Back in the saddle

After my 11 day hiatus at the gym, I was so happy to make an appearance there last night.

Upon arrival, I got a new key-tag! Yay for no awkward card.
I got the clear from my physio lady that I could start spinning again. I raised my handle bars to avoid too much pressure on my shoulder, and was able to rock out the class. I think my cardio has suffered a little during my hiatus, as I was left sucking wind but it felt great to sweat again.

SWEATY FACE... wooooooooooooooo!

I'm so happy to be able to sweat again. Sweaty Amy = Happy Amy.

I'll be much happier when it's Sweaty-Running-Baseball playing-Amy, but I'll take what I can get!

I don't have much to say today, so I'll keep it at that. Ciao!

Baby, you're all that I need

For some reason whenever I make above par delicious food I always have music playing in the back of my head.

Bryan Adam's "Heaven" came to mind after my first bite of this Goat Cheese Gnocchi.

Simple ingredients, quick to prepare, and the hardest part of the recipe is cutting the tomatoes in half.

Two thumbs up!

I had a dentist appointment yesterday, and I kid you not, I'm quite confident that my dental hygeniest was trained by Jack Bauer. I have a theory that they've invented some sort of machine that does the scaling however, they continue to use those stupid picker-thing-a-me-gigs to try to teach you a lesson to encourage flossing. Bastards.

Side note: I've flossed pretty much every single day since my last appointment in Janaury, and I still left feeling like a prisoner of war.

Note to self: Physio and dentist in the same day = worst idea ever.

I have big plans to hit up spin class tonight. Truth be told, I'm scared. It's been exactly 11 days since I've done any form of exercise. Ah well, no time like the present right?

Enjoy your Thursday.

Girl Crush

Usually my evenings consist of this:

Leave work, go home, walk dog, go to gym, eat dinner, bed.

I rarely do anything on the week night, because once I've got sweaty I usually have no ambition to get pretty again to go out in public.

However, due to my recent Gimpy McGimperton status my evenings are starting to look like this:

Leave work, go home, walk dog, eat.......... and that's about it. There is a lot of time for doing nothing, which in Amy-land often involves mindless eating.

We decided to busy ourselves last night by checking out the theatre in our new 'hood. We saw Friends with Benefits, and I just LOVED it.

Girlie moment: I never have really thought JT was super attractive, but have always had a wicked crush on him. This movie confirmed it. He was witty and charming, and ummm his six pack was kind of excellent too.

Source

And now I have a wicked girl crush on Mila too. Could she seriosuly be any hotter?

I also had popcorn for dinner. 650 cals for a small? Rip off, but a delicious rip off.

Good news at physio this morning: I can now go to spin class, step class with no arms, and walk. Still no running or baseball, but at least I'm allowed to get my sweat on. This makes for a happy-Amy.

Link Love

In an effort to keep things interesting, here are some interesting links to tide you through your Tuesday:

1) HBO is airing a documentary about Derek Jeter hitting 3000 hits this Thursday July 28. This makes me excited in my pants.

2) I used to work at this lockstation along the beautiful Rideau Canal. Yesterday someone decided to drive their car off the bridge.

3) While we're on the topic of my little hometown of Smiths Falls, they've been in the media a lot recently for hosting evacuees from the Deer Lake forest fires. Kind of cool!

4) Chapman's Black Jack Cherry fro-yo. Buy it now.

5) My latest post on The Ottawa Dog Blog - Etsy Inspired Decor.

6) Mariah Carey recently appeared on the shopping channel. I think she was drunk. Evidence here.

For the love of....... salad?

Usually I'm not a huge fan of salad, but of late, I just can't get enough!

With my quest to remain within my calorie-allowance sans exercise, salad has become one of my staples. It's filling, satisfying, and delicious.

This one made me excited in my pants.

Try this combo: Salad greens, cucumber, strawberries, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, steak and drizzle of light poppyseed dressing.

Love, love, love!

it’s one of those posts…

You know those posts when you sit down to write, trying to be all deep and philosophical but end up with gibberish?

This going to be one of those posts. Sorry about that, I just need to get some stuff off my mind.

I’m going on day #8 of this shoulder injury.

Do you have any idea how many things you use your shoulder for? Things like walking the dog, washing your hair, flat iron/blow drying your hair. taking clothes out of the washing machine, moving boxes, even making the bed has become difficult. It’s not a happy time for me right now at all.

You know what I’ve realized? I realllllly depend on the calories I burn working out to be able to eat.

Sounds dumb right?

But here’s the thing. If I overeat, without a doubt, I’ll hit gym to work it off…. and I’m not so sure that is healthy.

If I know I’m going to have a night of indulgence, I’ll be sure to get to the gym beforehand.

On the contrary if I have a big workout/run, I will use the extra calories burned to enjoy dessert, or a treat at night.

Being unable to hit the gym has made me really focus on eating clean and healthy. What does that mean?

It means, no more sugary coffee drinks in the morning. I’m back to plain coffee with one milk and one spenda.

There is no frozen yogurt for dessert. It’s getting replaced with watermelon.

It means no afternoon ‘treats’ at work.

I’m eating lots of whole foods, and I’m trying to really watch my carb intake.

It kinda sucks, but it’s been a lesson for me indeed.

Lesson learned: I eat crap, then bust my balls at the gym, and only see mediocre results.

In other news, I’ve tracked for 90 days in a row!

Pretty exciting?

Here’s the embarrassing thing: I haven’t weighed myself once. I hate getting scale crazy. I’ve been there before;  I remember having break downs when I’d gain 0.2lbs, I would stop drinking water ‘X’ hours before WI, I wouldn’t eat salt the day before etc etc etc. I was a master at scale manipulation.

I’m just happy to be tracking, and seeing the results in my clothing. I bought a pair of capris in a size smaller, and I’m getting compliments that it looks like I’ve lost weight. I’ll take it.

Ok, enough of this for now. Thanks for listening to my crazy-lady antics.

A night of Amy

I declared last night "A Night of Amy".

It started with a hair appointment. I chopped off about 2 inches to get rid of the mullet, and make it more "bob'ish" and added some red/brown to cover up my highlights. As much as I love the caramel look on others, I like my hair dark the best. Boring, but classic.

Bad hair day though, because I can't really use my flat iron as a result of my shoulder.

I also decided to get my eyebrows and nails done. I'm a whole new Amy today.

When I got home, I took Jersey to the dog park from a swim in the creek. We discovered a new game that was just the cutest thing in the world. We were in swallow water where she could touch, so I'd toss a rock. She'd actually submerge her entire head trying to find the rock. It's a good thing she's cute, because sometimes she lacks in the 'smart gene'.

She was soaked to the bone, so I didn't want to let her in the house right away. We did a couple laps of the neighborhood. I love our new neighborhood. Everyone is so friendly and chatty.

It was a great night indeed, and it made me happy.

What little things make you happy?

Watching Jersey jump around in the water like a crazy-lady made my heart mushy.

What I'm Loving

1) My dining refinished dining room table. After Scott refinished it, it stayed at their house until we moved. I just love it. It looks great in our new (empty) dining room.

2) My waves. With my gimpy shoulder, flat ironing is out of the question. Although I have a hair appointment tonight, and I'm pretty sure the current state of my hair will send my hair dresser into cardiac arrest.

3) My new Garmin. The old one never turned up. Odd. Great price at Costco: $159.99

4) Zucchini/Quinoa Lasagna. Last night I didn't have enough quinoa, so I subbed in 1 cup Israeli couscous. I also added goat cheese, spinach, mushrooms and peppers. Amazing.

5) Alba Honey Mango Body Wash. Creeper moment: I actually asked a girl in the shower beside me what body wash she was using after the intoxicating scent was filling the shower room.

6) Old CD's. With all the packing I did recently, I discovered some of my old CD's. Love rocking out.... my body is a wonderland afterall.

What are you loving these days?

Gimpy McGimperton

I've been out of commission for 4 days now.

I'm not handling it well. At all.

It's very hard to function with a huge pad of gauze on your elbow.
I know I need to give myself time to heal.... but it's just so hard to be sedentary.

Yes, I can walk for exercise, but I hate walking. A lot.

I just can't help but think of all the activities I can't do right now: fitness classes, spinning, running, weights. Etc, etc, etc.

I should just be thankful that I wasn't hurt seriously, right?

Sorry for the grumpy post, but I'm grumpy. And it's my blog. I can write what I want.

Jersey becomes an Ottawa resident

Jersey pulled an all-nighter studying for her citizenship exam… ok, not really.

But today was a very important day in her life.

She became an official Ottawa resident.

We celebrated in fine-doggie-fashion, a trip to David Barlett Park.

First a swim in the creek. I love taking swimming here because the water is fresh/moving so she doesn’t end up smelling like a sewer rat afterwards.

Then it was time to dry off. Some frolicking in the field.

Then it was some for some stick massacre. Definitely one of her favourite past-times. She made that stick her bitch.

 

Followed by a little sun-tanning and a little model-work.

It’s tough being Jersey. She has a horrible, terrible life.

I read Cathy’s blog post earlier, and had to smile. Don’t worry Cat, you’re not that only one who is obsessed with your dog’s behaviour. I just wrote an entire dog post about Jersey becoming an Ontario resident, clearly I need help too.

Crash update: My shoulder is feeling a little bit better, but I ended up rolling onto it when I was sleeping and woke up in horrible pain. Anti-inflammatories are my new BFF. I took the bandages off my scrapes to give them some air, and they are looking pretty disgusting.

As seen on TV

So, we’re out shopping for home accessories over the weekend at Home Outfitters.

Somehow a brown blanket with white paw got tossed in the cart. It was marketed as an “animal blanket”.

I was kinda like “Why the heck do we need this?” and Andrew was kinda like “the cats will like it”.

Sure enough, I was proved wrong once again. Sam loves it!

I’m at home today. My shoulder still isn’t moving very well.

My goal is simple: Don’t eat because I’m bored. I can do it, right?

Always wear a helmet

When I bought my new bike helmet, I had fully intended to write a post about the importance of a bike helmets.

Long story short, when I was 14 I fell off my bike and got a severe concussion. I was unconscious for 48 hours. A pretty serious accident.

Last night, Andrew and I decided to go for a quick bike ride to map out the route for our 12k run this morning on a new trail.

There were so many signs that were pointing in the “don’t go” direction, but we ignored them all.

First things first, my tires were flat.

Then the thing-a-me-jig that pumps the tires was dead.

By the time the tires were blown up it was almost dark and at that point I was ready to call it quits, but really wanted to map out our route.

I actually questioned wearing a helmet, because it was going to be such a short ride. Thankfully I didn’t listen to myself, and put on my helmet.

We arrived at the trail, only to discover that it was gravel. I have a hybrid. I told Andrew “I can’t ride on this”, so he offered to switch bikes because he has a mountain bike.

At this point it was pretty dark. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I’m pretty sure my back tire hit some loose gravel, I hit a tree, and then proceeded to hit the ground… hard and fast.

I landed first on my shoulder, then my head hit the ground, followed by my knee.

I hit the ground so hard, my head literally bounced and I remember seeing sparks.

Andrew got the bike off me, and I broke out in hysterics. I was shaking uncontrollably.

I went and “walked it off” to calm down, because I knew that I was going to have to bike home.

The whole ride home, I was sobbing with the “what if” thoughts filling my mind.

What if I wasn’t wearing a helmet? What if I was alone? etc etc etc.

At home I ran a bath, while assessing my injuries.

Toe nail was ripped off as I was stupidly wearing flip flops.

Elbow was destroyed.

 

Knees and legs had scrapes.

I sobbed uncontrollably in the tub. Not because of the pain, but because I was just so shaken up.

We bandaged up my wounds, I popped some Tylenol, and was finally able to fall asleep.

I woke up this morning in extreme pain, mostly in my shoulder/rotator cuff area. I decided to bite the bullet and go to emerg. I was worried something was really wrong.

Good news: Nothing is broken. I have a severe tendon strain and have been diagnosed anti-inflamatories, pain killers and I had to also get a Tetnus shot because of all the scrapes.

Good news part two: I asked the doctor how long I would be set back. I politely mentioned that I play a lot of baseball, and am currently training for a half marathon. He gave me a referral for physio to help speed along my healing process.

Bad news: I had to sit in that germ filled disgusting waiting room.

I have instituted some new biking rules at our house.

Never bike without a helmet. Ever.

And, from now on we’re always carrying a cell phone. You just never know what might happen.

I’m pretty much useless with only one functioning arm, so I’m going to chill on the couch and watch our new cable.

What better than NYY vs Jays in HD?

Enjoy the rest of your day and be safe.

What Google Analytics Tells Me

Google Analytics is a wonderful tool, that I really don't know how to fully use to it's potential.

What I DO love about it, is the ability to see the search words that people used to find your blog.

It's Friday, my brain is mushy, and I really don't have much to say.... So today's post is all about the (unique) keywords people used to find my blog.

• Limpy McLimperton


• Paul Plakas girlfriend


• Paul Plakas baby


• Paul Plakas douche


• Paul Plakas wife


• Paul Plakas spinach


• "I like my pubes" (in quotations to boot!)


• best exercises for chub rub


• first anal quest - amy (what?)


• lady bits (not shocking really given the amount I talk about lady bits)


• shaved golden retrievers


• crotch sweat


• smelly cat


• beer syrup


• poocano


• quest da amy


• chaos purse (reminds me, I've been meaning to write a follow up post on my purse issues)


• amy toronto intervention


• big white phat booty


• conquer quest apple slice


• I had four kids and my bladder is weak (I would like to know how THAT one happened!)


• listerine oily hair rinse (remember my story here? HA!)


• sexy voices like Ray Lamontagne


• signs you are obsessed with Jim Cuddy (Love it!)


• to wear or not to wear a sports bra (the answer is simple, always wear a one. Always.)

What did shock me however was the number of searches that had very specific information about me. Creepers.

I hope you have a great Friday! :)

Oooooooh yeah

Remember the movie K9 with Jim Belushi?

More specifically, remember when Jerry Lee met the Poodle?

I have no idea what made me remember this scene, but when I took my first bite of my food the first thing that came to mind was…..Oooooh yeah.

Play this music while reading this post. You will appreciate the food more. I’m sure of it.

So, I made yet another recipe from Mama-Pea.

This time was her Zucchini Quinoa recipe.

*cue music*

Ooooooooh yeah.

 

In true Amy fashion, I didn’t really follow it perfectly. I used black quinoa, and completely un-veganized it by using ricotta, sharp cheddar and adding an egg to the quinoa mixture to help firm it up.

It was delicious and very friendly in the calorie department coming it at roughly 250 cals per serving.

The only thing that makes it taste better?

Serving it on 1970’s Corelle dishes with a side of broccoli, and some bread.

Just as a FYI: I donated almost all of those damn dishes to a local youth centre, but somehow a few of those plates made the move with us.

How many of you still rock the Corelle dishes?

ow ow….chick chicka chicka.

McD's

I can tell you the last 3 times I ate McDonald's:

1) May 27th, 2010 - Morning after a work staff party
2) June 3rd, 2007 - Morning after my cousin's wedding
3) May 2003 - After a night at the bar with Andrew's friends. I didn't want to "that girl" that didn't eat.

There is something magical about their food; it cures hangovers instantly!

Lately though, I've been finding myself at their drive through each and every morning.

Not for the crap they refer to as food, but for their iced coffee!

Dare I say it's actually delicious? It is!!
And it's only $1.

I order mine without their sweetener and with milk to replace the cream.

The first time I ordered it, I didn't know that it came pre-sweetened and with cream and it was like drinking a thick sugary mess. I'm just not a fan of cream in my coffee. Gag.

When was the last time you ate a MdD's?

Running and Mmm sauce

Yesterday was so humid in Ottawa. The second I left the office, I knew I would rather die than run outside. To the gym I went!

I was afraid that my foot pain would reappear, but lucky for me, there was zero pain. I ran almost 10k in 70 mins. The sweat factor was almost unbareable. I was soaked to the bone, and almost embarassed about my sweaty-condition. Ah well, I got over it. I think I need to buy a seat cover for my car though.... or start bringing a second shirt to change into.

Dinner was night was pretty blog-worthy too. Mama Pea's Mmmm Sauce has been all over the blog world and as soon as I read the word "curry" in the ingredients I knew I'd love it.

I followed the recipe, minus the minced garlic. Garlic and I don't jive sometimes.

(Sorry this picture won't rotate... stupid Blogger. I hate Blogger so much of late.)

The sauce was pretty much amazing. Loved it! Can't wait to have it again for lunch today.

Speaking of curry, my cousin was helping me unpack and as she was able to tackle the spice drawer this dialogue happened:

T: Amy, really?

A: What?

T: You have 5 different containers of curry.

A: Yah, so? Your point?

T: Really?

I like curry. And if I want to have 5 different types of it, I'm allowed to dammit! :)

What's your favorite spice/herb?

I love cilantro, cumin, thyme and rosemary. Oh yah, and curry. Lots of curry!

Back to work

Well... my 'vacation' is over. I use the term 'vacation' loosely as I was not exactly lounging on a beach sipping fruity cocktails.

The move went well, and each and every day the house is starting to feel more like home.

The Jersey? Well, she's super depressed. She's not eating. There is a lot of moping around. But the good news? I get to see her smile like crazy during our trips to her new dog park which is just a mere 2k from the house. Bonus, it's on the water so there will be lots of swimming this summer for my girl.
Looking back, I don't think I actually did TOO bad in the eating department. I ate take-out everyday for pretty much a week, BUT, I made wise choices. Lots of Subway. Lots of Pita Extreme. Lots of salads.

There was no exercise until last Thursday, but I've been moving... literally.

You might notice that I didn't write about keeping up with my half training. That's because I haven't been, because I think I have a small problem.

I've been having a lot of pain in the top part of my foot. Looking at the diagram, if I had to guess it would be my navicular bone.

The pain is not constant, but it's there on impact. I thought it had gotten a little better, and then I almost died at Body Combat when I was landing on it during the "knee strikes". It's feeling pretty good today, so I'm going to attempt to run on it tonight. We shall see.

Here's the thing: I don't deal with injury well. I hurt my IT band pretty bad a few years ago, and as a result had to take almost 6 weeks off any impact type of exercise. It just about killed me. I know rest is crucial to recovery however, for me, it's pretty much the worst possible thing ever. Exercise is my therapy. It's what keeps me sane. No exercise = crazy Amy.

Anyhoo.. there's still no cable/internet at home, so my posting will be scarce for a few days.

Ciao!

I'm alive!

Hi friends!

Greetings from my Blackberry, as we don't have internet until the 12th. The move went well, and I am slowly unpacking. Moving is a lot of work man!

In good news, I made it to the gym yesterday. Better news: I didn't die. Even better news: I'm going to spin in about 5 mins.

On that note, I should bounce.... and blogging on a phone sucks!

ciao!

Moving Day

Today is moving day. Wish us luck!

We did it all on our own last time, but after learning the hard way, we’ve hired movers to do it for us this time.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of our moving shenanigans 4.5 years ago. How time flies!

There won’t be any crazy parties this time either.

Man, when did I grow up?

Packing break

Hi friends.

Is it starting to feel like Groundhog Day around here lately?

Everyday, I wake up, I pack, I eat, I don’t exercise, and then I wake up and do it all over again the next day.

I’m about to go all Bill Murray, and chuck my toaster in the tub!

Movers arrive at 8am tomorrow morning, so the end is near.

I’m taking a little packing break, to show you a little gem I found.

But no break is complete without a snack.

A diet coke and a chocolate crispy rice bar, modeled by Samuel, who is the only living creature here that doesn't seem to be least bit concerned by the chaotic state of the house. In fact, it’s kind of like kitty heaven around here these days with a million boxes everywhere.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing good about packing… except for having the chance to go throw “stuff”.

I happened to find this picture of myself, looking very low class in those hideously dirty jogging pants. And that top? What the hell was my Mom thinking? My guess is that my Dad dressed me that day. Here’s hoping.

Here’s the part I loved:

I can’t remember how old I was, but my Mom sent me this picture in my lunch box on one of my birthday’s.

I had completely forgotten about this until I saw it yesterday. Made me smile… and then cry…. because that’s what I do these days. Cry, cry, cry.

Anyhoo, I best get back to the grind. Ciao!

Moving hell

Moving kinda sucks eh? I remember packing being much easier when it was just an apartment….. packing up an entire house is a lot of work eh? Frig.

All the plates are packed, so my meals have looked like this: Veggie sub on whole wheat, lettuce, tomato, cucs, green pepper with one line of ranch and one line of hot sauce. The meat at Subway scares me to death, so I stick to the veggie.

 

Jersey is in a serious depression. She knows something is up, and she’s not liking it AT ALL. This morning I took her for a swim (swimming cures doggies depression) and then to the pet store for her to pick out a bone to keep her occupied whilst her parents are packing.

I was looking at bones, and she was rummaging through a bin of toys. I wasn’t really paying attention to her, and then look what she found!

A new Lambchops!! It was so frickin’ cute it made my heart hurt.

She’s still not smiling, but at least she’s got good company!

Here’s what I was doing on this day back in 1993.

I don’t remember a lot about that day, but I do remember I felt pretty cool wearing high-heels for the first time.

Happy Anniversary to my cousin Debi and her husband Gavin.

Back to packing I go. Save me, please.

The true north, strong and free

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians.

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I absolutely LOVE Canada Day.

It’s awesome living in Ottawa on any given day, but especially on Canada Day. It’s incredibly patriotic. There are flags everywhere, and the streets are filled with people sporting their red and white clothing.

This year is kind of special for Ottawa because Wills and Kate are here on their first official visit. Kind of exciting no?

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I usually would be all over the attempt to catch a glimpse, however, as lame as this sounds… I just couldn’t be bothered dealing with all the chaos. Parking, crowds, streets closures just aren’t my thing anymore.

Usually this day is spent with family and friends. However, between us moving, people working, and my sick Nanny, no one has plans. This makes me kind of sad.

How do I plan to spend my day? A little run, figuring out how to use the self cleaning option on my oven, packing, cleaning, and laundry.

Patriotic, no?

I shall leave you with a glimpse of Canada Day’s past…. you know when I actually had FUN and didn’t sit at home all day being a gramma.

(my Dad wears NYY shirts on Canada Day)

 

Have a safe and wonderful holiday my friends.