Hips Don't Lie

Since the Spring of last year, I have been following a fairly strict workout schedule and eventually added calorie counting to my regimen in just the past couple of months. The combination of both has worked wonders for me, and I am pleased with the results so far. I still have a little more work to do in order to reach my goal weight, but what has satisfied me even more include my increased energy level, a healthier feeling me, and just an overall feeling of accomplishment.

Six days a week I subject myself to no less than 40 minutes of cardiovascular activity a day, weight training, and then an abdominal routine to top it all off. I purposely diversify the cardio, sticking to running and interval training as my fundamental exercise, but I also take advantage of the spin class offered at the gym and occasionally hop on the elliptical or stationary bike for an extended workout a couple of times a week. The weight training portion of my workout alternates daily: some days I focus on my upper half, while other days I concentrate on the lower body. Too bad abdominal training hasn't become easier yet. Sit-ups, crunches, pilates, and the like have strengthened those muscles, but I am still a long way from ever achieving a six-pack. Not I really want to go that far, but if I ever do, that would be a plus. Perhaps giving up beer might help? I'm not sure I'm ready for that, so I'll just take one step at a time.

In the past couple of weeks, I've moved my running routine from the treadmill to running strictly on the track. The great thing about that is that in doing so, I've improved my pace and found my running stride. However, it appears that the surface change has put a bit of strain on my 30-something year old bod, so this week I find myself having to recover from the aches of muscle soreness and such as if I've started running for the first time. Treadmill running is far easier than outdoor or track running, and as a result of my ambition, I've thrown my back out of kilter. Has that stopped me from continuing to work out every day? Nope. My mind is inherently sadistic, and additionally because of my high tolerance for pain, sometimes what I perceive as only slight pain is really more serious. Consequently, this has been cause for problems for me in the past.

Perhaps the most traumatic injury of my young life happened to me when I was in the 8th grade. At the time, I was a member of the senior volleyball team, and we had just claimed victory over our primary adversary in some middle school league tournament. From what I recall, I was sore from the constant activity of that weekend. My lower back was causing me some discomfort, but it wasn't excruciating enough for me to stop anything I was doing. I figured the pain would eventually dissipate, which it did, but not without freaking me out first.

The Sunday following our tourney, I woke up feeling strangely stiff. I managed to get out of bed and decided to get out of my pajamas and into some regular clothes. As I struggled to bend down to put on socks, I heard and felt a loud snap, then fell to the floor. My vision blurred all of a sudden and a wave of nausea swept over me. The pain in my lower back that followed could only be described as unbearable, and I made a torturous attempt to get back on my feet, but could not do so. My immediate thought was that I was paralyzed.

Eventually my sister entered my bedroom to find me writhing in pain on the floor and immediately summoned my parents for help. I explained to them what had happened and that I could not walk nor stand up for that matter. My dad then called 911, and within several minutes an ambulance showed up. The paramedics had me retell the incident while checking my vitals and whether I had any sensation in my feet and legs. Everyone seemed relieved when I said that I did feel the EMT's tapping on my knees and feet, but still unable to stand, it was clear that I needed to be examined by a doctor. I was carefully transferred on to a gurney and loaded into the ambulance.

That was the only time in my life that I've ever had to ride in an ambulance (knocking on wood). I really don't remember much, except that the EMT who sat with me in the back talked the whole way. Maybe she was trying to keep me awake, just in case there was an undetected injury they did not know of. In any case, I remember how much I wanted to close my eyes and relax. Lying there staring at the ceiling of the ambulance did not relieve the aching in my back, and after the commotion of the morning with that emergency medical team crammed into my bedroom asking me a couple dozen questions, all I wanted was a few moments of peace. At least the ride to the hospital was brief, and luckily, the wait in the ER was short, too.

The physician who examined me was a grouchy, young man. His bedside manner was not his strong point, and my mom gave him grief for his lack of consideration. For some reason I remember his hideous bowl hair cut, but I was indifferent to his attitude as I spent the entirety in the examination room crying in agony. The ultimate diagnosis was a lower lumbar sprain which may have been a result of my carelessness in weight training topped off by the exertion of volleyball practice and tournament. I was sent home after the grumpy doc forced me to my feet for an injection of pain relief, slowly wobbling out of the hospital with a prescription for some potent painkillers in hand. Almost instantly of the shot, the pain finally started to fade out, and I was like David after the dentist that first day of medication.

Sadly, I experienced a similar situation last year after overexerting myself at the gym. There is a reason that trainers say "Moderation is key." I think I missed a couple of days from work, but got a sweet prescription for some heavy analgesics from another ER doc - this time he was a kind, handsome Middle Eastern fellow who chuckled at my joke about feeling like a granny without her walker. That recent experience was less traumatic, but taught me a lesson in listening to the clues from my body. Besides, I'm no longer a spring chicken!

As a result of my experiences, this week's aches shall not be ignored. Despite my current fitness obsession, I don't want to be out of commission for weeks. My hips are feeling out of whack, so at the advice of friends, I'm going to visit the chiropractor to see if a realignment is in order. I wouldn't mind a prescription either for some medication if it's needed, but what is important for me at this point is just to get back on the exercise track. I know I will shortly, but what this body needs is an adequate break from my regular activity, and that's what it's going to get!

It Was a Good, Productive Thursday

After work Thursday I had about 2 hours to kill before hitting Beer & Blog at the Frog (hey, that rhymes!), so I decided to forgo the gym and stop by the Fashion Show Mall for a quick shopping trip. For those of you who don't yet know, I am a self-proclaimed shop-a-holic, and so the idea of a "quick shopping trip" being about an hour gave me some (false) sense of control. On a sidenote, I have easily spent hundreds of dollars in 30 minutes at this mall of malls in the past. Not surprisingly, this trip was no exception. I entered with an explicit list of things to buy, none of which I exited with. Instead, I bought more new clothes - a new dressy top and a sexy, little pencil skirt, to be exact. To my credit, I would have tried on/bought more had it not been for the time constraint. Time simply flies when you're in a dressing room with a dozen or so outfits.

Anyway, on to Beer & Blog: Thursday was another fun-filled night at the Freakin' Frog. I've taken a liking to Warsteiner Premium Oktoberfest, a seasonal brew, despite the fact that Shiner Bock has been on tap for the past few weeks. I figured that I might as well drink up on the Warsteiner while its around. With my pint in hand, I made the customary rounds to chat it up (and take photos) with some of the other attendees.

About a month ago at BnB, I had met Hurricane Mikey, and he instantly became one of my favorite people. Mikey made an appearance at this week's social, too, so I made sure that I had some sit-down time with him since I don't see him often. Being the talented blogger he is, Mikey has taught me a bit from his own experiences. When we first met, he shared how he started blogging on a forum where people wrote about their Vegas travels. He lived in Arizona at the time, and took frequent trips to Las Vegas, and subsequently posted detailed entries about his adventures here. When he decided to branch out to his own blog, readers of that forum followed him to his site, and he ultimately built a loyal readership over a period of years. If you've read Hurricane Mikey's blog, you'll agree that he's witty and highly entertaining. He's pretty hip, too, if you ask me - and just as fun in person.

By my third pint, I was finally ready to sit, and Mikey was ready to have a talk with me, blogger to blogger. He prefaced the conversation by saying he had some constructive criticism to offer. Linda Lou, who was at the table with us, groaned a bit and gestured nervously at the introduction of this "constructive criticism." I laughed at Linda's reaction, primarily because I found it ironic that an accomplished writer such as herself would appear to have anxiety about criticism, and I was completely naive about what could potentially be said about my work. Nevertheless, I welcomed whatever input Mikey had to offer and braced myself for some serious examination. Besides, we were at Beer & Blog, and it was only appropriate that we discuss our blogs. Furthermore, I wanted to hear what someone else had to say about my work, a relative stranger, someone who didn't know much about me except through this channel of communication and a couple of in-person interactions.

As it turns out, Mikey enjoys my blog, but got the distinct feeling that I tend to hold back. He pointed out that I typically have a strong, engaging start, but often finish abruptly, and my posts are all just about the same length. I openly admitted that I am a wordy person, I love to write and especially be descriptive, but also feel it is important to be concise. Mikey encouraged me to just let go, and embrace my wordiness. It was then he dubbed me "Adjective Girl, a superhero with a gravity problem!" Hey, it was funny and completely suitable for the moment - how could I not take on such a title?!

So I took Mikey's advice, and went back to some of my previous posts to assess whether or not I could have developed my tales a little more. For the most part, each post was an abridged version of what I could have potentially wrote, had I not felt pressed for time or been just plain lazy. After some thought, what I ultimately concluded is that there are also some things that I prefer not to write, particularly if they reveal my innermost feelings or are details that seem insignificant in my mind, which seems like acceptable compromise for a blog. As a result, however, I'm feeling somewhat challenged, and of course that means I am totally game for giving the wordier me a try. This may just be opening up a whole new can of worms...

The Woes of a Vegas Commuter

Las Vegas used to be a city where it only would take 15 to 20 minutes to get to your destination from wherever you were. No such luck these days. In fact, driving from one end of town to the other is a trek in itself that most prefer to avoid. I should know. My house is in the Northwest end of Vegas, so far northwest that it takes only 20 or so minutes to reach Mt. Charleston, where the local ski resort is located. Vegas locals often refer to the Northwest neighborhood as "Southern Utah," or the even more popular "BFE."

Yes, I live there.

Just to give you all a little more perspective, I reside 25 miles away from my place of employment. The majority of days, I'm on the road an average of 55 minutes - one way. Aside from driving during rush hour, what complicates my route is that I must travel the worst two highways running through this city that are easily the most travelled by visitors and locals alike. Both freeways are poorly engineered, ill-planned considering the rate of growth in the past decade, and riddled with long-term construction obstacles. In fact, for as long as I've lived here, I can't remember a time when neither highway did not have some construction project going on.

Yes, I drive this.

Sure, I've spent some time trying to find effective detours on surface streets which have temporarily helped alleviate the anxiety of dealing with the highway traffic, but the drive time is just as long, if not longer. The trade-off is just as agonizing. The truth of the matter is, it's a lose-lose situation for me that I have come to accept (someone call the friggin' waaaaambulance). I think of other major metropolitan cities that have it far worse: my boss used to commute to work in Atlanta upwards of 4 hours everyday, round-trip; Southern California roads are perpetually plagued by traffic; and from what I hear, traffic congestion in the North East puts West Coast traffic to shame. Considering all this, my grumbling and self-pity for what I deal with on a daily basis is unfounded. However, there are days when commuting takes its evil toll on me, and I spend all day being grouchy, like today.

Yes, I hate it.

No Horsing Around Here

Since being sick the past couple of days, I've spent hours in bed catching up on the tube. Prior to, there hasn't been much time for me to watch TV. In fact, the majority of the time that I'm parked in front of a television, I'm strumming on the guitar or I'm online. The nice thing about being ill is that the immobility keeps me from attempting to multitask; I've been able to focus on one thing at a time. This means that lying in bed catching up on my favorite shows means that I'm doing just that. At this moment, I'm blogging in silence, with nothing but the throbbing of my pained head in my ears.

Back to my bed-ridden TV watching: I've discovered a new show to add to my list of favorites. It's called "Jockeys," a new reality show on Animal Planet. Now I'm not a fan of reality TV, but this series grabbed my attention immediately. The show revolves around - you guessed it - jockeys, specifically a group considered to be comprised of the world's best, based in the Santa Anita racetrack in California. Like everyone else on this Earth, these jockeys go through their own personal and professional dramas, as they all struggle to come up on top of their game in the horse-racing realm.

I called my dad as soon as I stumbled upon this show. Not surprisingly, he already knew about the series. As far back into my childhood as I remember, Dad has been a racing aficionado, and still is to this day. We used to spend days and some weekends hanging out at Golden Gate Fields or Bay Meadows racetracks in California. From those memories, I can recall what seemed like forever between races, the strange olfactory mixture of cigarettes, wet turf, and grass; the excitement that arose with each race, and the collective roar and surge of emotion from the crowd as the horses and their riders appeared from around the bend and raced the final leg to the finish line. It's really an exhilarating sport.

Lucky for my dad, I suggested we take a trip out to Santa Anita one of these weekends, for old time's sake. As a child, I didn't care for the races, but now am intrigued by the sport. Dad and I agreed that the visit to Santa Anita would be fun to see our favorite jockeys in the flesh. A little high-stakes bet here and there wouldn't hurt the fun either. In the meantime, we at least have the show to satisfy our fancy for the races.

Silly Cupid, Valentine's Ain't For Everybody

Ten Reasons Why I'm Not a Fan of St. Valentine's Day:

10. I believe in the scientific reasons for attraction. A cherub with wings armed with a bow and arrow is absolutely absurd to me. Cute, but absurd.

9. Love should be shared and celebrated every day, not have a spotlight shined upon it on a date shared with the burial of a Roman martyr.

8. Valentine's Day is a day fabricated for commercial purposes. Americans are estimated to spend close to $30 billion for Valentine's Day this year. How about pooling that money together for a greater cause, people?

7. Everyone will be out on a date on February 14th, making it impossible to eat and find entertainment on a whim.

6. Couples married on Valentine's Day share their wedding anniversary with millions of others.

5. Grooms and their brides all swarm to wed in Las Vegas on this day, thus creating tons of traffic for the rest of us.

4. Think about all of the calories in a box of chocolates!

3. The letters VD stand for venereal disease. No thanks!

2. Roses die.

1. Why spend money on a Valentine's Day greeting card when you can just blog about your love for someone?

Some Curious Facts About Yours Truly

Some of the following is weird, some interesting, and the rest is just silly. Yes, I recently got caught up in the recent Facebook craze: 25 Random Things About Me. Composing this inventory was like throwing various objects into a tank, then skimming off whatever floated to the top - 25 of which made the list. As you can imagine, this only scratches the surface of who I am. Had I given more thought to this list, I think I would have come up with a far more entertaining group of items. But then again, that just yields another open opportunity to generate a fresh list of random things for you all to read at a later time. Have I mentioned that I like lists? Well, now you know (for the count, that makes 26).

Without further ado, here are 25 random things about 408Down, Installment #1:

1. I appreciate the poetry and glory of a beautiful sunrise. Sunsets are pretty too. I take a lot of pictures of both - sometimes while driving. To the left here is a shot I captured recently on my way to work. Sights like this one often make the long commute less painful in the morning.

2. When I was a kid, I would often dance around the house imagining I was in the TV series "Fame."

3. Speaking of dancing, my childhood dance crew was called "4-D Posse." We were comprised of 4 females, each bringing our own dimension of dance to our group, hence "4-D." The "D" apparently had another meaning: we were devastating dames. Gosh, we were corny.

4. I used to have a serious aversion to cilantro because it tasted like soap to me. My tastebuds have changed as an adult apparently, because now I love it on practically everything.

5. When my mom was pregnant with my sister, she asked 5-year old me what she should name the new baby. A few of my classmates in kindergarten at the time shared the same name, which I liked, therefore I suggested the name Jennifer. These days we call my sis Jen for short.

6. Chinese food is my favorite of all foods, especially noodle dishes.

7. I love the sound of guitar music, particularly classic Blues tunes, which one of the primary reasons I own a Fender acoustic.

8. My astrological sign is Leo, and I was born in the year of the Snake. I've been told that I fit both characteristically, and I like to deny it.

9. When I am deep in thought, I have a habit of simultaneously rubbing my lower lip.

10. I was a heavy smoker from the time I was 18 years old until I decided to quit in 2004. I always knew that smoking was detrimental to my health, but my ultimate reason for cessation was purely vain: it was affecting the color of my teeth.

11. I currently own approximately 75 pairs of shoes, only a dozen of which I have rotated wearing over the past year. There are about a half dozen that haven't been worn at all.

12. As an infant, I was baptized a Catholic, but now consider myself an Agnostic. My mother would kill me if she ever read this.

13. When it comes to alcoholic beverages, I prefer beers. I like those of the lighter persuasion, but I've dabbled with some darker ales.

14. I've lived in Las Vegas now for 15 years, which by some definitions, makes me a native. I beg to differ. I was born and raised in California, and still refer to myself as a Californian.

15. The last thing that I clean during every shower is my navel. I like to think I have the cleanest bellybutton west of the Mississippi. I have no idea who might have the cleanest innie east of the Mississippi, so I'll just trust my instincts on this one.

16. Two books on my nightstand: I'm halfway through Artie Lange's "Too Fat to Fish." Warren Ellis' "Crooked Little Vein" is a new book I just borrowed from a friend, which I have yet to crack open.

17. Tiesto's Club Life Podcast #17 is my iPod track of choice for runs 30 minutes or longer. My short runs are accompanied by the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Fuel, or Marilyn Manson.

18. My declared major when I started college was Biology, which turned out to be intensely rigorous coursework. I ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business with an emphasis on Management. I have no qualms about my professional career thus far, but occasionally wonder where I'd be if I stuck out my original plan.

19. My favorite sushi rolls contain tuna, cream cheese, anything tempura, or a combination of these ingredients.

20. I spent the entirety of my 20's in a relationship (and was happy to start my 30's with a clean slate).

21. I enjoy dressing up and prefer to be clad in dressy attire as opposed to casual wear. I'd choose heels over sneakers any day.

22. If money was not a factor and I had an opportunity to take on a job of my choosing, I would elect to do conservationist/ecotourism work.

23. My first dog's name was Tootsie. If I ever decide to get another dog, I'd likely adopt a little dog and give it a big, commanding name, like Captain Xavier P. Constantinople. I'd probably just call it Cap for short.

24. The furthest east I've ever traveled in the U.S. is Chicago. One of these days I'm gonna make it to the Big Apple.

25. My absolute favorite sound in the whole world is laughter. I enjoy laughing, and do it a lot, but the uproarious sound of laughter from the people in my life that I care about the most is what brings me joy.

Do Something Nice This Week: It's N.R.A.K.W.!

A friendly email from the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada today reminded me that February 9 through 15 is National Random Acts of Kindness Week. Whether you are a local or live elsewhere, there is opportunity for you to spread kindness and generosity in your communities in your own way.

Here are some nice recommendations to do your part, courtesy of VCSN:

1. Write a thank you note to someone who as impacted your life positively

2. Feed someone in need: give your sack lunch to a homeless person

3. Donate blood to a local blood bank

4. Help your neighbor with household chores or yard work

5. Hold a food or supplies drive at work or school and donate the goods to a charity in need

6. Say something nice to everyone you encounter for one day

7. Give of your time: read to a child

8. Donate your gently used coats or clothes to a shelter

9. Plant a tree in your community

10. Volunteer your time to any cause that interests you.

P.S. Local Tweeple and bloggers: This Thursday, February 12th, Las Vegas Twestival 2009 will take place at The Beatles Revolution Lounge at the Mirage Resort. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity: water projects. It's a chance to network locally while helping out globally!

My Memory's Rendition of Gray

We've had a wet weekend here in Las Vegas. Rain poured non-stop all day Saturday, and rain clouds were scattered across the valley throughout Sunday. My neighborhood in the Northwest collected 0.30 inches, which is a significant amount for the desert valley. There were even reports of flooding in some areas. It appears that Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of six more weeks of winter may be fairly accurate. For most, this is cold and intolerable weather, but for me I really don't mind it. In fact, despite my endless desire to be on a tropical beach, the cool, damp cloudy weather is somewhat nostalgic, reminding me of San Francisco.

Mornings in the Bay almost always start under a blanket of gray, with just the peaks of skyscrapers and bridges poking out from under the fog. The air is an eerily calm and quiet mist. What is great about this image is that by late morning, the fog lifts to reveal a bustling, beautiful metropolis that is in full motion by this part of the day. The transition of post-rain desert isn't as idyllic as this, but it paints its own picture of tranquility nevertheless. In either case, both are impressions that I have delicately framed in my mind that I am sure I will again revisit on another gray day.

Image from SFBAYIMAGES.com

Facebook Turns 5

Back in June 2008 is when I joined Facebook, and didn't really get into it until the past few months. My FB logins far surpass my MySpace visits now simply because it seems to require less maintenance on my part, allows me to maintain a desired level of privacy, and lends itself to users' individuality without the obnoxiousness you see on MySpace. Facebook has arguably become known as the MySpace for the more mature generation. In any case, it serves us well in keeping people connected and even bridges us with people from our past.

I had no idea that Facebook has been around for 5 years now. MySpace had been dominating the social networking sector for the everyday American since 2006, until it was surpassed by FB in 2008 as the most popular social networking site internationally. Not a bad accomplishment for a networking tool that originally linked Ivy League students exclusively.

Happy Birthday, Facebook! If it were possible, I'd SuperPoke you right now and throw some birthday cake your way. At least in the virtual world of Facebook, that is possible.

A (Somewhat) Brief Word About My iPhone Obsession

Just a couple of days following my prior post that described my frustration with my old Razr, I took a leap and bought an iPhone 3G. First impression? The iPhone is the bee's knees. In fact, by day 2 I was hooked.

Transitioning from my antiquated phone to the more advanced one took some time, but I finally got the hang of things. I totally appreciate the touchscreen and easy interface, but most of all I love the options that the iPhone applications bring. Installing TwitterFon and Facebook first were my top priorities. Soon after I added Pandora to satisfy my music requirements, followed shortly thereafter by the Weather Channel app and USA Today because I like being in the know. Shazam is handy for those moments when a great song comes on the radio, and I want to know who sings it so I can buy it on iTunes later.

My newest app obsession is Lose It!, a free weight loss tool application. With it, I am able to log my exercise and calories burned along with my caloric intake by meal. Furthermore, it allows me to track my weight loss and gives me a preview of when I could potentially reach my goal weight based on my eating and exercise regimen. It's definitely my favorite app at this point in time!

So back to my general affinity for my iPhone: it's my alarm, my appointment keeper, my note-taker, my weatherman, my web connection, my portable entertainment (It even distracted me for an extended period of time during the Superbowl!). You get the picture. I don't know how I've gone this long without it!