Goodbyes

I know I keep saying I have new places to blog about but I’m being serious. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. You know, with the whole packing up five years of my life here in college, saying bye to everyone, and moving back home to work full time for the rest of my life – it’s a lot for a girl to take.

Graduation? Check! Birthday? Check! Brother’s second graduation? Check! Packing my life up? Halfway check!

In a few days, I’m headed to Destin and New Olreans.

And remember my last post about no go to Hong Kong? Things have changed and I’ll be going there in July! Very excited. I haven’t seen my mum’s side of the family since 3rd grade!

Here’s a picture from my Spring Break road trip with the family. This was at Oklahoma. Balancing on that was tough.

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Jenny’s graduation is this Saturday. My brother, Tammy, and Billy will be coming in tonight along with Pluto and Krypto! Whoop! So excited … to see Pluto! Winking smile

Hong Kong Is A No Go

Currently sitting in the FTK room in the CPE. With Patricia and Jakob. We are studying and getting ready for finals. Finals week have started and we’re on a roll!

Tell me why it’s always easier to write a blog post then a paper. Make that two. I have to write two papers. Bleugh. And not to mention, a programming project. Let’s just say senioritis has hit me on the head and it won’t leave.

Tell me why I’m still sitting here after many hours even though I haven’t been productive. Actually I can tell myself that. It’s always nice to be some people’s company. Even when they are busy. It’s just nice to be in the same place with that person. Especially since once I graduate, I will be moving back home for my job. I want to stay with these people as much as I can.

Anyway, I got back to San Antonio Sunday and went to an Urgent Care Clinic. I was in too much pain that I couldn’t take it anymore. Still get sleepy at weird times, sore everywhere, headaches come and go, etc. etc. He said everything’s okay and that it’s normal but if it still continues, I would need to come back. Yucky! Let’s all hope that I won’t have to do so. I hate doctors.

My plans to go to Hong Kong for three weeks this summer is slowly dying. The prices are skyrocketing and there’s no way I can pay for that ticket to and from and pay for food. Not possible! So I’m in a sad mood. But it’s okay. I am now looking at a cruise or fly somewhere closer and cheaper with the mum and include the sissy in it. I’m excited. I hope this happens! Even if it’s not three weeks and only a few days, it’ll still be better than nothing.

Oh and the plans to go to Destin for a few days and New Orleans for one day on a road trip is seeming to be happening since the hotels are booked. No backing out. Excited. Just need to find a swimsuit I’m comfortable with. Right now I’m aiming for a halter one piece swimwear dress.

Graduation is in 5 days. I am no where near ready. Just need to get through these finals!

Everyone else that has finals coming up good luck! For those that are already out of school, have a good week!!

Sunshining

I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a long time. Since high school I felt like everything has been falling apart. But now that I’ve grown and found out that there are some amazing people around me and opened up to them, I feel happier. Everything is even going my way … mostly. And it’s just … great. So great that sometimes you know something horrible will happen … and it did.

I got into a car accident Wednesday night. Unexpectedly. It was all the other person’s fault and he admitted to it. Bumper to bumper. My car is perfectly fine … just a little scratch but my whole body feels like I’ve been hit by the car itself. Don’t worry. Plans to go to the doctor is tomorrow. Oh and I’m okay.

I drove to Katy this morning to make it to Nicole’s Bridal Shower. First real official bridal shower. All the other ones were just friends getting together and stuff. I love my girls and their family. It just feels right. I feel like I belong … finally.

Here is a plethora of pictures from these past few days. Enjoy.

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April 27, 2012
After an interview with a company in Houston, I went to go buy a present for the Bride-to-Be, Nicole. My face of, I don’t know how this works. There are too many things on the list. But I figured it out and it was kind of fun! (Oh and the interview? Let’s just say, I’ll be a grown up soon enough! Winking smile)

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April 29, 2012
Study hard for tests! Glad this will all be over soon!

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May 1, 2012
With Jakob and Andy. It was Andy’s birthday. But he doesn’t celebrate birthdays. So we went out to eat with a big group of people then the three of us and Marisol went to Kona Grill and had Sake Bombs! Since it was his 21st, we had to go all out! So much laughter. So much memories.

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May 1, 2012
With Jakob in my chinky moment.

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May 2, 2012
With Christina, Apurva, Carl, and Andy in the FTK room. Just having a fun time taking random pictures on the Mac. It feels great not having to worry as much about finals as everyone else. Senior status. Open-mouthed smile

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May 2, 2012
Jenny brought home Roc. Roc is Jenny’s friend’s dog. He’s been staying with us the past few days. Such a chill beagle mixture!

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May 5, 2012
At Nicole’s Bridal Shower. Country Western Themed. Cute little snacks. There were even cowboy hat cookies, delicious punch, strawberries with whipped cream, etc. I just didn’t get a picture of everything because I just wanted to pig out!

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May 5, 2012
With Nicole, Bride-to-Be. I love her! Don’t mind me. I just drove three hours to come to the party and I didn’t have time to fix myself up.

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May 5, 2012
With Nicole, Stephanie, and Michelle. Pretty much all the girls I ever hang out with from back in the high school days. I love them so much! No matter how far apart we all were from one another, Nicole – Texas Tech, Stephanie – University of Texas, Michelle – University of Houston, Me – University of Texas at San Antonio, we were able to stay friends and keep that bond.

Growing Up

I was suppose to start Paleo on May 1st but a sea of events made me change my mind. It was Andy L.’s birthday and although he doesn’t celebrate his birthday, we went out for dinner and drinks because he was turning 21. Only the right thing to do, right? So how can I start Paleo when I would have to drink beer. And when I say have I mean, want to. We had dinner at Cheddar’s with a big group of people and then ended up going to Kona. There was only four of us total, but that’s all you need to have fun!

I got into a three hour plus deep conversation with someone and I realized that timing is everything and I don’t have it. I never have it. Paleo was the last thing on my mind that day.

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Jenny is the worst when it comes to picking movies. She picked Haywire just because Channing Tatum is in it. Really? He was only on screen for at least 15 minutes.

Travis left few seconds before the movie was over. Let’s just say we were lost pretty much the entire movie. Travis and I texted the whole time. Yep … worst movie ever. Don’t watch it.

We were suppose to watch Hugo but Jakob came over and we watched The Cell instead. It’s a weird movie but very sad if you think about it. Actually I watched the movie. He fell asleep and is still asleep on the couch. I tried waking him up and it didn’t work. How do you wake someone up that is a heavy sleeper?

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Did I mention I was graduating? Yep. Next Saturday. Next step … into the real world.

My Thoughts On Paleo

I didn’t blog about the foods I ate during Paleo time and I am so sorry about it. It’s delicious. The only thing is, I did take pictures of the new foods we made and will be accompanying the recipes with it soon. Anyway, this post is all about how I feel about Paleo so let’s get to that.

What is the Paleo Diet? We should be eating the ways our ancestors, or caveman as others say, did. Many think this is a fad diet but it simply is the way of life. The way life was before all of the junk. You can eat whatever you desire … except for grains, dairy, or processed foods that has been modified or tampered in any way. Seems easy enough, right?

Are you always hungry? If you tend to overeat, it’s probably because the foods you have been eating aren’t “real” food. After a few hours pass, you get hungry again. Ever since I did the Paleo diet, I felt fuller faster.

It was difficult at first. I was never a fan of fast foods or sugary goodness like my other friends so it didn’t bother me as much when I had to give those up. But still it sucked having to sit there and see people eat things that you never even cared for but always stuffed your face because you wanted to do the same. You mimic the way those you surround yourself with eat. And ever since I did Paleo, it changed. I didn’t stuff my face but ordered healthy foods and still enjoyed it.

It’s also expensive. For a college student, anything is expensive. I had to look for all natural bacon (I use to hate bacon!) or sausage or organic foods for certain things because everything else would have some type of chemical in it. For eggs, I opted for vegetarian eggs. It seems silly but if I’m doing something, I’m going all the way. Else, I would feel it’s cheating. But I think once you get use to it, it can be cheaper.

Eating out is SUPER expensive. Sometimes it’s nice to eat out because you don’t want to eat the same thing again. Or you don’t feel like cooking. Or because you simply want a nice juicy steak! It’s really hard trying to find food on the menu to get around and sometimes substituting costs so much but be true to yourself. You’re only cheating yourself and no one else. It’s great to eat out once in a while but limit yourself when going out. It really does drain your wallet. I learned the hard way.

It can be time consuming. Especially when you’re busy and you don’t have time to cook. But ever since FTK ended for the year, I’ve had more time and could actually come home and make foods. Only thing is I tend to eat the same thing over and over again. Spinach, mushroom, and egg omelet. Simple and easy and gets the job done. Sometimes I get sick of it, but then I switch it up with chicken and broccoli or whatever else that is simple. It really isn’t as time consuming once you get use to it.

I’ve lost weight! That is always a plus. I would say ever since starting Paleo, I’ve lost at least 12 pounds. 19 total if you count the two weeks of just pure hardcore working out and eating well before starting Paleo. I feel that my jeans and tops and t-shirts are getting a little bigger and it’s easier to fit into them. I’m sure if I worked out more during the time I was doing Paleo, I would of lost more weight and get more definition in my muscles. I’ve been told that they can tell that I’ve lost weight. It’s not super apparent but they can see it in my face and my collarbone. Weird, huh?

Beer! I think the one thing that really sucks, other than not being able to eat ketchup, is not being able to drink beer. We are allowed to drink tequila but who likes that crap anyways? And speaking of ketchup, I’ve lost my love for it. I think that’s good right? Because ketchup is SO horrible for you and it’s filled with lots of chemicals.

There’s a lot of pros and cons with Paleo. But if you overlook the cons, because it’s really not bad at all, it really does change your body and get you to that healthy state of mind! And no calorie counting! Let’s just say I’ve gotten less gassy. Too much information? Sorry!

But I promise you, I did it! And will continue to do it. But of course if I crave something, I will eat a little bit of it. That’s against the rules but rules were meant to be broken!

If you have any questions or need some advice, I’ll be happy to help if I can! Just shoot me an email or comment below! Smile

Laid Back

Today I went crazy.

Ate a lot of foods I usually don’t eat on that Paleo lifestyle.

But it was fun.

But never like this again because it was definitely TOO much!

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Hung out with these people for a brief few minutes. We fit 6 people in a convertible. So fun! We took a lot of crazy pictures. I’m going to be sad when I leave them.

This picture reminds me of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I just wish there was one less girl and one more guy. Then it’ll be just like F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

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Now we are relaxing and we are going to drink 1800 with orange juice and 1800 with Squirt.

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I got a Hoegaarden because I’m a lover of beer and not so much a lover for any other alcohol.

We’re having a girl’s night and watching movies and doing our nails! Whoop!

Time to relax before finals start killing us! Hope you all had a great Friday! Smile

Happiness

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I just wrote 50 thank you cards to some people in FTK. That’s how much FTK means to me. And the people too I guess. I cannot believe I’ll be leaving soon. Sad. FTK has changed my life in so many ways.

On a happier note, as of 12am of today, I have completed 30 days of Paleo. It was hard at first but now, it doesn’t even phase me. Will I stick to complete Paleo? Probably not. I miss ketchup. If you know me, I am a full on spray-ketchup-in-my-mouth-just-cuz lover. Will I overdose on it like I use to? Probably not. I’ve learned my ways on eating better and I won’t go back but sometimes, I will indulge just because I can.

I’ve been coughing like h*** and I really don’t think it’s because I’m sick anymore. I think I have bronchitis or something. If so, dang it. Tomorrow is my last solo and if I cough through that instead of sing, that would be bad. Sad smile

19.4. Almost to the goal. Open-mouthed smile

2012 For The Kids Dance Marathon at UTSA

I’m back!! The FTK Dance Marathon ended yesterday at 1pm.

It was an 18 hour event.

We stood all 18 hours for the fight to help fundraise money For The Kids with cancer. My feet are in pain!

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That’s how much we raised!!

We tripled our total from last year. Surprised smile

I have lots to update from the trip from Spring Break which was a month ago. And my Paleo ways. Which I’m still staying strong with. Whoop!

I hope everyone’s been doing well!

Just a Little Update

If you recall, I started the Paleo way of living last Wednesday; I’ve been doing real well! Even going home, I was not tempted to eat what my family was eating. On the right path.

When I get a little down time, I’ll post the recipes of the food we make and eat. It’s delicious!

I have lost 13.2 pounds in the last six weeks. And I hope that continues. If so, I’ll reach my goal before my goal date!

I’ve also been doing some sports. Intramural champion at Dodgeball! Winking smile And I’ve also been playing some football and softball. Busy schedules!

Soon, I have dance starting up. I hope I don’t crash from all these events!

I’ll be M.I.A. more and more until after April 15th.

For The Kids Dance Marathon at UTSA will be happening on April 13th and 14th and I’ve been busy getting ready for that.

I have 732 and counting unread Google Reader posts! AH! But they will all get read once my time frees up! Promises!

If you’re anywhere near the San Antonio area, you should come and be a part of it. It’s a great experience! If you have any questions, just send me an email! Smile

8x11 FTK Convo

Spice Rub Slow-Cooked Chicken & Kids Love Cabbage Slaw

We had a scrumptious dinner cooking in my Crock Pot.

Since the three of us, Shayna, Patricia, and I, were busy with FTK things tonight, Shayna put that whole chicken into the pot and we came back with this!

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Yum! It falls off the bone. Only the best type of meat!

Shyana also prepared a Cabbage Slaw called Kids Love Cabbage Slaw.

We put that Chicken on top of the cabbage slaw. I’m not a fan of cabbage but it wasn’t bad with that deliciously moist chicken! We even enjoyed an episode of Criminal Minds well eating our dinner. YuMM! I added some broccoli in there. Winking smile

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Spice Rub Slow-Cooked Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp white pepper or finely ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 5-6 lb free range organic chicken, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels

Preparation:

  1. Cover the bottom of a slow cooker with sliced onions.
  2. Mix all spices in a small bowl and using your hands, rub the spice mixture all over the whole chicken.
  3. Place spiced chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. There is no need to add liquid to the slow cooker. The chicken will cook in it’s own juices.

Kids Love Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups purple cabbage, diced
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 cup green mango, finely diced
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Combine all ingredients together in a medium salad bowl. Mix and serve!

Recipe from Everday Paleo.

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