Weekend Warrior

A lot happened this weekend. First, I had to take Ruffin, the dog I adopted about a month ago, into the vet because of an eye infection and now he's on a regimen of two eye drops per eye every 8 hours. It sucks for both of us since I have to somehow pin him down to give him the eye drops and my arms are gettin' all kinds of scratched up. Plus, there's the vet bill...

My poor, sickly animal.

I got lucky at the mall earlier this week and found a super good sale. I know I promised some thrift store clothing, but I rarely buy new clothes and I decided to give myself a treat since the prices were so low. Sorry for the sour looks and poor picture quality. It is literally my first time using a webcam and it's probably obvious.

XL green dress: $9
Pretty big on me but I used a belt to cinch the elastic waist
and I'm sure I can pin the fabric along the sides to bring in
the bust. Probably my favorite purchase. It has pockets!

Small striped dress: $9
Fits nicely and I love black and white horizontal stripes. The
skirt has a tulle overlay so it's kind of fancy and girly.

Meduim patterned dress: $9
The fit is a little loose but I guess that's the style. It borders
on frumpster though so I might pin the sides to bring in the
bust. If only I had a sewing machine! 

Bralet: $1 and skirt: $3
Cheap warm weather clothes. What is a bralet, by the way?
When is it appropriate to wear one? Can it be worn by itself or
is it meant for use only as an undergarment? This picture
showcases the number one area I'd like to tone up: my tummy.
Once that's done, I'll wear this thing...somewhere. My mom
would not approve.

At the same sale, I got a sweater, a new pair of gray jeans, and a black wool jacket (which was also only $9!).

Today, my mom and I stopped at an estate sale and we found an old singer sewing machine for $20. It's not in the best condition, but we bought it anyway and plan to fix it up next time I'm home. I don't have a picture of it now because it's in the shed, hiding from my dad, but this is basically what it looks like:

Even though I haven't yet fit any real exercise in yet, it's been a pretty good weekend so far. 

Cowles Mountain 3

This morning I hiked Cowles Mountain for the third time in a month (and ever). I went the entire way without stopping for a break, but walked at a slower pace than before. I'm not sure which has provided a better workout: really pushing myself but then needing to take frequent recuperation breaks or keeping a consistent, albeit easy, pace with no stops.

I'm proud that, at the very least, I was able to keep a consistent pace, even through the steep parts, and I can definitely speed up as I get more physically acclimated to the exercise. Rob and I agreed that this was our best time yet, which we estimated was around 30 minutes (from base to peak). We couldn't tell for sure because we have given up trying to carry cell phones and neither of us had a watch.

Once I get a job, I think I'll invest in some shoes that are more suited to fitness activities. Most of the other people on the mountain are decked out in Nike and Adidas gear and I just have my chucks (fashionably coupled, here, with some old shorts I usually sleep in).

You got your motion control and dri-fit. And I don't give a sh*t!

Overall, this trip up the mountain was a lot easier for me than last time. And last time was a lot easier than the first time I went, which is when I thought I was going to collapse, pass out, and/or die. I did manage to capture this ye-olde-timey-looking picture of San Diego on my first trip, which was a good excuse to rest for a second.

This is what the view from Cowles Mountain must have looked like to Lewis and  Clark.

I'd like to be able to do some activity like climbing Cowles Mountain at least twice a week, but I've been looking around Orange County and there's nothing in that area with the same incline. I believe Cowles Mountain has an elevation gain of 900' in a mile and a half. None of the hills near my apartment seem to be anywhere near as steep. Plus, there are a lot of fees for going to places that actually do have good hikes, like the Cleveland National Forest and Chino Hills State Park. I guess I'll have to get comfortable doing some jogging instead.

Overall, the climb today was a good workout and I'm looking forward to the next chance I'll have to go back and ramp up my pace.

New Start

Alright. I've been neglecting this blog since I started it, but this year I'm going to try to change things. I've spent the past few years doing exclusively academic writing and now that particular era of my life is almost over. To celebrate/reclaim my free time, I'm going to attempt to start writing for pleasure, starting with this blog. Topics I'll mainly be covering include:

My new fitness regime

My attempts at cooking

My efforts in buying clothes at thrift stores

Let's see how this goes!

Revised List of Things I Want in a House

Must Haves:

• Bathroom privacy
• Yard
• Washer & Dryer
• Street access (i.e. not in a weird complex)
• Off-street parking

Really Wants:

• Second bedroom / office
• Second bathroom
• Hardwood floors
• Big kitchen with ample counter space
• "Open floor plan"
• Good location (in walking distance to relevant places)

Icing on the Cake:

• Fireplace
• Front porch
• Deep bathtub

things to buy to prepare for las vegas

clothes & accessories: $150 - $170

makeup: $38 - $42

lip stain: $6 - $7

lipstick: $4 - $7

eyeliner: $4

brow pencil: $3

mascara: $5

foundation: $8

dark circles eraser: $8

toothbrush: $5

jack daniels: $15 - $25

total: $208 - $242

Does Anybody Have $115 To Lend Me?

List of Things I Want In the First House I Rent

- A backyard that has room for my dog(s) to do their business

- A front porch/patio area on which I can put an old couch for late night sitting

- Preferably more than one bathroom, especially depending on my number of roommates, but at least one bathroom that is not connected to a bedroom.

- Off-street parking

- Nearby markets/cafes/bars that are withing walking distance. I miss having that.