Cancun

Mango Spice - the cayenne pepper on the rim gave it an amazing kick

 In February I took a trip to Cancun.  My idiot self booked a flight with a layover resulting in a lot of wasted time, but I shouldn't complain because I was in paradise.  Cancun is a resort town nothing to do here unless you have money to burn, but I was so beautiful.

 You can walk far into the ocean, but always touch the floor.  The challenge was conquering powerful waves and rip tides. One of my buddies was struggling and the life guard almost jumped in.  He made it back and rested on the sand as if he had just battled a greek god.

My coworkers made fun of my for forcing so many group pictures.  But I took it as a thank you when this picture popped up in everyone's cube after the trip.

This elaborate dinner included lobster tail, an open bar, some steak and a very wedding like set up.  The hotel put up large walls of fabric to shield the area from the winds.  The ocean waves could still be heard.

 Then there was dancing - with a little alcohol in everyone's system and a desperate attempt at plugging in the stereo with a random iPod we got some Michael Jackson on the floor.  At that point, I learned and performed the thriller dance on the sand.  AH mazing.  Dream come true.

In shady downtown we took about 4 vans to dance into the night.  For $20 was got into club with an open bar.  Once again I forced a group picture.  And my punishment:  an inadvertent cigarette burn on my hand.  I guess that was my souvenir.

Party hard in a Mexican city.

Mani Pedi

Girls told me that I would LOVE getting a manicure and pedicure... they told me to prepare to be pampered.  But let me tell you that was pure torture.

How is a sharp piece of metal being scrapped into your nail supposed to be relaxing?  I was tense the entire time.  I wanted it to end.  I was about to tell my sadist that I would give them all of the secrets to the White House if they would stop.

Never again.

I also felt sorry for them - they were tasked to remove 27 years of built up foot boogers.  I felt bad because they were Vietnamese and they could have been my cousins.

I really didn't like it.  It was like visiting the dentist... for your feet.

Active March

Jimmy styled me.  Alexander Wang top.. Echo Park streets.

I'm running high on staying active.  Work events are keeping me busy on weekdays and birthdays, festivals, adventures and groupon is keeping me busy on weekends.  I am so much happier for it.

For work I've been networking and making friends which has helped my sales team.  At home I look at my things to do with people...   so when someone says, "we should get sushi sometime... " it actually happens.  I was amazing when I met someone for the first time... she said, "we live close, lets eat sometime!" and that weekend she called me for a meal.

So far:

• Visit Madeline and Nick in the OC
• Eat with Sunny and Maya
• Go to hole in the wall with Mackenzie and Blane
• Attend a Yelp! Elite event with John, Tommy, Steve
• Watch Rocky Horror and invite Brian
• Check out the Harry Potter Exhibit with Jeremiah
• Go to Circus/Catch 1 with Sean
• Red Lobster - Jimmy, Andrew
• Sizzler Night - Roomies

There's a couple more that I may have forgotten.

Soul Cycle

Powerful Fitness Women

With the help of my coworkers, I have attended two spin classes.

Not any spin class, but Soul Cycle.  Imagine yourself strapped to a stationary bicycle.  You are surrounded by women that seem to have their hair up in the same way and wearing the same sports bra. They are pumped.  They are about to burn 700 calories in 45 minutes.

Like bowling, you are required to rent special shoes.  But these shoes are made to attach to your back... so you can't escape.. you are literally connected to the bike petals.  You soul is plugged in.

The first class I took was with this amazing coach... she stated, "tonight you are not a mother, a wife, a girlfriend, a coworker... tonight you were an athlete!!!!"  With those words I felt my breast contract into my body. With only candle light and clubbing music I was on an adventure up virtual mountains as I discover self respects, forgiveness and pain.  It was like I was in a bubble bath of fitness and I brought my favorite vibrator.

To my delight the music of choice was hip hop.  We bounced in rhythm to Ice Cream Paint Job by Dorrough.  We simulated pushups against the handle bars.  We used 1lb weights to tone our arms.  We varied our speeds and pushed through each song with only a couple of minutes to recover.  People were woo-ing and I found myself woo-ing as I ignored the pain my knees, balls of my feet and calves that cramped.  At one point I was going to give up.  It hurts so much, but I was empowered by everyone around me.  The sweat was dripping from my face... any water I had was now on my skin.

The last song was to Heaven by Emeli Sande... I pushed and pushed to finish the program, the mass, the ceremony.  And I prepared myself for my body to crumble after everything has ended... but it didn't because of appropriate post work out stretches.  "Leave behind anything you want and take with you a stronger you."  I felt like I just accomplished something great.... like I found myself and kicked the balls of my aggressor.

I was a new me!

Then I went down the street for an oven brick pizza.  Yes.

by trpennington

by nicogreene

by pb_n_ti

January Recap

Stairs of Echo Park

After this month ends, we will have successfully completed the first quarter of 2013.  Here are a couple of things I did back in January.  I told myself that I would edit and enhance the pictures I take... as if I was a photographer, but I don't claim to be and my computer has finally run out of space.  So these are the RAW images of my fleeting moments baby.

New Years Eve was at a friends.  Lots of champagne and a round of reverse charades.  Oh there's Dab Ito dreaming about his next blog entry.

In January, I saw David's one man show with Sam.  My friends warned me about how one-man shows can get, but I was pleasantly surprised.  David shared his life - his Mexican American experience with many siblings, his encounter with a chicken that scarred his face, his admission to Yale.  I was captivated.  He had great comedic pause and I began to understand him better as a person.  It would be interesting to grab our closest friends and ask them to story tell... starting from birth and highlight pivotal moments.  Though I rarely talk to David, but I felt much more closer to him in a sense.

The production was held at Casa0101 which had great art displayed by Mexican Americans in the community.  I felt honored to be a part of it.

This beezy came to visit. Atlantic Seafood and Dim Sum is my new fav.  so cheap and in a new facility.

Stopped by Leanna Lin's Wonderland to check out Joey Chou's Bed Time Stories art gallery.  This place is cute and features a lot of trinkets you would find at fairs.

Found ourselves randomly at CatchOne - the black gay club in Pico Union.  Oh man that be some ratchet shiz.  They have a booty popping competition at midnight, but I think it was a slow Saturday.

Jimmy took me on a date to Pizzeria Mozza.  Our order took a while, so the chef gave us some bomb brussel sprouts.  While y'all nomming on your kale which sells out at all Trader Joes apparently, I'm going back to the 70's and loading up on some brussel sprouts.

We spent an afternoon at the California Science Center.  Where we saw some sharks and jelly fish.  Yay nature.

We were also inspired at the California Science Center to redo the Dream Girls Cover.

Burrata, Grana parmesan, rapini, garlic, extra virgin olive oil & prosciutto di Parma

Aaron stopped by to go to Rage.  This time I gave him a set of keys so he wouldn't have to sleep in his car in the cold.  Oops.  I'm a really good friend.  Mmm fancy breakfast at Bottega Louie which is the most reviewed place in Los Angeles with more than 5000 unsolicited opinions.

I'm starting to get to know Santa Monica more with a lot of client events happening there.  Stopped by Bungalow which has this outdoor indoor feel to it.  I hear there's a line to get in at night and not really anything to eat.  Or you can just hang out in someone's patio.  I'll wear a fake mustache and be your "mixologist" for the night.

Mmmm - found this handsome man in the alleys of the Arts district.  This area has a lot of charm.  Factory space mixed with lofts, restaurants ... like the meat packing district... sort of.  It started to rain and there was a romantic vibe in the poorly lit streets.

I discovered LA is burning which is a vogue night with competition.  Lots of fierce dancers, but definitely not the same as Paris is Burning which was a bit of a disappointment.  I guess in a time of dubstep we can't expect complete revival of movements past their prime.

There are a couple of videos that I'll post up... eventually but just imagine a lot of flailing arms.

Letting Myself Go

Letting myself go

I'm chuckling at myself for how clever I am.  Here is a picture of myself letting go of the rope as I fall into the rivers of Cancun...  but as you can see I'm also letting myself go in other ways.

Sometimes I worry that I have body dysmorphia.  That my disgust in myself is in my mind and that I'm actually in the best shape of my life.  But evidenced by the fact that you all have just vomited in your mouth after looking at this photo, I think I'm just.. out of shape.

I cant help but feel so very unattractive.

I had one month before Cancun to eat less and work out, I successfully lost about 7 pounds, but lordy I need to lose 7 more.  The flu seems to have been the most effective method.

I can't get myself to work out.  I have a problem, there's the solution, but why is it so hard?  Why does eating amazing foods correlate to having a chunky body?  And why does correcting that involve exercise?  What cruel a cruel joke.... a cruel first world joke I suppose.


These links were recently shared with me:

CNN Travel's World's 50 Most Delicious Food
Serious Eats' Top 10 Instant Noodles from Around the World
L.A. Weekly's 99 Essential Restaurants 2013
LA Times' 50 places to eat for $5 or less

ITS IMPOSSIBLE.  ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to go through those articles and not get fat by just reading them.  So now what?

I know, get fatter.  That's my answer because I love eating more than being naked.  Sweat pants... that's all that will fit me.

- Fat Amy, downward spiral commences

Pushing Yourself to Go Out

I wasn't big on Foursquare when it came out, but then I realized what I could use it for - documentation of interesting things and relevant i-was-here-moments.  No aspiration for mayorship or points... and I've conveniently linked it to my google calendar https://ifttt.com/ internet recipes.

But in order to document interesting things, I have to do interesting things which has been a bit of a challenge with my new commute and new body.  Driving sucks at my soul and I've calculated that I spend about 20 days a year in a car.  ALMOST A MONTH of sitting.

I almost missed a wonderful good bye party because of the distance and fatigue.  But I said to myself - JUST DO IT.

A pep talk.  That's what I need in order to make the effort.

My body is shit.  For the past two weeks, whenever I need to use the restroom I have terrible cramps fire to indicate that I need to find a toilet.  What happened to "i think i need to go."  Now it's like RUN!  THERE'S A SHIT TSUNAMI COMING.  Probiotics, I think I should start there.

Last night with Jimmy away, I hade no reason to come home.  So I had a 3 hour dinner with coworkers at Osteria Mozza talking about relationships.  My coworker told me that she promised herself that she would not let being tired, distance, time whatever keep her from going out; from living in an amazing city.

With that motto echoing in my mind.  I followed the group to Hollywood and Highland for a birthday party at the Roosevelt hotel.

I learned that most of the industry after parties have been happening at the Roosevelt Hotel - Library Bar and Pool:

by_jackipuzik

Lots of beautiful people who were about to pay 20+ for their valet and put drinks on a strangers tab to compensate.  I laid on the deck and looked upward and thought:  I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I was 23... should I go home?  NO.  My phone was at 1% and I quickly responded to Jimmy before it became useless.  Small talk shifted from automatic to unnatural.  It was 2AM and they invited for a burger at 25 Degrees.  I declined - That's a me and Jimmy thing.  That burger joint has been on our list!

I found my way back to the car and bundled up into my lonely bed.  I'm glad I went out, but now I need to remember the people I just met and do it over again... talking a lot, but never really getting to know them.