Thursday, September 18, 2008

Uninhibited TV time *Warning, don't try this at home*

I watched the Biggest Loser Tuesday night for the first time. I've been watching a lot of shows for the first time considering my new home in Tenleytown is the first time I've had working cable since college.

I can't say I didn't technically own a TV, because a well-meaning friend actually brought me over a chunky, heavy TV, misunderstanding that by "I don't have a TV" I meant the service--nor did I have any intention of purchasing it.I had this big box TV just sitting on the floor for awhile. Then in a large house in Little Havana that Alyssa and I shared in the glorious summer of 2006, we created a poster TV-- set perpetually to the weather channel. It was a fair assessment to put the temperature at 99 degrees, 100% humidity, with a 30% chance of afternoon t-storms for a Miami summer.

So ya I've gotten into some ridiculous reality TV in the past 2 weeks. I'm counting on you to judge me and mock me publicly so I stop.
  • I'm addicted to Project Runway. I think it's ridiculous and I don't even like Heidi Klum-- I much prefer America's Next Top Model and think Tyra is a much better role model-- but Project Runway is always on!
  • The Hills. I'm embarrassed about this one. Certainly the fault of my roomies. Come to think of it, Project Runway was their fault too.
  • House - which I knew I liked- but they have these marathons which are so addicting.

And now there's the fall line-up.
  • Heroes. Can Monday night 8pm/est NBC come any quicker please?! Bethany got me hooked via DVD of this little show- now I can't stop.
  • Dancing with the Stars. I heart all dancing shows and movies. Yup, even "bring it on"
  • The Office. This is the big one... That's what she said.
  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Just saw the first 2 episodes Thursday night- I got into this one when my friend Mayur and I spent a few Sundays lounging around watching netflix dvd's of this racy fx show.
  • ER final season! Sure I've fallen off the ER crowd for a few years, but my mom still religiously DVRs them for me in case I ever come home.

Back to the Biggest Loser.
I was inspired.
And horrified.
And eating dinner. A frozen Indian pretty healthy dinner at that. But I could barely get it all down.

I started leg lifts on the couch out of fear that I'm on the path to be a contestant. I have gained 40 pounds in the past 4 years. I decided on the spot I had to start working out seriously again.

But I had a problem.









Yes, in the form of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Let's not discuss why I had said cheesecake- but at least I had leftovers to bring home. Now it stood in my way to starting a new healthy beginning.

I finished watching the Biggest Loser seeing dozens of pounds lost- melting off- it was incredible. I went to bed and thought I'd wake up early to work out.

Instead - when I went to make my lunch the next morning, the 30th Anniversary cheesecake stared back....and won that contest. I devoured the rest of the cheesecake with finger licking finesse until not even the dollop of whip cream was left standing. shame.

Yet, I overcame that cheesecake slice and have worked out 3 times since Wednesday- incorporating yoga, crunches, and yes, even jogging around my new neighborhood into my life.

So here's to being inspired and working out- even if the occasional chocolately battle is lost at Hello Cupcake! or Tangy Sweet.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

All the news I need...

I wanted to update but simply don't have the mental energy to write anything meaningful about Palin's ridiculosity, McCain's lies, or one way you can help Obama get in the White House.

So I thought I'd chat about the weather. (You know, the most important news of the day. You know you care about it, don't lie.)

Before you even leave the house you can check out Umbrella Today?
You can even receive mobile updates-- I haven't tried that feature yet, but I like the no fuss nature of this site. There's no "20% chance of light rain from the north west if that low pressure system moves in at about 5mph" talk. No, no, no! You get a straightforward answer, which is refreshing.

With all the hurricanes churning in the Atlantic I've found it necessary to keep up with the updates put out by NOAA. But you don't just have to check out the National Hurricane Center site- there are some more aesthetic tools out there.

Check it.

NHC

While classic is always in style, sometimes it's good to freshen up your look a bit too. This site has zero user functionality- you can't even zoom. Sure there are plenty of other choices such as looking at the 3 and 5-day path, the wind speed probability range, and the wind history....but it's just lacking that hip- "I'm Joe Cantore currently surfing the northern eye wall" pizzazz.



Weather Underground

Dr. Jeff Master's Wunder Blog is a true blog- complete with satellite images and photos with detailed descriptions about his take on the different reports coming in--though I still get the feeling that I'm just taking my local weatherman's word for it-- and again-- no cool features.




Stormpulse

Now this is what I'm talking about. Stormpulse is an interactive page where you can click to see the storm's progression, chart how many miles it is away from your city of choice, read up on the latest National Hurricane Center advisories, and is a complete warehouse for news, satellite imagery, and even this year's storm names! (ooooooh!) Only downside is this little disclaimer "Stormpulse.com is not an official weather source; it should not be your sole source for official advisories, discussions, watches, or warnings."

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

LA gas prices. ouch.

utterz-image
Just had to record that the LA Avg Price (according to Enterprise) is $4.23. yikes!!! Good thing this is a work trip.

Mobile post sent by tanyalias using Utterz. reply-count Replies.

LAX airport service workers on strike!

utterz-image
This is from last week- workers are headed back to bargaining now, but they definitely made a big splah on labor day weekend.

Mobile post sent by tanyalias using Utterzreply-count Replies.