Dessert Fast

You may think that the title may be an extract from a sentence something akin to: "Go get me some dessert fast!" But alas, it is referring to an actual fast, in the sense of going without food for a period of time. But instead of going without all food I am going on a fast of "just desserts." (pun totally intended) How long can one be expected to go without dessert, you ask?

How about the ENTIRE month of June?!

I really have my friend Tosh to blame for all of this. He started his abstinence from delicious, sugar-filled confections a week or two ago, and I thought I might as well be a good friend and do it with him, but I would wait until June to start, and then break the fast triumphantly on the 4th of July. June seems like a good month to do it, there are no major holidays, and like I said earlier,
I don't crave sugar as much when I am active, which I will certainly be in the summer.

I actually did this same thing 2 years ago, and it was hard because I was all alone, but I figure there is strength in numbers, so in addition to Tosh, I talked my friend Suki into doing it with us. This time it should be a cinch, right? Anyway, one thing I learned last time is that when you stop eating refined sugars, regular food tastes WAY better. If you don't like vegetables, see how good they taste after two weeks without sugar, you may be surprised, and you may not even want to add any salt. Another thing I learned is that the longer you go without sugar, the worse you feel when you eat it, and the less you enjoy it. This may sound like a deterrent for some, but honestly it is one of the best benefits to going without for a while. When I broke my sugar fast 2 fourth of July's ago, I ate every dessert I could see, and thought I was going to die afterwords.

Okay, so this is my last weekend when I can have dessert for a while so I have not been shy with the Dunford chocolate donuts that were at my parents' or the cookie dough in the fridge, and I think tomorrow there will be some serious last minute sugar fixes to satisfy. Maybe I should have tapered down my sugar consumption before the big day... Oh well, too late now!

So here's the rules*:

Fruit is totally okay, I can eat all I want and more.

Condiments are still okay, I can have jam on my toast and/or PB&J sandwiches.

Granola bars are okay, but only in strict moderation. (No more than one box of bars per sitting)

Desserts (especially those made with refined sugars) are all out. (That means no cookies, brownies, Crème brûlée, rice krispee treats, cake, pie, candy, candy bars, otter pops and... dare I say it? ...ice cream... )

Sugar Cereals are out.

All Soda and other sugary beverages are forbidden. (Gatorade is alright for during workouts, and chocolate milk as a recovery drink.)

No "Sugar Free" substitutes that are sweetened artificially! (Since these are worse for you than the alternative anyway, and have the same dulling effect on your taste buds, making you want more and more sugar.)

*This is not a contest, it is something we are doing for ourselves. There are no prizes, and no judges but yourself. There will inevitably be circumstances in which we must decide whether or not something should be eaten. (i.e. which cereals count as sugar cereals) This is up to the individual, we stand to gain nothing by "cheating" because we would only be cheating ourselves. We, as participants are supporting one another, not competing.

And that's about it, I will start in a little more than 24 hours, wish me luck! In the meantime, I think I could go for another bite or two of cookie dough...

Book Review: "Leadership and Self-Deception, Getting out of the Box"

This short book with a long title was written by The Arbringer Institute, and endorsed by Stephen R. Covey. This book provides a fantastic scenario which teaches about self-deception and what kind of effect it can have on you, your friends, family and business relationships. Written in a way that is very easy to understand as well and helps to keep you interested from chapter to chapter, Leadership and Self-Deception is great for people who have a hard a time with non-fiction, and is quite short as well. Most people could read it in a day.

The focus of the book is on recognizing and avoiding self-deception in the workplace, with a secondary emphasis on the family. But the principles taught apply to all human relationships and, if applied, will help change your paradigm of how you see others. The knowledge gained from this book is truly liberating, and not degrading. I recommend it to all.

You're not hardcore... unless you live hardcore!

I hate to admit this because it makes me sound completely lame, but I have never really been to a concert. You know, like a rock concert... I have been to The King's Singers, and some symphony-type stuff, but never really the real thing. So in an effort to make myself more "cultured" or whatever it is I am supposed to be, I went to a battle of the bands the other day. When I was invited by my friend Amber, I knew I could not pass this opportunity up. Now, I am aware that this still does not count as a genuine rock concert, but it is as close as I have ever really gotten outside of playing rock band. And I was pretty excited, even though I do not listen to rock that much.

Anyway, the evening came, and we piled into the car and drove to Provo. (I know, as if I couldn't sound more lame, I am claiming a Battle of the Bands, in Provo of all places, as a hard core experience - but wait... it gets better.) We got there with enough time to eat dinner first, and the amount of anxiety that went into choosing a place to eat could have an entire blog post all to itself, but I will let it suffice to say that we went to the Malt Shoppe from which we proceeded forth to ROCK!

Here's what happened. We walked in to this little hole in the wall cafe place with a brick room in the back with neon signs and everything. I felt like I was in a movie. The first band had just started and we met some friends there and some stood in front while myself and others found a couch in the back to sit on. Somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds later, I realized that I would not be able to take this kind of torture, not the band wasn't good (they weren't) but it was just that the "music" was so LOUD that I thought my eardrums would burst and I periodically checked to see if blood was dripping from my ears! I think I was the only person in there who thought so because every one else looked like they were having fun.

My excuse is that I do have more sensitive hearing than most people. I can hear those high pitched noises that most people can't hear after 18, and I never play my music really loud because I intend to be able to enjoy it well into my 40's at least! Yet I digress...

I tried to get used to it, I really did try, but it was too much... and yes, I had to plug my ears. (even then it was too loud, but at least not intolerable.) Don't laugh, even though I know the site of my sitting on a couch at such an event with my fingers in my ears must have looked completely ridiculous I had no other choice, or so I thought.

I wasn't sure which was worse, looking like a moron or a severe headache coupled with lasting ear damage. Then there came a point during WakeSide's turn (the second band, which was actually pretty good) when I decided that both of the aforementioned scenarios were unacceptable. So what did I do? I left. Not for good of course, I paid for this thing, and I intended to get my money's worth. Not to mention the fact that I got a ride there in the first place. But I did start running down the street. I knew there had to be a drug store somewhere near by that would sell me some earplugs, but after running for about half a mile I still saw none in sight, so I went the other direction and low and behold... The Marriott Hotel. Of course they would have earplugs, maybe even free ones for guests, or possible guests as the case may be. So I ran there, inquired at the front desk who asked me what room I was in, so I came clean and was referred to the gift shop. It was the best $2.49 I'd ever spent. I popped those babies in and ran back to catch Wakeside's last song, which was great despite the fact it lacked about 35 decibels.

For the rest of the night I was able to be up and in the action jumping around and looking like a crazy person, but at least I fit in just a little bit better. I had lots of fun, and coincidentally got a free CD, not to mention keeping my hearing in tact.

But if you think I am any more lame than you already did before reading this post, lemme just say: I saw one of the drummers had earplugs in too. So there.

At least next time I will be better educated on proper rock etiquette.

Hillariously True

So, I was on my friend's blog today and saw this list and thought it was funny enough to copy to my own. You can find hers here.
1. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

2. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

3. Bad decisions make good stories.

4. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again

8. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

9. Was learning cursive really necessary?

10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

12. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

13. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a putz from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

14. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

16. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

17. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

18. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

19. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

20. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

21. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

22. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

23. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

24. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

25. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

26. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

27. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

28. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

29. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

30. Why is a school zone 15 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

31. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

32. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

33. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

34. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I hope this made you laugh as much as it made me laugh!

Midnight Hike

I really like hiking. A lot. And this year wasn't the super-best for snow shoeing, so I have been excited for the weather to be nice so I can go back to the mountains, my favorite place to be.

Anyway, we had a semi-not-too-cold day a week or two ago and my friend Tosh and I were trying to figure out what to do one night. It was a clear night, and so I insisted we go hiking, and he was cool with that. So we went up Mill Creek Canyon to Church Fork and hiked up Grandeur Peak at like 10ish or something. I have never been hiking at night before, (unless you count snow shoeing) but I found it to be quite enjoyable. Near the top we did hit some snow, but it wasn't too bad, and the view was great.

I never seem to learn my lesson about bringing water because I think I won't be gone long, but often end up quite thirsty. Oh well, it all worked out.

I feel like this post is missing something. Meaning? Depth? Purpose? All of the above, perhaps? Oh well, it's a post, and who really cares if it is funny, clever, or meaningful. Just be grateful there's pictures for this one!

The point is: Hiking is fun, and is better at night if there is a lot of moonlight.
Me, AT THE TOP!!! With city light coming out of my stomach...
This one we were trying to look "manly." Did it work?

I moved before the picture was done, so the lights ended up on my face, obviously...

What not to do the night before a 5k...

Salt Lake Running company just opened up a new store in my area, or rather, moved a location... But the point is they were having a grand opening celebration, which included a free 5k. I am all about racing, and I am even more excited when they are free because the only thing that keeps me from racing every other week is a lack of excess money.

Anyway, I digress. This particular race (like most of them) was on a Saturday morning, and I had a date Friday night. I was not thinking about what I had the next morning when I decided it would be fun to go Ice Skating for my date. I have only been ice skating once in my life, and I thought it was fun, and it was out of the ordinary enough that I thought it would make a good date, and I was right. We had lots of fun, in spite of the fact that the skating place opened later than usual because of an event they had there. We just went to CostCo and ate samples, then played Rock Band at Best Buy. When I got on the ice, it felt just like it was my first time all over again. And I was all wibbly and wobbly, and so was my date. It was so uncomfortable that she decided to switch from hockey to figure skates. I was too nervous to make the same switch, since I thought figure skates were only for girls, but I eventually gave in and I must say... I like figure skates way better, I was faster and had better balance, and dare I say it? Much more graceful.

The point of this whole story is, ice skating makes your ankles, knees, and legs overall pretty sore, and you shouldn't do it the night before a race, it will make it that much harder. The good news is: I still managed to finish in 25ish minutes, which isn't too bad considering...

Book Review: "Nephi's Isaiah"

As was my goal, I finished a book this week to report on. "Nephi's Isaiah" by Denver Snuffer Jr. was a fabulous commentary and explanation of Nephi's intentions behind quoting the ancient prophet in his own record. For such a difficult task as engraving characters on gold plates, Nephi certainly thought it worth the effort to inscribe a sizable portion of Isaiah's words. I never took the perspective of reading these words as if Nephi may have had different intentions in writing them than Isaiah's.

Nephi knew we would have access to the bible, and could have just said, "read Isaiah, chapters..." Just as we often use the words of others to get a point of our own across, so does Nephi, and this book, while not intended to be an exhaustive work on the subject, opens up new ways of thinking and reading the words of both of these great ancient prophets.

Namaste

Photo Credit Here

I really enjoy reading articles on Active.com and USATriathlon.com, they often include tips and information that are quite handy for training and racing. It wasn't too long ago that I read one about the benefits of doing Yoga, for triathletes in particular.

I thought about it quite a bit, and talked to my some people about it, and decided there would be no harm in trying it in the comfort of my own basement. So I got "AM/PM yoga for beginners" from Wal Mart and tried doing both AM and PM every day for a week. (This was back when school was in) Let me just say, it may be quite entertaining and even comical to watch ( and listen to...) from an outsiders perspective. But in doing it myself, I have noticed that it is quite relaxing and helps you to focus and concentrate better. I would say it is almost... empowering.

My point is... It is always a good idea to try new things, and if you haven't tried it yet, I recommend Yoga as one of those things. Variety is the spice of life! There are many activities I have seen others do and be curious and desirous to try myself, but never had the nerve to try. But when I did, it turned out quite fun, and occasionally, I don't care for whatever it is I tried, but at least I know now.

Who knows, I may even try a water aerobics class one of these days... But probably not.

Success!

This is just a short post in response to the one on Accountability. It is quite true that being accountable to a deadline gave me the motivation I needed to get my product packaged, letter written, and delivered to the owner of Good Earth Natural Foods. Sweet! I also bought my domain name, so even though there is nothing on there yet, my business has officially launched! ( Or does that happen when I sell something... I'm not sure to be honest, either way, I am making big progress. This week, I want to get my website all set up nice. :)
www.sosimpleessentials.com

What I've been up to...

So during the last couple of weeks I have found myself at work a little more than usual, which is not really what I feel super good about. There are other things that I think would be better uses of my time that I have not been doing as much as I should. Not that I have given up on my higher pursuits, but I find it amazing that I get almost the same amount of stuff done when I am in school vs. being out of school. Surely the principle discussed in my last post applies.

I have been dating a little bit. That's progress. And I am slowly making headway on one of my business ideas. But I think I need some accountability to get things moving so here's the deal. By the end of this week (it's Friday) I will have petitioned Good Earth Natural Foods to sell some of my products. That's my goal.

Wait, I never discussed my latest idea did I? I have been doing some research and experimenting with Essential Oils lately, and I think they are amazing! I have used them for several purposes and have had great success. So, naturally, my entrepreneurial mind is determined to market these wonderful products. Don't worry. I'll soon have a link that you can buy them from on this blog ;) . As a matter of fact, I think I will start working on a website too. See, it is great to blog about this stuff, it gets me really motivated.

In other news, I have decided to do the Rock Cliff Olympic Triathlon in June. This is twice as long as the last one I did, and the swim is open water, which I am actually pretty enthused about. So, hopefully the weather will warm up past 60 degrees and I can be more motivated to go out in it. I did a brick workout a couple days ago, a bike up the canyon followed by a 5k. Man, it was cold coming down the mountainside I tell you, and I got a flat tire. Oh! the bane of my existence. Flat tires... Oh well.

Accountability

A good friend of mine recently started his own blog, and one of his first posts really described how I feel a lot of the time. You can read it here. He talks about how he tends to get more done when he has more scheduled. Which seems contradictory, but it is so true. When I have a bunch of free time, things seem so much less urgent, because there are no deadlines. In "The 4-hour Work Week" (a fantastic book, by the way) the author, Tim Ferriss talks about this same principle. And how productivity increases exponentially as deadlines draw nearer. That may be over simplifying it, but I'm sure you get the idea.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make here is that I have no posting deadlines for this blog, therefore I end up putting off posting until something really exciting happens. And then I still end up waiting. So, I am going to try to post at least once every week, just to keep myself motivated, since that is one of the main purposes of this blog, and every other week I will do a short book review on a book I read during those two weeks. I am trying to give myself some deadlines and make myself accountable and therefore more productive.

There you have it. I am now accountable to the three or four people who ever read my blog, the pressure is on.