20 January 2011

sore sore sore

oh. my. goodness.
i am out of shape.
i did a full-body workout yesterday over the course of an hour.
and today?
i look like this:
Photobucket

ok ok. so it's not that bad. 
but holy crap--i'm sore!! arms, abs, quads, hamstrings.
all of it.
i look like a freak walking up or down stairs.
i keep thinking
"i like this feeling, right? i had an awesome work-out.
yes. i like this feeling......."
bahahahahahahahahaha
ouch

18 January 2011

recommit

So part of the whole "new year" existential philosophy is to create a better "me." We always come up with new ideas and try to implement them for the year... and usually stop after a month. At least, that's usually what happens to me. I procrastinate, or lose the will power slash interest to continue.

But, this year I'm trying to create a better "me" not just by working on things like exercising, eating healthy, writing a book, etc. I want to work on my will power, determination, follow-through, and goal-achieving skills.

My problem is maintaining interest. i.e. exercising? Yes. It's good for me. I know how to do it. I like the pain of sore muscles and the feeling of a job well done. But... I hate sweat. I hate working out in front of people and my feet are in pain, so I am limited in what I can do.

So what can possibly keep my interest? (besides an overly-expensive personal trainer to yell at me?)

Well, I'll tell you. Today, my grandma decided that she was not going to go another day without a gym membership. Granted, I was not planning on having a gym membership (because I wasn't actually going to follow through on my exercising resolution--I know, I know. I'm a hypocrite). But how pathetic would I be if my 76 year old grandma got a gym membership and I drove her to the gym everyday and waited for her to be done at the gym? Which is more pathetic? Sitting in my car for an hour outside a gym waiting for my 76 year old grandmother to finish working out? Or actually working out with my 76 year old grandmother? Hence, my decision to go with my grandma to Bally Fitness in Santa Monica to sign up for a month-to-month membership.

I wasn't all that excited when we first walked in. It's just a typical gym. Lots of treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes and weights. Nothing special. Until the guy walked up. You know the type--good-looking, in-shape, wearing work-out clothes... the kind of sales guy that makes you wolf-whistle in your mind (because it would be unlady-like to wolf-whistle out loud... not to mention the fact that I'm not brave enough to do such a thing..)

And then we started talking and found out that he's LDS. And single. And doesn't go to the singles ward because he likes the family wards better (so how would I ever meet him otherwise? and other girls don't know about him!!) And... so we signed up with Bally Fitness.

Will I have a problem with interest in working out when there's a cute LDS guy who works at the gym Monday through Saturday? I think not. Problem: solved.

hollywood

With Marie back home from BYUI for a few months, we've had a lot of fun.
I haven't lived in the same place with my little sister in years--almost 6 years, to be exact.
So we are definitely taking advantage of our closeness.

A few weekends ago, we decided to have dinner in Hollywood.
Photobucket

We parked at the Kodak Theater and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. 
YUM. I decided to be different, so instead of getting a delicious hamburger like usual, I got mac&cheese.
I know, I know. Weird thing to pick at the HRC. But seriously? Best mac&cheese I've ever had.
And then, we ran over to Grauman's Chinese Theater--just for fun.

Kodak Theater
(and Marie's dramatic entrance)
Photobucket

Hollywood Walk of Fame
Photobucket

Hard Rock Cafe
Photobucket

Grauman's Chinese Theater hand/footprints
Cary Grant & me. *sigh*
Photobucket

Harry Potter cast & Marie's foot
Photobucket

Bing Crosby & Marie
Photobucket

And then I dropped her off at a friend's house in LA. And we almost died like ten times on Mulholland Drive trying to maneuver the curves. in the dark. with fog. with Marie and I laughing hysterically. and completely lost because we kept missing the right turn, or taking the wrong turn.
It was quite the adventure.

jump for joy

...despite the fact that it's January, I have been enjoying some warm weather. Warm enough so that I crave beach attendance... Not that I'd get in the water (it's freezing)... but you can still enjoy the ambiance--the sounds, the wind, the salt, the sand, etc. I definitely put my feet in.

Anyways, I've been going every week... not that it's planned that way. It just happens. Last week I went to Long Beach with Dan, Melissa, Juliet and my sister Marie.

The week before that, I went to the Santa Monica Pier with Marie and her bff Candace just for fun. 

Needless to say, we went a little crazy with picture-taking:
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

I <♥> the beach.
Come and visit!

15 January 2011

bliss

long beach.
me and the bestie...
Photobucket
love love love.

11 January 2011

happy birthday to me

my birthday is today.
coolest day ever.
1.11.11
too bad i'm not turning 11 this year. or 111.
i am now 24.
and I'm planning to make a birthday wish 
at 11:11pm on 1.11.2011.

Happy♪♫•*¨*•.¸♫♪Birthday♪♫•*¨¸♥ ♥¸to me¸.•*¨*• Happy♥

 •♫♪Birthday♪♫*•.¸♪♫•*¨♥¸to me¨*•.♫•♥¨* •*¨*•♫♪Happy ♥

 ♥.•*¨*♥•♫♪Birthday♪♫• ♥¨* KaRynn, ♥ ♪

♫•*¸♥*•♪♪♥ Happy Birthday, to me! ♥ ♥

08 January 2011

2010.2 facebook style

i ♥ this restaurant

Earth, Wind and Flour
Not only is it a cool name (which constantly reminds me of a cool '80s band) but it has some pretty good Italian food and the decor is sweet. 

HIGHLY recommend. It's on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, CA.
Come here and enjoy!
We did...

Photobucket

Photobucket

 (The restaurant also has sawdust on the floor, which I didn't use energy to take a picture of... what can I say? I was hungry).

that time i celebrated the start of 2011

I got invited to a sweet dinner party to celebrate the new year. You have no idea how happy I was to get invited. Yes, the people were amazing. Yes, the food was fantastic. Yes, the games were fun. Yes, the dancing was hilarious. And yes, I got home late. But I was happy because it meant I also didn't have to drive an hour away to a YSA New Years Eve Dance which probably would have been super lame and wouldn't have enjoyed.


So, we celebrated the new year with green food (to represent good luck in future finances--cross your fingers for me that this worked haha), games (have you ever played the game Werewolves? awe.some), dance (whats-her-name-Will-Smith's-daughter was a big hit), and YES. We each made paper airplanes on which we wrote our regrets of 2010. We didn't have to share our regrets with anyone (although some people were a bit more forthcoming *cough*awkward*cough* than others). Not me--I wrote my regrets with an invisible ink pen which Bryan got for Christmas and I accidentally stole. heh heh. 


And what did we do with the regret airplanes of poor aerodynamics? Yes. We flew them (or attempted to fly them) into the blazing fire of a grill. There was not one person who had a superior paper airplane-making skill. We all sucked at burning our regrets in one try. ;D


PS.. I feel like I'm starting to sound like Barack Obama with all my yessing, so I'm going to show you pictures now...


"I whip my hair back and forth!" (my friend Ali)
Photobucket

the magic moment
Photobucket

getting our "regret airplanes" all ready
Photobucket

fire
Photobucket

the excessively loud noise makers we used for several minutes after midnight struck
Photobucket

girlfriends (Julia, Ali and me)
Photobucket

all in all. definitely a great way to celebrate the end of a hard year and the beginning of a new one.

07 January 2011

sick sick sick

I definitely started the new year off with a bang---by being completely, utterly SICK. Ugh. And I'm talking about the cold kind--the gross one. No energy, runny nose, nasty hacking cough, lack of sleep, did I already say lack of energy? -- oh yeah... and a constant fuzzy brain.

So what did I do? Sleep when I could, watch TV (i'm SO sick of TV), read (when I had the energy to even hold up the dang book), and depend 100% on Nyquil (which my grandma drank the rest of--that woman says she can't sleep) and Dayquil--which doesn't help me sleep (duh!).

But regardless of my energy level, I am finishing up my grad application to CSUN. It should be complete by early next week and then it's time for the waiting game.... Again.

In other interesting news, I've read several good books lately. (Hah!)
Here are a few recommendations:
The Maze Runners (and it's sequel The Scorch Trials) by James Dashner
Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (truthfully, I've only read the first book, but if the other two are as well written and fun as the first one, then I don't feel anything wrong in endorsing all three. I'll let you know..)

01 January 2011



Resolutions

Work/Finances: find a job in LA so I can save money. For school or for that European trip I want to go on...

Health: workout regularly, stop drinking caffeine, and continue improving habits Grandma O. encourages. i.e. take vitamins, stretch, eat chocolate to reduce stress (lol), wake up early.

Education: learn something new every day whether it's a fact, a new hobby, or a new talent. I really do want to learn to play the guitar. I want to pick up piano lessons again. I want to take photography classes. I want to take cooking classes. I want to learn a new language or brush off my sign language skills and put them to good use. Figure out what I want to do: Speech Therapy graduate school, MBA, or teaching credentials--and do it.

Spiritual: be better at my scripture study. Make it everyday, and regardless of what I'm studying, make sure I read the Book of Mormon.

Social: Make new friends to last a lifetime. And date.


2010.

Photobucket



turned 23
decided to learn how to play the guitar--which is now sitting lonely and out of tune in my room...
applied to grad school--which I didn't get into...
started to write a book--which I haven't finished it yet...
lost ten pounds
enjoyed a summer filled with chlorine at 7 Peaks with JSchro
met extended family (that I haven't met before) at a huge family reunion
discovered Criminal Minds
read the third Hunger Games and was disappointed
was introduced to Flipped and loved it
sported straight-across bangs for the first time in my adult life--and pulled it off
celebrated my sister's wedding
got a new brother
quit my job after three years with Prosper, Inc.
suffered through the last few months of my housing contract
packed up my car and moved to LA
dropped my lovely sister off at BYU-Idaho and spent a day in Yellowstone for the first time
called 911 for the first time in my life
spent roughly 140 hours sitting in the hospital or rehab center over the course of 2.5 months
reverted to using 1950s terms after spending 4 months with my grandparents (i.e. can you go to the market? [the grocery store] or, what time is the show? [the movie])
experimented with my gourmet cooking and baking skills (stuffed peppers, curry, cupcakes, etc)
reacquainted myself with los angeles traffic
fell in love with westwood all over again
went back to Utah for a week to celebrate Thanksgiving
helped one of my best friends find an apartment and move to California explored a new ward
made new and amazing friends