Friday, October 30, 2015

Me Being Me Is Exactly As Insane As You Being You

Book #7 completed in 2015 (that's right, I'm only averaging about 3/4 of a book per month...need to step up my game!):

Me Being Me Is Exactly As Insane As You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy
"a novel in lists"

Summary:
This novel is about teenage Darren trying to come into his own after dealing with the following life challenges:
-his parents getting a divorce
-his brother, Nate, moving off to college
-trying to get a paid gig in his band
-falling in love
-his dad being gay
-his mom wanting to move away for her career
-"being with a girl" without really being sure as to why.

Review:
I absolutely loved the way this novel was written. I was a little skeptical by the idea of a novel written in only lists, but it was much more fun to read than I anticipated. Some chapters were super short and sweet, and others were complex and thorough. The read was easy, but because of the unique style, I couldn't put this book down. I thought the overall content of the book was on the amateur-ish side, but the writing style brought it to a new level, and really made the characters emotions seem authentic and raw. I would highly recommend this for any high-school student or young adult looking for something a little quirky.

Quotable Moments:
"He's pretty sure he hasn't thought about kissing any guys, but he wouldn't swear on it, because these kinds of thoughts just sort of pop up whether you want them to or not." pg. 2

"...he never really thought much about the cats most of the time, though he did sort of like how Dell used to greet him at the front door whenever he came home." pg. 27

"...I know I barely talk and pretty much act like I'm not even here, but I'm totally here and have a million things to say, and me being me is exactly as insane as you being you." pg. 65

"2. This much (hands held apart at around shoulder width)" pg. 117

"1. Holding hands with her and walking quietly down a tree-lined city street. Preferably in the fall." pg. 133

"Either you're going to jump or you're not. And if you're going to jump, then just jump. Jump and get out of the way, you know? Get out of your own way." pg. 245

"It's one of those morning-dew, forest-after-the-rain scents that he loves for some reason. Dammit." pg. 405

"Life what if you don't have to be alone in your whale? Like what if that's the point? To find the right person to sit there in the whale with you." pg. 415

"4. Get out of the car at the edge of a massive, silent field.
5. Stand under the stars with her.
6. Realize that this planet isn't so bad after all." pg. 646

What do you think of lists?
-Linds



Thursday, October 29, 2015

Headstand Split

Major progress on my headstand:


Committment is key! I wanted to give up so many times when I first started practicing. My head always hurt, my abs were exhausted and my shoulders worn down. Now, instead, I can't wait for the next challenge to try! 

Don't give up!
-Linds

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Running Empty

Way to often I am guilty of letting my fridge run empty for days, sometimes even weeks, at a time. Of course I use the obvious excuses, I'm too busy to cook, too tired to go shopping, etc. etc. But the reality is undeniable. What my fridge looks like on the inside reflects both how I look and feel inside and out. 
(Running on empty)
After going the past few days on frozen meals, left overs, and eating out, I finally mustered up the energy today to do a thorough grocery shop. 

I stocked up on all the fixings and am going to make a full well-rounded meal for the first time in too long. I also went ahead and did a bunch of meal prep as well for the next few days. Nothing too extreme, just some chopping and dividing portions.  

(Stocked up strong)
Its amazing how the way my fridge looks on the inside is going to thoroughly improve my next few days. Being well prepared and properly fueled is the best way to keep me on the right track to stay motivated and energized for whatever the day throws on my plate...pun intended! 

Whats stocked up in your fridge?
-Linds 



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Confidence vs. Arrogance

I am not well educated when it comes to this topic, but that doesn't mean I don't struggle with it all the time.

I want to be someone who exudes confidence. Someone who can walk in to a room and not hesitate because of what people might think about me. Sadly, this is a very rare occasion for me. The closest I get to walking in a room with my head held high is when I go to volleyball, since it's something that is basically a part of me now. However, sometimes I find myself going a little overboard in the volleyball world. My intent is never viscous. I never mean to make others doubt themselves or feel bad about their skill level, I am simply trying to get myself feeling pumped up and confident, but I know for a fact that it has, from time to time, come across as arrogant.

Recently I've noticed that I'm not the only one who falls victim to this over excessive ego boost that can actually end up causing some bruising. The other day I caught my husband being equally as guilty. He made the following comment: "I am on a whole other level compared to him."

Now Mark wasn't saying this within earshot of the person he was talking about, but I couldn't help but think, what if the other guy had heard? I can only assume that it probably would have hurt his feelings. Granted, I know that Mark's sole intention was simply to state that Mark was an excellent player, an ego boost for himself, but heard by the wrong ears at the wrong time, this can easily be interpreted as full blown arrogance.

I'm not sure why all of a sudden this simple comment, something I normally wouldn't have even thought twice about, rubbed me the wrong way on that particular day, especially since it's something I've been guilty of multiple times....maybe I'm maturing?

Regardless of the reason, I felt like I needed to address it within. Sure Mark and I have been playing volleyball for several years, and we've both been complimented dozens of times on our skill/level of play (especially considering neither of played in college or university), but what right does any of that give us to talk like we're better than anyone else. We all started somewhere, we're all just at different parts of our journey.

So I find myself asking, how do I make sure I don't go overboard trying to exude confidence. How do I keep myself from plummeting down that pathway of negativity towards others, in order to build myself up.

How do you keep yourself from tipping past the border of confidence into arrogance?
-Linds

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Staying Motivated

A huge problem I face every day is finding a way to stay motivated. For instance, the other night I was all over the internet looking up places to try out a yoga class. I found a place that offered a session for the following night. I was super pumped, and feeling super motivated that I was going to just dive into something new and fitness related (I'm getting a little nervous about the upcoming holidays and all the binge eating that goes along with them). I had my day all planned: work until 345pm, home by 430pm. A quick walk with the pup, a snuggle with the hubby, and then I'd be off to check out a 645pm yoga class. 

Well, can you guess? I didn't end up going. I got home from work and all motivation from the previous night and even earlier in the day, vanished into thin air. 

I am frequently guilty of this. Plans for exercise, healthy life choices, and then I just do what feels comfy instead. Not to say that lounging around isn't healthy (let's face it, we all need those lazy days once in a while in order to keep our sanity), but I just wish I could be more consistent. I wish I knew why, as soon as I get home, I lose all motivation to want to head out and hit up the gym, or check out a class. Why is it so easy to succumb to staying in instead of just fitting in a quick 30 minute run, or 50 minute class?

Am I the only one that this happens to so frequently? How do you guys stay motivated??

-Linds

Friday, October 16, 2015

MIA...again!

It seems I went kind of MIA again. Hmm...how did that happen?

I haven't posted in about 3 weeks. The last time I went that long without posting was between June and July, shortly after I broke my foot.  Hopefully this doesn't become a regular occurrence, because I have to admit I've really grown fond of blogging. As much as I love all the other things I do in my life, sometimes it's really nice just to sit down and write.

So enough of that mushy stuff, what has kept me MIA the last few weeks you ask? Well here's an update:

Fashion:
Here is my favorite purchase from the summer: 

It's from Aritzia. Super easy to wear, can easily dress it up or down, and I look forward to pairing it with tights and boots in the winter. 

Work:
I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I took a new temporary position at work so I am no longer doing my terrible night shifts. I now work a mostly day shift schedule, which has been great for my mental health, but honestly not so great for my physical health (I'm not working out nearly as consistently as I was before).

Fitness:
In the last month of being on orders for "no high impact" because of my broken foot, I gained a full 10lbs, yep, you heard me, 10lbs! About three weeks ago I got the okay to start back up with my usual routine, and so far I have shed about 5lbs. I still have another 5lbs to get back to what I was, and another 5lbs after that to get to my target, but honestly it just feels good to be sweating and jumping and running, etc.
(Looking sweaty after a workout)

Outdoors:
Summer is officially over here in Canada, however in the last week we have had a few beautiful sunshiny days so I'm just trying to soak the last little bit of it up by going for as many walks as possible on my days off, and by taking Capt'n out to the dog park.

Pets:
I know I didn't mention this when it first happened because, honestly, I was devastated. But, I think now I am ready to talk about it. Our 6ish year old cat, Bear, has passed away. It was an abrupt and scary situation. He got way to sick way to fast, and sadly, Mark and I made the tough decision to put him down instead of making him suffer. He is forever in our hearts and will be dearly missed. My heart aches for him everyday.

The other pets, Mouse and Capt'n, had a rough time trying to cope for the first few days after Bear passed, but I think it actually ended up bringing the two of them closer, because now from time to time I will find them sleeping side by side or rubbing up against each other - something that would have never happened before.
Oh, also, I think Capt'n is getting bigger.


And finally....
Volleyball:
My co-ed 6s league in Abbotsford started up, and so far we haven't moved up pools yet, but I'm optimistic about our team.
In even bigger news though, I made the brave move of taking over my Womens 6s Volleyball League. It's been a long time since I've been in charge of something (I had to get in touch with all the teams to ensure everyone was still playing, I had to contact a new school and coordinate timing, I had to collect payment and waivers from all players, write up the schedule, make sure we had balls, etc.), but honestly it was so much fun, and the ladies were so appreciative of what I had worked out so it felt great to get some credit for my time and hard work. As intimidating as it was, taking over a project like this really reminded me how much I enjoy being in the gym. I really do think I want to pursue some sort of endeavor where I run a gym/fitness/volleyball facility. Mark came to help me out last night (set up nets, record scores, etc.) and honestly it was a lot of fun to be working on a little project like that together. I'm excited for what the future holds for us!

Well, that's all for today. Just a little update on the life I've been leading lately.
-Linds