, let me know.) Then, I went to work on so much waited for cookies for my grandparents. My Grandma's favorites are Mexican Wedding Cookies, and my Papa likes your American favorite chocolate chip (with pecans). Before I knew it, it was much later than I wanted it to be.
I don't know which days these happened, but here are a few funnies from the kids at my school:
Me: "X, You better be careful, or you could fall and crack your head open." X: "I'm not an egg. Eggs crack."
Me: "Y, Did you toot?" Y: "No, I farted."
One of my four year-0lds was singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" as she was supposed to be working on here homework. Another one of the girls, who just changed her name for the second time, decided that she wants to be a queen when she grows up. :)
On Thursday morning I met with Master Alena to discuss my Shim-Sung experience and receive guidance from her. I am to do 103 bows, a form of meditation, each day. (In case you were wondering, it takes me about 25 minutes, but my mind is pretty clear halfway through.) My Shim-Sung follow-up occurred later that night. After a week in the "real world," it was nice to be re-inspired to have visions and to make a difference. The mental state/happiness of our world is so much lower than it should be, and the more "enlightened" each person becomes, the more the world will change for the better. I have hope that conditions will improve. I should have tried to write more on Thursday, and I'm a bit tired now, so I will try to write more later.
I drove home late Thursday night because I scheduled myself a dentist apt and a doctor's apt on Friday. Those did not go like I expected. After brushing at least twice a day and flossing every day, I have a cavity that I need to get filled. The dentist told me that sometimes the enamel forms so deep in the tooth that bristles cannot reach those spots. I guess there's not much I can do about it. As for my doctor's appointment, I don't want to write too much, but what I expected to be the typical yearly exam turned into an ultrasound (No, I'm not pregnant.) and blood work. I was freaking out during the ultrasound: she was checking for cancer. Fortunately, all looked good there. I just have a lot of follicles in my ovaries?! I'm still not entirely sure what this means, but she told me not to stress. She'll call me this week with the lab results. So more to come on this.
That night I grabbed dinner with my parents and just relaxed. This morning I woke up to go to my massage at 10 at Essential Elements. I was redeeming a gift certificate, which makes any massage even more enjoyable. :) It was a Beautiful afternoon, and I spent it with my Grandparents and then taking Chief for a walk with my parents. Tonight I met Jesse for dinner at India House Restaurant. I had not seen her in so long, so it was great to catch up, and the food was delicious. Time for bows and bed haha. Oh yeah... official "final interview" for school on Friday. Otherwise everything else is in for a May 4th start.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I Can Be Anybody; I Can Do Anything!!
This is my powerful, positive mantra that I found during Shim-Sung this weekend.
Part of me feels tired right now and another part of me feels so much energy and drive and wants to do so much before going to bed. Either way, I knew I had to write before I retire for the night:
So one of the rules of shim-sung is that you cannot tell anyone about what actually happens in the workshop, but you are supposed to share your discoveries and your feelings. (It makes the experience more meaningful and real.) So where do I begin? In general I feel like I am gaining more confidence, not caring what others think so much. I feel a ton of love in my heart and am working toward more love for myself. I have a better understanding that my mind, my soul and my body are all different entities, and I have to be conscious of this. There are times of physical challenge when your body wants to give up, and your mind encourages you to give up, but if you want it bad enough, and believe in yourself enough, you can do/endure anything. As I wrote before, when there's a will there's a way! What's on the inside truly matters more than anything else. The past affects you, and it is important to recognize the pain and emotions but also important to move past these feelings. Music is so so powerful. I think the world has the potential to move in a much more positive direction, but people need to be willing to change.
More specifically the hardest realization I had during this training is that I have A LOT of negative thoughts about myself. The biggest, most painful thought that goes through my head on a daily, probably hourly basis is "I am a bad person." I feel bad if I forget to do something, especially when it is for someone else. (Speaking of... I just ran into my roommate's room to text her some information that she asked about on Friday.) I feel bad if I don't wake up early enough to be productive in the morning. I feel bad if I'm a little too hard on the kids at school. I feel bad if I haven't been in touch with a friend or family member in awhile. The list goes on and on.
On the side of more positive realizations, I have changed the way in which I view my relationship with my parents. I understand that the way they are comes largely from their past, and no matter what, they love me so much. At this training I realized that while I sometimes try to back out of this role, I am naturally a leader, a teacher and a cheerleader.
Those are the biggest lessons I can think of right now. Trainings always leave me feeling so amazing and wanting more! :)
If you read my last post, you know that this weekend was more than Shim-Sung: After work Friday night I met Kathryn, Lindsay and Ema at Cristy's. We ordered in Thai food, caught one another up on life and had some meaningful conversations, which included a discussion of how, unlike the transition from high school to college, no one is prepared for the transition from college to the real world. This makes the first year out of college incredibly difficult. I personally think talking about it makes people feel better and more "normal," but each of us, in addition to many others, talked about how hard it has been for us. It had been (w0w!) almost nine months since we had all been together, but everything felt so right. Friends are so important in life, and I am so grateful for mine. I probably do not thank them enough.
Shortly before going to bed (Kat and I slept over.), Cristy asked Kat and I to be Parker's Godmothers. Of course we both said yes while simultaneouslt shrieking. haha I was flattered and excited at the time, but as I continue to think about it and talk about it, my heart feels more and more love, honor and privilege. Like Cristy said, "Now we kind of have to be friends forever." Not that I didn't plan to before, but it solidifies our relationship even more; we will always be connected. Now I also have even more of an excuse to spoil beautiful baby Parker, who I met in his first 24 hours of life. I'm Aunt Karissa. :)
Part of me feels tired right now and another part of me feels so much energy and drive and wants to do so much before going to bed. Either way, I knew I had to write before I retire for the night:
So one of the rules of shim-sung is that you cannot tell anyone about what actually happens in the workshop, but you are supposed to share your discoveries and your feelings. (It makes the experience more meaningful and real.) So where do I begin? In general I feel like I am gaining more confidence, not caring what others think so much. I feel a ton of love in my heart and am working toward more love for myself. I have a better understanding that my mind, my soul and my body are all different entities, and I have to be conscious of this. There are times of physical challenge when your body wants to give up, and your mind encourages you to give up, but if you want it bad enough, and believe in yourself enough, you can do/endure anything. As I wrote before, when there's a will there's a way! What's on the inside truly matters more than anything else. The past affects you, and it is important to recognize the pain and emotions but also important to move past these feelings. Music is so so powerful. I think the world has the potential to move in a much more positive direction, but people need to be willing to change.
More specifically the hardest realization I had during this training is that I have A LOT of negative thoughts about myself. The biggest, most painful thought that goes through my head on a daily, probably hourly basis is "I am a bad person." I feel bad if I forget to do something, especially when it is for someone else. (Speaking of... I just ran into my roommate's room to text her some information that she asked about on Friday.) I feel bad if I don't wake up early enough to be productive in the morning. I feel bad if I'm a little too hard on the kids at school. I feel bad if I haven't been in touch with a friend or family member in awhile. The list goes on and on.
On the side of more positive realizations, I have changed the way in which I view my relationship with my parents. I understand that the way they are comes largely from their past, and no matter what, they love me so much. At this training I realized that while I sometimes try to back out of this role, I am naturally a leader, a teacher and a cheerleader.
Those are the biggest lessons I can think of right now. Trainings always leave me feeling so amazing and wanting more! :)
If you read my last post, you know that this weekend was more than Shim-Sung: After work Friday night I met Kathryn, Lindsay and Ema at Cristy's. We ordered in Thai food, caught one another up on life and had some meaningful conversations, which included a discussion of how, unlike the transition from high school to college, no one is prepared for the transition from college to the real world. This makes the first year out of college incredibly difficult. I personally think talking about it makes people feel better and more "normal," but each of us, in addition to many others, talked about how hard it has been for us. It had been (w0w!) almost nine months since we had all been together, but everything felt so right. Friends are so important in life, and I am so grateful for mine. I probably do not thank them enough.
Shortly before going to bed (Kat and I slept over.), Cristy asked Kat and I to be Parker's Godmothers. Of course we both said yes while simultaneouslt shrieking. haha I was flattered and excited at the time, but as I continue to think about it and talk about it, my heart feels more and more love, honor and privilege. Like Cristy said, "Now we kind of have to be friends forever." Not that I didn't plan to before, but it solidifies our relationship even more; we will always be connected. Now I also have even more of an excuse to spoil beautiful baby Parker, who I met in his first 24 hours of life. I'm Aunt Karissa. :)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Excited About My Weekend!
So last night everyone is supposed to be dancing at the beginning of YEHA class. As I think I've mentioned before, dancing is a way to clear your mind. However, I cannot clear my mind. I keep thinking about how I want to go to the Shim Sung ("Heart Opening") self-discovery workshop this weekend. So I leave in the middle of the song to ask Master Elena if there is any way that I can still attend the training. I feel bad, but I canceled on a babysitting job for Saturday night and went to the center at 8:30 this morning (before work) to anything to come up in the future: Carpe Diem, I guess!
So for a little bit about the workshop: Shimsung is described as "a powerful transformational workshop that unlocks the spiritual core. The training focuses on my "energetic essence," as opposed to my numerous vocational roles: sister, friend, daughter, etc. It will take place 12-7:30 on Saturday and 8:45-7:30 on Sunday. In the end I am supposed to "regain self-confidence, eliminate negative personal traits and achieve more harmonious relationships by attaining a deeper understanding of the people close to me" by examining my mental thought patterns and emotional behaviors. This morning Master Elena explained that to find one's true self/nature you have to get through layers of preconceptions, emotions, thoughts and behaviors, which can make life challenging and burdensome.
Class last night was cool because after the dancing we held three different postures last night knowing that our body physically can hold the postures. It's whether or not our thoughts and/or emotions take over, telling us to release from the posture. At my second YEHA class I had to hold a posture for awhile, but I did not receive the explanation beforehand. I kept thinking: this is miserable; I don't want to do this; I can't do this. With that negative thinking, I definitely dropped my arms a few times. Last night I was able to hold all of the postures for the allotted time. It was at least five minutes I think.
I will keep you posted on Shimsung. I am also incredibly excited to have Kat coming into town this weekend. Tonight a few of us are meeting up at Cristy's. :)
So for a little bit about the workshop: Shimsung is described as "a powerful transformational workshop that unlocks the spiritual core. The training focuses on my "energetic essence," as opposed to my numerous vocational roles: sister, friend, daughter, etc. It will take place 12-7:30 on Saturday and 8:45-7:30 on Sunday. In the end I am supposed to "regain self-confidence, eliminate negative personal traits and achieve more harmonious relationships by attaining a deeper understanding of the people close to me" by examining my mental thought patterns and emotional behaviors. This morning Master Elena explained that to find one's true self/nature you have to get through layers of preconceptions, emotions, thoughts and behaviors, which can make life challenging and burdensome.
Class last night was cool because after the dancing we held three different postures last night knowing that our body physically can hold the postures. It's whether or not our thoughts and/or emotions take over, telling us to release from the posture. At my second YEHA class I had to hold a posture for awhile, but I did not receive the explanation beforehand. I kept thinking: this is miserable; I don't want to do this; I can't do this. With that negative thinking, I definitely dropped my arms a few times. Last night I was able to hold all of the postures for the allotted time. It was at least five minutes I think.
I will keep you posted on Shimsung. I am also incredibly excited to have Kat coming into town this weekend. Tonight a few of us are meeting up at Cristy's. :)
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