To Infinity, And Beyond! 2011 In Review

What better way to kickoff the new year than with an awesome new set of goals?! Well, first let's review how epically fantastic 2011 went for me...

It's been quite a while since I've posted... Rest assured I haven't deterred from the goals I set up for myself; I've just been too busy MAKING IT HAPPEN. Kicking ass, taking names, dropping pounds, and becoming a certified badass!

The greatness of this year kicked-off officially when I became a staff employee for one of the largest entertainment media sites on the Internet. Along with that came real health benefits, an awesome salary and the roots of my career firmly planted in the ground. I worked my ass off for 1 1/2 years and the fruits of my labor finally paid off. I'm a member of the cool kids club. "Look ma! I'm a real person now!" Greatest. Day. Ever.

Next comes my overzealous commitment to better health, fitness and weight loss. I've spent no less than five days a week in the gym, pumping iron and beating the crap out of my body for the better good of humanity. Squatting has become my religion and Chin-Ups my lord and savior. On the weekends I pray to the beat of my sneakers landing on asphalt... left, right, left, right, repeat. AND I LOVE IT. I feel like superwoman. I've discovered that I really do have biceps, and my ass has never looked better. I'll even shamelessly admit that I often catch myself checking out that afforementioned ass in the mirror quite often. Oh, and I FIT INTO MY OLD CLOTHES. What a glorious day that was, throwing myself a little fashion show in the bedroom.

My official weight-loss of 2011 was a resounding 35 pounds. Do you know how much that is?! Well, four gallons of water weigh 30lbs. Imagine carrying around four gallons of water with you, everywhere you go. Now put those imaginary jugs down. Thats how it feels to lose that much weight. Fucking fantastic. I've set my sights on losing another 15lbs by Memorial Day. And I'll damn well do it.

So... I also did this cool little thing called QUITTING SMOKING. Aww yeahhhhh! My stop date was September 18th, so I'm working on my fourth month tobacco-free. I didn't take the cold turkey route (call me a pussy if you like, I don't care), but instead weened myself off using the electronic cigarette. It's a godsend and I highly recommend every smoker out there try it. My favorite vendor is Vapor4Life (www.v4l.com) and they wrote the book on insanely amazing customer service. Do it, and thank me later.

Two other quick notes before I sign off:

-I successfully completed two 3-week stints without consuming any refined sugars. One from Halloween to Thanksgiving, and again from Decemeber 3rd through Christmas Eve. That meant no cake, no candy, no cupcakes, no cookies, nothing! The first round was intense, to say the least (detox, OMFG). Both drew awesome results and helped me curb my addiction to sugar. Sugar is a drug. Believe it.

-I also shot and edited this cool little audition video for a friend:



Look forward to my next post where I dive into THE BUCKET LIST!!

P.S. I plan to actually continue writing on this blog this year. I have lots of exciting things to share!

Hello, Sunshine!

I feel like I'm on top of the world today, and it only took three steps outside of my building to fill me with that joy. I love the sun. There's just something about it that makes me smile like a child on the last day of school. On my way to the train platform the sweet smell of spring runs through my nose and a cool breeze hugs my body. It finally feels like the overcast lull of winter is gone. Days will grow longer as the moon delays its rise, and my legs are pumped for a jog through the park.

I smile through the entire ride to work today, staring out the window at bright blue skies and glittering reflections on our lovely brown Jersey water. It doesn't matter though; the sparkling dance of sunlight overpowers the murky Newark bay and bounces from tall glass buildings. Trees are still bare and skeletal, but I imagine the colorful leaves they will soon birth. The air conditioner blasts its manufactured comfort at my face, and I can only crave the moment I get to step back into springtime glory.

I see so many cars drive by with their windows securely shut. I don't understand why people find it necessary to kick on the air conditioner on a day like this. They depend on this man-made air entirely too much. I wish I were in my car right now, windows down, sunroof open, and blasting the perfect summer soundtrack. I love a good drive on a beautiful day.

Well, the train is about to come to its final destination. I will thoroughly enjoy my walk to work today, sucking in as much joy as I can before I'm condemned to my desk indoors. But I have a beautiful view from my desk, so maybe it won't be all that bad. :-)