Steak Eating Contest

Our 30 day paleo challenge is over, hallelujah.  Although I am now free to go off the wagon, I haven't really wanted to.  I did eat popcorn while watching the new Star Trek movie the other night and felt immense regret, mostly about the popcorn.

And also this:

In any case, the best thing I learned from this challenge was the delight that is Cholula Hot Sauce.  I didn't even think I liked hot sauce, but that stuff is amazing.

 I don't love Franks Buffalo sauce, but I now use their slogan when referring to Cholula:    

The second best thing I learned is that I can enjoy my coffee black.  I've been drinking it black for a while, but now I actually enjoy it.

And finally, because of this challenge I figured out how to eat at a Brazilian Steakhouse without needing to be wheeled home.  Since starting Paleo last June, Evan has insisted we frequent these all-you-can-eat meat joints more often than I am comfortable with.  I think they're delicious, but its too rich and too much.  A few weeks ago, we went to Texas De Brazil for Mandy's surprise birthday party (her husband, who planned this party is also a huge Brazilian steakhouse fan). 

Worst picture ever, thank you iphone flash...

Anyway, for the first time ever, I was able to eat a lot of meat and not want to die afterwards.  Actually, I could have kept going, but people were getting up to leave and I decided I was probably embarrassing myself.  The secret?  No cheese, no salad dressing, and absolutely no bread or that polenta they put on the table; just veggies and meat.  Those salad bars are so delicious though, I'm not sure if I'll be able to control myself the next time without the threat of a challenge.  

Also, if you are actually taking my suggestions seriously and not just humoring me while I ramble,  I have one more tip: get a list of the meat they serve and request the good stuff.  Just say "no" to bacon wrapped chicken and leg of lamb and wait for the Picanha (I think its top sirloin).  Delicious.

My dad's first language was Portuguese.  I wish I could speak it since that's Evan's love language, well, the meat is at least.  Just think of all the things I could order! 

By the way, I was planning to win this Paleo challenge, but sadly I lost by more than 100 points.  Evan lost by more than 200.  I think I should at least get a prize for not eating chocolate in 32 days (the prize: a chocolate bar!  Duh!) 

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Paleo plus Onion Rings

One thing I'm finding really fun about crossfit is the bits of gymnastics thrown in the mix.  Mostly things like ring dips and handstand pushups.  I forgot how much I used to love doing handstands and it almost makes me want to start cartwheeling everywhere again (yes, I was that obnoxious 4th grader.  At least I didn't go through a horse phase.)

I haven't started with the cartwheels, but I have been doing handstands at home throughout the day. I still have to use a wall: I can't hold the handstand for long without it.  I saw this picture on pinterest and thought "well gee, that looks like it would be easier to balance- you can work up to it, use both forearms..."

I did it all right.  I got to the straight up position and flipped right over, flat on my back.  So now I use the wall for that idea too.

My goal of doing a pull-up is getting closer.  I'm not there yet, but I get a little better each time.  It may take the rest of the year, or maybe my entire life, but I will get there!

Right now, as things are getting easier,  I'm trying to figure out how much more difficult to make the WOD's for myself.  Do I add a lot more weight and go much slower?  Make it a bit harder and go just a little slower?  I wont realize I've made things too easy until I'm in the middle of the WOD and blowing through it way too quickly.  It is really difficult to stop myself in the middle and get a lighter band or add more weight.  It might not sound like a problem at all unless you do crossfit and know how it feels to watch the clock tick away, music blasting, while you fiddle with changing bands.  Yesterday I realized it was too easy and thought "eh, I'll go harder next time."

I finally graduated from this baby box jump to a big girl box (big girl box to the left), which is an exciting accomplishment.  I was mostly using the baby box out of fear, not inability (have you tried it?  Tell me you aren't thinking about cracking your head open or slicing your shins...)

No big deal for this guy.

We have 6 more days left of our paleo challenge.  Its like paleo on crack.  

Here are the rules:

1.  Eat real food – meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (like EVOO or coconut). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.

2.  Do not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee).

3.  Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (I count corn as a grain), oatmeal, and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains. That’s not real food, right?

4. Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)

5. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.

6. Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars (like Zone bars), dairy-free creamers, etc.

7.  Do not drink alcohol, in any form. (I know, I know) 

*AND- you have to deduct points for the following things.  Please note the bacon, dried fruit and salt!!!*

Deducting Points

-1 point off for every serving of: deli meats, bacon, sausage, beans, hummus, peanuts, agave, honey, salt, peas, dried fruit, most salad dressings, red wine

-2 points off for every serving of: dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter), soy products, quinoa

-3 points off for every serving of: cereal, grains, wheat, oats, corn, tortilla chips, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, hot dogs

-4 points for every serving of: soda, juice, sports drinks, potatoes, fried food, chicken wings, most restaurant appetizers, pizza, cookies, baked goods, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sweets, pancakes, ketchup, processed marinades, BBQ sauce, sugar-added dried fruit, beer, and ALL alcoholic drinks (besides red wine).

Its fine.  Its been a good lesson on how much I actually do stray in "real life."  Like with salad dressing, for instance, or cream in my coffee and cheese on my salads.  Oh, and wine... and dark chocolate.  

But- I thought since I've been playing by the rules and not cheating (okay, I've cheated with red wine a few times...) that I should see some significant slimming down.  I'm watching all my fellow challengers whittle away each week- while I have only lost one measly pound.  There is no whittling happening here and I'm getting really frustrated.  

I'm not wholly unhappy with my progress with paleo, (I actually love eating this way) just my progress with this stupid challenge.  It is way too much effort not to have a significant payoff.  I feel good and strong, which is great, but I wanted my clothes to fit better- or have to go shopping for new clothes entirely, and for sure to lose the 5 lbs I gained for no good reason a few months ago (hint, its not a muscle gain).  No such luck.

This is why I hate diets.  Because they make me mad and crazy.

Oh, and ps, on this challenge, Evan has had onion rings only about once a week and only a handful of beers a week and he is whittling away.  Men.  

Maybe I should do the challenge plus onion rings...

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Enough with Things Sucking already

After my sad sad Friday post, things just got worse.  Some dear friends at church lost their son in Afghanistan.  He had a wife and two adorable babies.  It's too much.  It is not my story to tell, so I will leave it at that.  Except to say, I suppose, that my heart aches for their family and it feels like too much to bear even imagining their grief.  Our soldiers- studs and heros every one- are still dying over there.  Remind me again, for what?  I for one have had enough.  

It seems to me, enough sucky, painful and tragic things have happened this year.  I think we've reached our quota of "things that blow" already and should be good for the rest of the year.  Who's with me?  Only sunshine and rainbows from here on out!

Tebow votes for more sleeping in our bed.  He sometimes sticks his legs out when he gets too hot.

Evan and I had a few fun outings last month.  When we were "allowed" to have alcohol, we tried out a wine bar down the road we've been meaning to go to for a few years.  It was pretty good. 

The traffic to get there was bad.

When Evan had a lot of work to do on the weekends last month, we would go to Local coffee.  He worked and I enjoyed my latte (when I was "allowed" to have milk).

We also had some fun breakfast days when Evan was in charge (this was when we were "allowed" to eat bacon).   

Are you noticing a theme here with all the food restriction?  We're in the middle of a Paleo challenge.  Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime.  Mostly, its as boring to talk about as it is to eat.

The one benefit I will mention, is that my taste buds are more alert- or just hallucinating.  As I drank my black coffee yesterday, I said "this tastes just like coffee ice cream..."  I wasn't even kidding.

We snuck away to Gruene on a beautiful Saturday and enjoyed lunch by the river.

And the bluebonnets have given way to yellow wild flowers, though this picture is hard to tell just how yellow it really is.

I did my friend Mandy's makeup for her maternity pictures several weeks back.  She is due in a month or so.  I have watched her eat grilled cheese, mac 'n cheese, and all sorts of gooey bready goodness over the last 8 months (with great envy) and I must say, she looks absolutely terrific and glowing.  Not even the dreaded "pregnant face" to speak of.

All Tebow wants is more Mad Men.  Its hard to say no to this little guy.

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For the Birds

A cute little birdy has made her nest in the dog poo-bag receptacle next to our apartment.  I know this because early Saturday morning, I threw away Tebow's latest deposit and reached my hand up to get a few bags for next time.  This sweet little birdy shot out from her commandeered nest and few straight into my arm.  Of course, at the time I didn't realize what creature just hit me, so I screamed bloody murder at 6 o'clock in the morning.  I am sure the neighbors appreciated that.

I guess that can make up for all the times the neighbors have woken me up in the middle of the night.  This one Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning, I woke up to slurred yelling.  It went on for so long, I finally got up to investigate.  This usually quiet man who lives across the street was walking around his truck with his friends: they were inspecting the damage to his bumper.  The girl yells to him "but you were driving the wrong way on Sonterra!"  To which he replied in his extremely drunken voice "It was a mistake!  A MISTAKE!"  From their talk, it sounded like he just hit the large grassy center divider (otherwise I would have called the cops, don't you worry).  Now whenever I screw something up, I yell in a very slurred voice "It was a MISTAKE!"

Anyway,  Le Birdy is usually only nesting in the morning, and now that I know she's there I give her some lead time to fly away before reaching toward her home.  Today, she just sat there and watched me go about my business- well Tebow's business.  I think we have an understanding, she and I.

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The Infinite and the Finite

I have a friend who's mother passed away suddenly in the night, with no warning, no sign of trouble, and who seemed young, radiant and lovely when I met her a few months back.

A few years ago when we learned we were moving here to San Antonio, I was telling the news to one of my favorite ladies at work.  As soon as I met this gal, I wanted to be her best friend.  She is just so real, funny, creative, down to earth and encouraging.  Her son recently got married, and I remember being so jealous of her new daughter-in-law, and wondered if she could be an honorary aunt of mine or something instead.

She made the move here so much easier for me mentally in a lot of ways, like telling me- "are you kidding me?  Who really wants to work?  Don't choose this stupid job over your husband.  Its not everything and you know it.  Your family is important, so go with him and have some fun."  I know other people told me that, but having someone in "the business" tell me it wasn't important was such a relief.  All my other colleagues were aghast that I would consider following my husband and leave everything I'd worked for behind (one even suggested divorce).

As we were chatting, after she told me how sorry she was, she said, "I remember several years back, a friend of mine told me her mom was sick.  I told her I was sorry and really did feel sad for her.  But it was happening to her, not me.  It was like, okay, that is hard for you, but I'm separated from it.  That's your situation, not mine.  I don't have to deal with that.  Then soon after, my own mom got sick and it was like- oh- this is the pain.  And I remembered back to how easy it was for me to tell her I was sorry while being so relieved it wasn't me, wasn't my mom."

That is not a direct quote- but it's the gist of how I remember it.

Over the last few years, I have thought of her words often.

I thought of them this morning when I heard the news of my friend's mom.

I think of them with each new awful terror attack.

I still think about the people in the Colorado theatre shooting.  I keep telling Evan that I feel so terrible because we all got to move on from that pain, and the people directly affected will never get to completely move on.  Same with Newtown, same with Boston.  And I'm ready and eager to move on.  To not think about it anymore, to not imagine their pain, ready for the media to be done chewing on it.

These past few years have been filled with real pain and grief for me, unrelated to our move (I'm well past that by now).  With each new wave of grief of my own, I feel like I can slightly (and I do mean very slightly) relate to other people's pain a little better.

But to be honest, I would rather not.  It is so much easier to think "this is your situation, not mine."  It is easier not to imagine myself in their shoes, in their pain, to forget about it quickly because it didn't happen to me.  My heart truly breaks for my friend, but most often, I just feel relief that it isn't me this time.  Relief that I have my mother, my legs, my life.

It has been a heavy few weeks, and a hard year.

I love this prayer:

The Infinite and the Finite

“THOU GREAT I AM, Fill my mind with elevation and grandeur at the thought of a Being with whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, A mighty God, who, amidst the lapse of worlds, and the revolutions of empires, feels no variableness, but is glorious in immortality.

May I rejoice in that, while men die, the Lord lives; that, while all creatures are broken reeds, empty cisterns, fading flowers, withering grass, He is the Rock of Ages, the Fountain of living waters.

Turn my heart from vanity, from dissatisfactions, from uncertainties of the present state, to an eternal interest in Christ.  Let me remember that life is short and unforeseen, and is only an opportunity for usefulness; give me a holy avarice to redeem the time; to awake at every call to charity and piety, so that I may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, instruct the ignorant, reclaim the vicious, forgive the offender, diffuse the Gospel, show neighbourly love to all.  Let me live a life of self-distrust, dependence on Thyself, mortification, crucifixion, prayer.”

-The Valley of Vision

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Miami Matrimony

While in Florida last weekend, we were able to attend Evan's cousin's wedding.  Jessica, the bride, married an Evan too.  There are so many Toms in that family, as well as Daniels between us, that its only fitting that there are now multiple Evans.  Which is great, the more Evans, the merrier. 

I thought my Evan looked so handsome in his spruced up attire.

The torrential rain in the afternoon gave way to a gorgeous, albeit humid, evening in Miami.

My hair went flat in about 3 minutes, but so did everyone else's which totally cancels out bad hair, right?

My main victory of the day was getting my false lashes on without ruining my makeup or eyesight on the very first try.  I have no problem whatsoever putting them on other faces, but inevitably, when I apply falsies on myself, I end up screaming profanity into the mirror and scraping surgical glue out of my eyes.  Not this day, it was magical.

It was fun spending time with Evan's family and seeing them all gussied up.  Although, evidently it does not take anyone else as long to gussy as me.  If it wasn't for the rain earlier in the day, I might have been ponytailed and barefaced: there was talk of having a pool day with a quick change before heading to the wedding.  "But my hair!" I cried.  They all looked at me like I was nuts.  It takes some serious work for me to put on my wedding face.

I guess the jokes on me because it was so humid, my hair ended up in a pony not long after these pictures were taken.  At least I had my lashes.

And my disco ball dress.  

Full discloser: the dress is a rental.  I would have kept that information to myself, not because I'm ashamed, but because it feels like telling the world how much I paid for something, or, I don't know, sharing what brand of unmentionables I buy or how much gum I chew (too much).  However, the news seemed to be leaked to everyone at the wedding anyway, so why not all my bloggy blog friends!?!

Its from Rent the Runway.  I'll happily rent from them again, if only because I'm a hoarder and know by renting I wont have to keep this dress in my closet for the next 20 years.  Also, it was beyond easy and I got to wear a designer dress at a fraction of the price.  Plus, it was fun (but not the part where I got incessant questions about "how do you know it will fit," or "my god!  What will you do if it doesn't fit!" and "when will it show up!?" and "is it here yet!?!?!?!?").  It turns out, I am way more laid back about things than I once thought.  I'm practically zen compared to some people.  

If you'd like a go at Rent The Runway, use my code for $20 off.  Then I get $20 off, and the circle of life continues.  And if you'd like a real review of RTR instead of my rant, read my friends review, which is how I was won over in the first place.

Anyway (what a long digression) I had been thinking about this dress months in advance, whereas my beautiful and low maintenance sister-in-law Jennifer, was just considering her options the day before the wedding.  

Good choice I say (and my, what toned arms you have)!

There was lots of dancing and lots of fun.

AND then, three hours after hitting the pillow, Evan and I got up (ears still ringing) to meet Erin and her bf Michael for breakfast on Miami Beach.  It was so good to see her.  We can always pick up right where we left off.

 I always leave her feeling like I finally got some fresh air or had several years of fun flashbacks in a few minutes.  She is a special bird, that one.  

And, our obligatory sad face farewell selfie.

Although I literally thought I might be dying that morning, it was totally worth it.  

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The Cutest Baby in the World turns One!

Evan and I just spent a long weekend in South Florida.

I have the hugest suitcase of all time (Big Red), and brought it for the long weekend because we had birthday presents and wedding presents to deliver.  Of course, we forgot to deliver the wedding present and had to lug the thing home.  So dumb.  Dumb I say!

(Anna, if you're reading this I sent you a text of the pictures below saying "Big Red flies again!" but it wouldn't go through- the Austin airport didn't think it was funny, apparently). 

Tebow spent the long weekend curled up against my friend's pregnant belly, trying to hatch the chicken.  He generally makes himself at home.

Since Evan and I have no chickens of our own, we borrowed a baby for the weekend, the cutest baby in the world I might add.  

Tom and Jennifer were nice enough to take us out on their new fancy boat and share their first born with us.

We love each other, Thomas and me.  But Thomas loves everyone, so its not that big of a feat.  I still maintain that my relationship with this now one year old (Happy Birthday, Thomas!) is special.

Thomas seems to also quite like his Uncle Evan.  They have the same thick enviable eyelashes.  

We sure love this birthday boy!

Anyway, back to the boat.  

We went on the inlet to the Hillsboro Lighthouse, which I always think of as "Evan's Lighthouse."

The first time I went to South Florida with Evan, when I barely knew him at all (it was probably the 3rd or 4th time we'd hung out), he took me to the beach to see this lighthouse.  I had just met his brother and Jennifer for the first time, and as I was seeing his old stomping ground I thought, "huh, I better pay attention to this one."  I'm not sure if it clicked because his family were such good people or if it was something about Evan having "a beach" like I had "a beach" in Ventura, but I always think of that moment when I see the lighthouse.  

 Plus, who doesn't love boating in the sunshine?

Evan and I also went to Crossfit in Pompano.  The place was literally called "Crossfit Hardcore."  When we pulled up to a crowd of shirtless hardbodies, I was hoping we would keep on driving, but Evan insisted.  The class we were in was slightly more normal bodied people, albeit still shirtless.  

It was a tough workout- we do stuff like this all the time, but our AMRAP's are usually about 12 minutes, not 20- and we don't work outside in Florida humidity.  We left totally drenched.  The good news is we did just fine and the rest of the class thought it was exceptionally difficult too.  There were a few giant male visitors in addition to us- and it was their first crossfit experience ever.  I pitied them and their horrible form!  They looked to be in law enforcement, totally studly, but were still dying a 20 minute death.

When we spent the remainder of the weekend eating, I was even more thankful I sucked it up and worked out.  

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