catching up with summa summa

"Basstrackers, bayliners and a party barge, strung together like a floating trailer park, anchored out and gettin loud all summer long, side by side there's five houseboat front porches, astroturf, lawn chairs and tiki torches, regular joes rocking the boat that's us, the redneck yacht club!" - Craig Morgan, Red Neck Yacht Club

So it's been a haute minute since I last posted.  I've been pretty busy between staycationing, playing OTL, and running head on full speed with my new job.  This summer has felt a bit like a comfortable warm red neck yacht club vacation with the ones I love the mostest.  Being with family and the friends in low places I call my own, really made me stop to think and remember to be thankful for all I am blessed with.  Including the ability to still dive and roll through the sand in my quest to one day win OTL...

Not to worry... I caught it... But it hurt like whoa.

I found something else this summer, my age, at least it was the first time I have felt myself getting older.  I used to be able to run, dive, be dehydrated and bounce right back the next day on a couple hours of sleep.  The funny thing is I am much healthier now than I had ever been through my youth and athletic career.  I used to live off of cereal, chocolate, and no water.  These days my favorite nosh is baked kale chips, and dessert consists of a piece of fruit when the craving surfaces.

Hubs and my cousin's son Brandt Man.  Stud to the muffins.

There's a good chance hubs will not like me posting this photo, but it makes my heart warm so we'll deal with that later if need be...  This past week I was spoiled with a staycation with my family.  Although hubs insisted on bringing the deep fryer along for nightly meals, they fried everything, dough, onion rings, french fries, you name it.  Mix that with my family's shared love of kale, and our obsession with wine and beach fire s'mores, and I was obviously feeling more than fabulous in my bikini... pause.  Nyaattttt! 

 

It's Wine o'clock somewhere!

I don't know if there is anything more beautifully relaxing than wine and a sunset off the water.  Not to mention running by the water is more relaxing.  It may have been my dad who insisted on riding his bike alongside me as I trudged through miles each morning to prevent me from being kidnapped of course, but running at the beach was easy and I woke up every morning before 6:30 on my staycay to run.  What's more, I really, really looked forward to it like it was a treat.  Totally not a treat on most days in the real world.

Blonde Beezies on Court 27

I think I also liked running in the morning because it was like my morning workout preparing for our weekend of OTL ahead of us.  Yeah... I really take this OTL business seriously...

We coulda had it all... Rollin' in the dirt...

This was the one that really hurt, actually stills hurts as I sit here typing 5 days later...  I somehow landed on my back on the end of this dive and my neck still ain't feelin' quite right. 

Most amazing lady lovelies I know...

In the end, the neither the Blonde Beezies or the Bruin Bombshells won it all, despite our diving triumphs.  The ridiculous competitive blood in my veins still boils a bit just thinking about it, but oh well, 364 more days until next year's OTL World Championship, gotta keep in shape, and perfect my swing...

Thanks to my fam and all the beezies that keep me grounded and provide an enormous amount of love and happiness in my life.  Thanks for making fun of me for eating protein pancakes every morning instead of cinnamon rolls, but still making sure there was a healthy vegetarian option alongside all that was fried and glorious.

Hat says it all...

I look forward to aging with all of you and one day soaking it all in while flubbin' and remembering how we used to could.  Here's to one day taking the 'ship at OTL.

Muscles, Excuses and Mentors

"You can make excuses or you can make muscles but you can't do both." - Bill Lyons, via my amazing friend January of Bliss Fitness.

January posing for me for a lululemon post about opening up through yoga.

I am blessed with knowing this wonderful lady lovely pictured above. Her name is January and she is one of my fitness/whole life mentors, as well as a wicked awesome friend.  I love her for reasons I have lost count of, but am most thankful for the following:
     She inspires me to love myself, inside out and around this big old badonk we both share!
     She balances life with health, fitness and fun and never takes any of those things too seriously.
     She has taught me how to train, fuel and appreciate the body I have.
     She is the best bootcamp instructor on the planet.  (Don't believe me, here's her schedule, test her for yourself.)

I made her model for lululemon a lot...

Today I am dedicating this post to her because it is her birthday, and I think she deserves to know about the impact she has had on my life, and probably a ton of others.   This morning I was in need of a shake up in my morning workout so I joined her bootcamp class, which I shamelessly have not been to in months!  It more than kicked my badonk, it reminded me of how much more you get out of a workout when it is led by someone who really has love for what their teaching paralleled with incredible knowledge, and a triple threat of actually knowing how to deliver their message.  (We've all had those terrible teachers who mean well but just shouldn't be leading class...) 

Her teaching is a gift, and I am lucky to sweat in her graces every now and then.  I hope to be half the trainer she is someday.  (Remember it's a 1 year goal of mine...)  So today if there's someone in your life who has helped you to become a better you mentally, physically, both, whatever, give 'em thanks.  We tend to view our trainers and teachers as super heroes, but really they're human too and sometimes need to be reminded just how wicked awesome they are.

xo

be still my (pizza) heart

Motto of the year: If you're gonna bring the boom, don't forget the shakalaka.  Everyday.

The leftovers of my pizza at Origano.  Bomb to the dotcom.

Last night the hubs and I ventured out to a delectable new little Italian joint in Hillcrest, Origano.  It was delicious.  I actually would say this is the BEST pizza I have had since living in Italy. 

 

Apples n oats. 

This lovely January morning started off on a good note.  Greek yogurt, sliced apple, and a few oats, and ended with the debauchery that is pizza.  BUT, we're not going to sweat over it, because life's too short not to take a slice of it now and again. 

Hello my name is eat me I'm delicious. 

On normal days I would do my best to eat maybe half of my personal pizza at the VERY MOST.  Then I would feel bad about it all night, make my hubs feel bad about it, and remember how terrible I am for enjoying life via one meal.  But not tonight, not now.  

Pizza Margherita. Nom Nom Nom.

Tonight I ate the whole pie, minus 1 piece swiped by the hubs, and it was worth every bite.  Not to be cheesy, no pun intended, but it really made me think about my life in general.  If you're only going to eat half of the pie, and complain about it later what's the point?  If you order the pie, eat the pie, enjoy it, and indulge in gelato. 

   Junk in the trunk. (via Vogue Italia)

Let's just be honest with ourselves.  The junk in my trunk will never look like Kate's, but, I am going to enjoy my life, one bite at a time. AND in the 1 out of maybe 3 occasions of the whole year I eat pizza, the hubs won't think it's possible I hate myself.  Because I don't.

Nothing exists outside this cup of apple cider tea. 

The truth is the following, yoga really is my religion, tea heals the heart and soul, chocolate should be enjoyed, pizza should feel delicious, and if you are not happy with all of your choices, those around you won't be happy with you as their choice.  Soak it up.  AND if you're gonna bring the boom, don't forget to pack the shakalaka. (A tip I learned recently from NBA Jam).