five for tuesday
Feb. 9th, 2016 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee341. I'm reading a fantastic book that Executrix sent me about the way that American heiresses started invading Victorian England because they couldn't achieve social recognition or make good marriages in an American society ruled by stuffy old birds like Mrs. Astor. Anyway, fun factoid: kid gloves were worn by both men and women at society functions so that flesh never touched flesh while dancing; the gloves were thin and tight enough that the outline of the fingernails was visible through them, and they only lasted for a single use. Talk about disposable income.
2. I go to the gym most days, but I realized I was kind of half-assing my workouts. I know that exercising keeps me healthy, but it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for it when the good it's doing is so abstract and invisible. In short, I am coming to realize that I've been more depressed that I realized. It's been gradually building since August, and it's starting to feel a bit crushing. I think it has been affecting the intensity of my workouts. So, I've committed to committing to my workouts. Last week, I made sure I hit 400 calories burned during the cardio portion of my workouts; I upped it this week to 450, and next week, I'll make it 500. 600 calories is my ultimate daily goal with one weekend workout that hits 1000 calories burned. I realize that the calorie counters on the machines are not necessarily accurate, but they're one way to measure progress. I am definitely pushing myself and working as hard as I can, so I feel good about that.
3. So, changing the way I eat has been a mixed bag. I've done a good job of eating more salads and fruit and of being more thoughtful about what I'm eating. For example, when we went to the Mexican restaurant, I let Josh eat almost all the chips they brought out and then I just had three rather than devouring as many as I could the second they set them down. I didn't eat crackers or bread or potato salad with my gumbo tonight, and I only put one spoonful of rice in the bottom of my bowl. I'm having some success curtailing my night time snacking but nearly as much as I'd like.
4. So, we're going to a formal wedding in March, and the thought of trying to buy a cocktail dress fills me with despair. I suspect I'm going to have a hard time finding an appropriately formal and attractive dress in my size. I suspect that I will not be pleased with the fit or the look of whatever I manage to find that's large enough to fit me. And I double dog suspect that rifling through all the beautiful dresses I can't wear will ramp up that despair to the max. Thank god I'll get to stuff my face with champagne and foie gras while dancing in my taffeta mumu.
5. Getting to Know You Meme: Ask me a question, and I'll ask you one in return.
2. I go to the gym most days, but I realized I was kind of half-assing my workouts. I know that exercising keeps me healthy, but it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for it when the good it's doing is so abstract and invisible. In short, I am coming to realize that I've been more depressed that I realized. It's been gradually building since August, and it's starting to feel a bit crushing. I think it has been affecting the intensity of my workouts. So, I've committed to committing to my workouts. Last week, I made sure I hit 400 calories burned during the cardio portion of my workouts; I upped it this week to 450, and next week, I'll make it 500. 600 calories is my ultimate daily goal with one weekend workout that hits 1000 calories burned. I realize that the calorie counters on the machines are not necessarily accurate, but they're one way to measure progress. I am definitely pushing myself and working as hard as I can, so I feel good about that.
3. So, changing the way I eat has been a mixed bag. I've done a good job of eating more salads and fruit and of being more thoughtful about what I'm eating. For example, when we went to the Mexican restaurant, I let Josh eat almost all the chips they brought out and then I just had three rather than devouring as many as I could the second they set them down. I didn't eat crackers or bread or potato salad with my gumbo tonight, and I only put one spoonful of rice in the bottom of my bowl. I'm having some success curtailing my night time snacking but nearly as much as I'd like.
4. So, we're going to a formal wedding in March, and the thought of trying to buy a cocktail dress fills me with despair. I suspect I'm going to have a hard time finding an appropriately formal and attractive dress in my size. I suspect that I will not be pleased with the fit or the look of whatever I manage to find that's large enough to fit me. And I double dog suspect that rifling through all the beautiful dresses I can't wear will ramp up that despair to the max. Thank god I'll get to stuff my face with champagne and foie gras while dancing in my taffeta mumu.
5. Getting to Know You Meme: Ask me a question, and I'll ask you one in return.
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Date: 2016-02-10 02:52 am (UTC)Hm. What's your favourite colour?
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Date: 2016-02-10 03:47 am (UTC)My favorite colors to wear are black, grey, and purple.
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Date: 2016-02-10 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-10 03:10 am (UTC)I'm really enjoying it. I love all the photographs of society people.
I focused on 19th century England and so don't know much about the American side of things.
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Date: 2016-02-10 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-10 03:33 am (UTC)I tend to just think out stories or fantasies in my head. Or count down calories or time left.
Question for you: have you named your bike? If not, any contenders?
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Date: 2016-02-10 03:36 am (UTC)No, I haven't named my bike. The closest I've come is calling it The Beast when talking to the cats (who run away when they see it) or when I'm carrying it up the path. No contenders, either -- obviously I'll have to give it some thought... :-)
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Date: 2016-02-10 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-10 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-10 03:53 pm (UTC)Question for you: you and Josh are having a seated dinner for eight with six fictional characters. Who do you invite?
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Date: 2016-02-11 02:42 am (UTC)What a great question. Okay, I am going TV/movie character version. Going for most fun at dinner parties and least likely to kill us all.
1. Leonard McCoy: He's Southern, he's a gentleman, and he's got a sense of humor. He'd tell great stories about space adventures.
2. Inara Serra: cultured, charming, trained to put everyone at ease and make conversation; I'd love to hear about life as part of the upper crust
3. Vala Mal Doran: talk about the best stories, and she would flirt beautifully with everyone at the table; we might all leave a few bracelets short, but that's okay
4. Ellen Harvelle: badass woman who runs a bar; she could keep us safe in case the supernatural rears it's head while telling us all the crazy stuff she's seen in the roadhouse; I suspect she'd get along very well with Vala
5. Richard Castle: he's charming and funny, a storyteller by trade; he'd be a fun guest at a dinner party
6. Rita Skeeter: we'd all be skewered in the press the next day, but the things that woman makes up about high society; it'd be like reading the gossip rags; at least 20% of what she had to say would actually be true
That was a fun question!
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Date: 2016-02-11 02:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-11 02:47 am (UTC)I wasn't even thinking of that connection. Ha! That would be quite an interesting crossover; maybe Mal is his clone or Castle is his distant ancestor.
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Date: 2016-02-11 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-12 02:39 am (UTC)*jazz hands*
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Date: 2016-02-12 02:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-12 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-10 06:39 am (UTC)http://monanotlisa.dreamwidth.org/1389117.html
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Date: 2016-02-11 02:32 am (UTC)*goes to read*