Wrap that Crap

Today I ventured a venture into a culinary adventure.

In my Health Psychology class, we were given an assignment to keep track of our food intake and metabolic output for 5 days.  I was pretty excited about the assignment, as I knew it would give me better insight into my lifestyle choices.  It also helped me to be a bit more conscientious about what I was putting into my body, both in the form of comestibles and investments for future health.  

A few days into the project, my roommate and I went grocery shopping.  As we entered the produce section, we both started finding things that would presumably make for a delectable salad or wrap.  Before long, we both had a healthy (really) amount of items to satiate our impromptu health craze.  I spent a little more than I originally planned, but hey.  What can I say?  Mad props to whoever organized Smith's produce.

For lunch today, I decided to try out a bit of what I had purchased.  I am a big fan of wraps, so I decided to throw down a lil wrap.  I wanted to start with some beets, but I was out.  So instead, I used everything else.  And I was quite pleased with what came out:

          Ingredients
          1 tortilla

          3 slices of turkey

          Nondescript amounts of Parmesan cheese, spinach, black                       beans, salsa, honey mustard peanuts, red bell pepper, green                   onions and a lovely raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette I picked                       up from the store.

I have dubbed it the "What the Crap was in that Wrap?©" wrap.  Or maybe just the "Crap Wrap©".  They both sound delicious.  Despite the eclecticism of its components, it was actually quite good.  It got me really excited about eating more healthily.  Ima even look up some new recipes, too.  If it's healthy and that good, I'm sold.  It also got me excited for the future should I ever come across marriage.  It's nice to know that when mealtime arrives and we're deciding what to eat, I'll have something to bring to the table (you see what I did there?).  Yes, future wife, you can rest at ease knowing that past/present/future husband can always pull a bunch of crap out of the fridge and wrap it in a tortilla.

Don't all jump in line at once.

Roid Enraged

So today I think I may have experienced what it feels like to have roid rage.

I was at the gym, pumping it up big time.  As I neared the end of my set, I increased my metabolic output (cool points to anyone who gets the reference).  After much exertion and effort, I was able to finish off a series of difficult reps.  Upon completing the reps, I stood up and I was pumped.  Man was I pumped.  I started walking over to the drinking fountain and I kind of wanted to punch everyone in the face on my way over there.  I felt strong and enraged.  I felt roid enraged.  That's not usually how I feel.

Those of you who have taken steroids before:  Is this what roid rage is like?

Old Man Mode: Engage

Yesterday, I went and played football with a bunch of guys from my complex.  We made it rain.  I have actually been wanting to play for a while, so I was happy to get out and do it.  Only one setback:  I had not done anything quite as physically or aerobically demanding in quite a while. This presented a problem for my scrawny, ill-equipped manbody. As fun as it was yesterday, that's where the fun stopped; because now it's time to engage old man mode.

I would guess many of you have experienced it—you go from lying around in your own indolence for weeks at a time to exerting every last bit of your strength in an epic blaze of glory without preparation.  And though the victory is sweet, it fades quickly as it is replaced by old.  Yes old: cramping, bloating, inflexibility, joint pain, back pain, soreness, incontinence...  If an old person suffers from it, you're likely to experience it.  

Today and yesterday have been sore.  Everywhere.  Places I didn't even know I had.  It has made tasks that I usually don't even think about quite difficult and noticeable; things such as rolling over in bed, putting on socks, getting up off the couch, bending over, crossing my legs, scooting in my rolley chair...  I now walk slow and steady, squatty and hunched over with T-Rex arms. Climbing stairs has become an ordeal and nearly impossible without making it look like my bowels are about to move.

So if you see me over the next few days, no I'm not late for the bathroom. I'm just in old man mode.  Sympathy is welcome.  So are massages.

Future Memory

I've made an important life decision.  

When I'm responsible and have my own house in the future, the floor all over every room in the entire house will be made out of memory foam rugs.

I don't know if you've ever endured the ecstasy of standing on one of them, but it is one of the most pleasurable experiences I've ever had.  It's like standing on a pudding sack.  Or walking through a field of cotton candy.  Or jumping on a jello trampoline.  Or getting a foot massage from Jabba the Hut.  

Yes, as adeptly demonstrated by these attractive feet, there isn't much better.  But there are a few things that are:

Oh look.  They come in fuzzy.  What's that sound?  Oh it's just my feet squealing at the very thought.  Needless to say, I'm excited about the future.

Pretty vs. Hot

A very interesting article about one man's definitions of 'pretty' and 'hot' and their prominence (or lack thereof) in today's society.



http://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-death-of-pretty

Thoughts?

*;(

So funny story.

I was walking to church today with my roommates.  But wait—it gets better.  

As we made our way across campus where church is held, a group of about 3 gentlemen approached us.  In the process of passing them, I made eye contact with one of the guys in the other group—not a big deal. But just after the moment our eyes met, a small flake from the residual of yestermorn's snowfall fluttered directly into my eye.  While relatively painless, it caused my eye to close momentarily in a winkish fashion, like so.

I did not intend to wink at this young man, though his suit was very nice. It became especially troubling to me after I found this wise internet video:

I didn't mean to flirt.  I hardly even knew him.  I am no hussy.  Most of my time is just really badly timed.  I guess I need to be more careful about when I let objects fall into my eye.

;(

Beast Quake

Lest we forget January 8, 2011.

Idealism

Oh blog.  How have I neglected thee?  Let me count the ways.

First post of the new year.  2012.  It has been an interesting year thus far...  I expect it to be a good one.  12 has always been my favorite number and this will be my only '12 year of life, so I'm hoping that holds some sort of sway.

The new year has always been a time for people to resolve to be better; and really, what better time to start afresh?  With a whole new, clean, blankly-slated year ahead, we are presented with an opportunity to be a new person going forward.  I love that concept.  Most years, I make a solid group of resolutions of things that I want to do better.  Most years, they never fully come to fruition.  Yes, sadly enough, I'm one of those people.  And it's not for lack of desire, but more for lack of focus.  With my 5-year-old mind, I generally just get distracted.  Surprised?  So this year I thought I'd try something a little different.  Behold:

I read a lil somethin somethin recently that talked briefly about one's ideals.  Ideals can be a driving force, both used to make sound decisions and as motivation towards an end.  But, when placed too high, they can also be a detriment to the idealist.  The part that I found most interesting was the section on one's ideal self as I recognized that the same concept applies.  Setting one's personal standard too high makes it nearly impossible to reach, and can have an effect directly opposite of the one desired.  I can relate.  Now I can't remember whether my follow-up thought was my own or if it came from the reading, so I'm going to guess that it was somewhere in the reading (that's what I get for waiting so long to write about it :( ) ):  Ideally, one's ideal self today would simply be something a little bit better than they were the day before.  If I did or said something dumb in the past, don't do it again today.  If I failed to do something I should've, do it next time the opportunity arises.  If I did something good yesterday, do something great today.  I simply need to be aware of what's going on and recognize where improvement can be made. Ultimately, my ideal self is going to be legit--I've got plans.  I'll get there. Eventually.

So I guess that's kind of my resolution.  I don't know if it can be considered a cop-out, but I've tried similar things in the past and it has worked.  That doesn't mean that I don't have specific things that I recognize I need to improve, but I feel like having this mentality will help to improve those.  And I can always add in more specific goals wherever it may be necessary.  It is 2012 after all.  Anything is possible. But this is the start to the ideal me.

Here's to 2012.