thankful

it's been a while since i last posted. things have been a bit rough, joint-wise. apparently after girls' night out (sushi! wine! dresses!) the ol' arthritis started kickin' in. or rather beating me to a pulp. and my next infusion isn't until wednesday, but i'm getting by with the medication from the gp & it seems to at least let me get around without shrieking at my every step.
anyroad, this is a post in honour of thanksgiving. i was lucky enough to spend my second year at the 'in-laws'. weeks ago i offered to bring sweet potatoes because it's one of my must-haves at both christmas & thanksgiving. last year, i was thwarted as they only had a basket of baked yams on the table. so i rounded up a recipe from the pioneer woman that went over like hotcakes. pecan-crusted sweet potatoes. in fact, i got so much attention that it made me blush. and that was just my first attempt at the recipe. guess it'll have to become a regular feature & i can even make it for my fam (except dad) at christmas.
hope you & yours had a wonderful thanksgiving. i've so much to be thankful for: steady job, great benefits, fantastic friends, amazing family & 'in-laws' & last but not least, s.
now i'm going to avoid anything to do with consumerism & retail that is black friday.

post-vote high

even though i voted over a month ago, and most of yesterday felt anti-climactic, i am one happy camper. i know that this won't unify people right away, but i am ever hopeful that obama can bring about the change that needs to come in this country.
discussing with a close friend of mine, she's heard people at the college where she works say things about how now 'the white folks will know how it feels' since we have a black president & 'we' are finally in power. i'd just like to post her response:

"I just wish people would see that this man has the potential to make America hopeful, to make us a country that believes in ourselves.

I would love to explain that this is a man who is America. Someone who is multiracial, who overcame large obstacles, and someone who became the most powerful individual in the world in four short years. I want to tell these students he won because his vision moved a country, he made Americans take pride in their nation, in their rights. He’s created a feeling of hope that hasn’t been around since the Kennedy era.

I also want to tell them he has a difficult job. His job is going to be harder than anyone’s in the world. He is taking charge of a country that is economically defunct, a country that is selfish, a country that has made political decisions the whole world disapproves of, a country that needs to fix itself for all of its citizens. I don’t envy his job."

she's so smart. that's why we're friends.

noodle arms

yesterday i finally decided to start the one hundred push-up challenge. i'd read about it a couple months ago, but that was when i was feeling like dirt and could barely move when i got home from work.
you begin by testing your fitness level, so you know where to start and i managed to do 20 push-ups before my arms gave out. yay! that means i start at level 3 and you only have to do the program 3 days a week for six weeks and you should be able to do 100 by the end of that time. this is good on numerous levels, besides toning your upper body, arms and core, as i understand it, your bone density is improved by doing push-ups. this is especially beneficial to women who may be experiencing bone loss due to a deficiency in calcium.
my problem is that i decided to overdo it. a few hours after i tested myself on the push-ups i went ahead and did my regular, piddly little tv workout, which includes doing some arm work with my 5lb weights. only about 15-20 minutes total, but by the time i went to bed i could feel the pain in my arms. oh yeah, i can barely move my shoulders and elbows today without cringing. guess that tells me it's about time i get in shape. i do have to wear another strapless bridesmaid's dress next year. why not start now?

pleasant surprise

i ran to the grocery store just now to pick up a few things. busy parking lot, but not shocking. when i walked in i found them giving away little tasting glasses & wine merchants were scattered throughout the store along with samples from the store's catering department (sushi, chinese, tortilla roll-ups, chicken wings, chocolate fountain!). yum! that is a sample day i can get behind.
now i'm going to eat half an avocado for dinner.