Day 324: Burlesque Bikini Boot Camp

In the spirit of 2010, I took another random class. Most of my classes have been fitness related, and I find that I thoroughly enjoy looking for different ways to "cheat" going to the gym and staying healthy.

Fitness flavor of the month? Burlesque Bikini Boot Camp. No, we did not dance around in bikinis. The whole idea behind this class is that you first tone up and do exercises boot camp style (to fit you into a bikini) and then you learn a burlesque dance.

Of all the classes I've taken this year, this had to be the most random one. We started with our "showgirl pose," (one foot in front of the other, toe pointed, chest and ass out, hands up in a V shape) and repeated the mantra of the day. "I am a joy to be loved." lol So awkward to be saying something like that out loud. We then warmed up with some "cutesy burlesque dance moves" that required a red feather boa and a chair and I'm thinking, "yay, I can do this, it's sooo easy and fun." But THEN!!! oh lordy, and then the boot camp section started and it was like, "Pushups! Tricep dips! Wall sit! Sprints! Faster! Harder! Lower!" Kill me. lol

And then we finally stopped and learned a routine set to "Diamonds are Forever" complete with "diamond fingers" (less jazzy than spirit fingers), cat crawling and rhythmic hip thrusting.

So random. Definitely an experience. :)

My teacher (her name was Lady Chardonnay) was a trip.

Only in New York. :)
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Day 323: early morning downtown

Mornings spent downtown...Woke up ass early to go work out. I can't believe I was crazy enough to do it! Though I will admit, being up that early and seeing the early sun out kind of felt nice...




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Day 322: "you want thingamabobs? I've got twenty..."

...well, not twenty.... Yet. Lol

I love these glasses! Still convinced they make everyone look super good!!!




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Day 321: weirdest comfortable shoes ever! Lol

Tried on the Vibram FiveFinger shoes at my dance teacher's recommendation... Holy cow, they feel soooo good!!!! Especially the one made for running!!!! Though, they're sooo hard to put on. Like gloves. And my toes are not as cooperative as my fingers~!

Why'd they have to be so ugly though! lol



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Day 320: to the core...

I hate eating apples that aren't cut. I get really paranoid about my teeth breaking off if I bit into an apple...

...but desperation makes you do crazy things. Was sooo hungry after my first physique 57 class (hello asskicking, nice to meet you!) that I ended up scarfing the free apples they hand out at the front desk. Like I'm gonna turn down free fruit!




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Day 319: only in New York...

...would you find these random murals on the street all over the city...




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Day 318: "if it didn't hurt, everyone would do it"

...that's what Brandon told me about getting a tattoo... I have now joined the club. :) I can't explain the pain nor how I managed to get through it, but I'm told I was a trooper. I better be! That thing was a lot bigger than I expected!!!! I will post a picture of it once it's healed and isn't so blotchy... :)
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Day 317: Abandonment issues?

My schedule has been pretty crazy lately, what with Jeff and weddings all over the place and work... It's made it hard to commute to Jersey for regular visits this past month and a half... But I finally got to see my babies!!! Daji looked fairly happy to see me at first...until he got sleepy-cranky... At least, I hope that's the reason he got all sullen and wouldn't talk to me... :(

Here he is sitting in the corner avoiding everyone... soooo cute.



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Day 316: yayyyyy toilet paper!

Jed came to visit and before he left DC (where he is stationed as a Marine), he asked me if I wanted anything from the commissary (yay commissary! I love the commissary!) and of course, I asked for nice toilet paper considering a 4pack of Charmin is $8 at Duane Reade! Eight stinking dollars!!!

Thus the beauty of the commissary: This 24pack was like $14.

Everyday necessities are the way to my heart. lol

Maybe. :)



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Day 315: I am not this graceful

Went back for a second try at antigravity (aerial) yoga... This time was way better. I liked our teacher! He was very challenging, but also reassuring and encouraging. I was able to do almost all the stuff he introduced in class, but I did NOT look as good as this girl. She was amazing!

Ah well, I was not meant to be an acrobat. It was fun while it lasted though.

I think I will stick to bollywood dancing. :)

Day 314: antigravity yoga and me

My friend Pooja's answer to battling loneliness while Jeff is away is to go to yoga class... I'm not that much into yoga, but hey, I'll try pretty much anything. That's what this year is about, right? And anyway, if not for my openness to try new things, I might not have even met Pooj, and she's awesome. :)

Soooo... antigravity yoga it is! For anyone confused as to what antigravity yoga is, it is basically yoga that you do with a sling/hammock that is suspended to the ceiling. Some of the positions (like the goddess pose) are done while you're sitting IN the hammock (which is pretty cool and feels like you're floating on air) and some of the stuff (like the warrior pose) are done on the floor with the help of the sling to keep you balanced...

I'm only doing a one week trial (to be on the safe side and not to spend unnecessary moneys in case I absolutely hate it), and so far, it's definitely interesting! Though quite daunting since I walked in and my teacher, while nice, did not offer any comforting words. She basically told me I was in for it. LOL and goodness was I in for it. Hanging upside down is a challenge!

I will say, however, that it was pretty cool and a lot more entertaining than the yoga I know about. It's pretty challenging, and I'm sore as all hell this morning, but I'd do it again! Which I am. Tonight. Because I paid for a one week trial and I am going to make it worth my moneys. And maybe tonight I won't get someone who will yell at me (out of concern that I would crack my head open after falling) when I get the upside down pose wrong the first time. haha (I finally got it right, btw, after her demonstrating the pose again, and it felt like an awesome accomplishment that I got it right! wooooooo!)

I'm going to ask the new teacher straight up beforehand if I can take a picture of us when we're all upside down. It will make for an awesomer blog post than just my hot yoga teacher posing in the sling...




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Day 313: view from the window I do not have

Jane (our awesome receptionist) gets the best seat in the house because she gets to look out her window (basically the only window in the office) which is right in front of the door which means she gets a front row seat (the only seat) to the outside world for the duration of the workday. So even though she sometimes gets the super cold or super hot air (depending on the season), she also gets to see some sunshine all day. The rest of us... well, I go to work when it's dark and leave when it's dark nowadays. How depressing. :(

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Day 312: Too early for Christmas!!!

Macy's has already put up their decorations for Christmas...say what!!! It's not even Thanksgiving yet! Why are they prematurely ending my year!!!



Christmas lights are sooo pretty though. :)

Day 311: Whataburger run!

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Made it through the wedding on two hours of sleep and an intense day of prepping and the ceremony and the reception and the afterparty and I THOUGHT we were all done once the shuttle picked us up and dropped us off after going to the bar...but I was wrong. Like I could miss out on a Whataburger run with Matt and Steven. It didn't help that the driver was so nice and was like, "Do you want anything?" Awww, people in Texas are SO nice!!!!

Between staying up til 4 in the morning and waking up early to make my 1230 flight and then traveling the entire day only to get home at 1030 in the evening, this ended up being the only picture I actually took that night.

It's been almost seven years since I've gotten to spend any real time with the two cousins...but...nothing's changed. They're still fun and still hilarious and still sweet. :) I got lucky getting to hang with them even for just a little bit. :)

Day 309: San Antonio bound!

Started my long journey to San Antonio for Val and Jon's wedding... I was exhausted but glad I woke up long enough to catch the sun setting...





It doesn't even begin to do it justice...


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Day 308: busting out the winter wear...

Summer, I will miss you! :(



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Day 310: Headed for a wedding...that's wedding no. 2...

Second and last wedding for the year! Val and Jon finally, after six years or so, got married! That's pretty nuts to think that that much time has gone by. Unfortunately for me, I did not take a lot of pictures due to preoccupation and a dying battery... so no really good pictures of the bride and groom. Poopoo for my failure!

Instead, you get a self-portrait. Because I'm rarely ever this dressed up and put together! lol

We had a little bit of down time before the shuttle came to get us and I was glad for the sunshine... such a beautiful day for them to get married!

Day 307: Car ride home..

Got a call in the middle of the day from Jeff telling me he might leave in a few short hours instead of leaving on Saturday as scheduled... That sent me into a little bit of a panic and made for a very uncomfortable afternoon of stomachaches from the anxiety...

But oh, the skies were beautiful...



(...he didn't leave, by the way. Which is kind of a relief but also kind of... well... saying goodbye again kind of sucks.)

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Day 306: Random Joycie Fact...

I like prunes. No, I'm not eighty years old. Though sometimes I feel like an old lady, I don't eat them to be "regular." Nope. I actually like the way they taste. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it has to do with having my grandpa as my best friend, though I don't recall ever eating prunes with him (usually ice cream sandwiches or candy or jello or whopper jr. meals). In any case, I like them. They're good!

I hadn't had them in a reeeeally long time, but I saw them at Duane Reade and suddenly had a craving for them. Even better, they're now individually wrapped so it makes me feel like it's candy! And they have random facts about prunes on the wrapper. Like... did you know prunes have more fiber than an apple and more antioxidants than blueberries? Yup! They do!

Don't hate. lol

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Day 305: early morning darkness

It makes me sad when I leave any place for work and it's still dark outside.

I don't think I'm going to enjoy the cold months. How many months til spring??

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