Day 4... It's only Tuesday.

For Day 4 I decided to go back to Level 2, since Level 1 wasn't as challenging yesterday. Level 2 seems to be a good fit for now... I can't do all of the exercises, and I'm pushing myself more. Lots of sweating and psuedocursing.

It's great.

Michael and I agreed that the ab workouts are our favorite... because you get to lie down. We're a great, lazy couple together.

As far as my soreness goes, today was much, much better than yesterday. I could even take some of the stairs two at a time today. Yippee!

Though I have a feeling tomorrow will be worse again. Meh. Oh well.


This was me this morning before heading out into the stupidly cold weather. The wind chills were below zero, and even with 4 or 5 layers on... I'm still cold. The wind is pretty brutal here in Kansas. Plus, it's supposed to be just as cold tomorrow.

Yaaaay.

And just because it's only Tuesday, and I'm sure we could all use a laugh...


That will never fail to make me smile. Ooh goodness.
much love,
alex

Day 3

Day 3... Complete.

Today's pain was worse than yesterday, by quite a bit. It was pretty much just in my quads and calves, but even just in those two muscle groups, I had some issues walking today. It doesn't help that it's crazy cold and windy outside, making my muscles tense up.

Before I started the video today, I tried to stretch out those parts, because apparently Jillian Michaels believes in just stretching as a cool down, and not a warm up. After years of playing sports, I can definitely tell you there's a difference in how your body feels between if you warm up before you start playing or if you don't. Stretching beforehand helps loosen up your muscles so you have less of a chance of pulling something. Seriously.

I went back to workout 1 today, since workout 2 went... well... less than desirable yesterday. It's weird, but I can already tell a difference. I didn't sweat nearly as much today as I did a few days ago, and I could keep up more with how they were doing everything. I had to make some adjustments to some of the upper body parts because I have issues with my left arm cramping sometimes if I use it in a certain way, so I just put in some yoga exercises instead. The workout eased the muscle pain, for now at least.


This was my "Reserved" sign for the Super Bowl party I went to last night. "MF" stands for what you're probably thinking it stands for, and I just inherited it because Michael somehow inherited it.

Okay, while this was a nice break, I have to get back to internship applications and attempting to not throw my biochem and physical chem books out the window. I'm pretty sure that would be anti-productive, despite what I think now.

Yeah, school's frustrating me a bit. Is it really only Monday?!

sigh.

alex

Day 2... Owie.

So, day 2 and I'm still here... So far, so good.

This morning I woke up, and my body protested me doing pretty much anything except laying around.

Then I got up and ate a Zebra Cake for breakfast.

Man. I need to work on my diet.

Anyway, even last night, my legs would feel all weak, especially standing up after a long period of sitting. So, I'm feeling yesterday, most definitely. On a scale from 0 to "Ran-five-miles-of-stairs" yesterday... I'm at about "A-day-after-power-yoga". Which means I'm hurting, but I've still got this.

Well... I wrote that intro before I did the workout. I can't believe how weak I feel. I know it'll get better, but now I just feel like a wuss. I did Level 2 today, and I had to do the "beginner's poses" for about half of the stuff. For those who don't know much about the 30 Day Shred, it's a 20-minute workout with 3 circuits. Each circuit has 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work. At one point, Jillian said, "You should feel like you're dying now!" to which I responded, "But I aaaam dyyyiiing."

I thought I'd gotten better about being melodramatic. Hm.

So Day 2 of workout is complete... Day 2 of picture....



Last night I went with a few girlfriends to see Dear John. I finished reading the book a couple weeks ago and was interested to see how the movie turned out. I don't want to give anything away in case one of my few readers decides they want to go see the movie, but I will say that the movie was kinda loosely based on the book. Although, there were a few parts that were pretty much exactly from the book. The theater was full, mainly of women, and I will say there was quite a bit of crying involved. Not from me, of course.

Psh. I don't cry.

Ever.

Okay, I teared up a lot a bit, but for the most part I knew what was coming because of the book. And the other sad parts I was thinking, "Hm. That's different." Not in a bad way, of course. I will say that I'm not usually a huge fan of Channing Tatum... I think he mumbles too much and is a so-so actor. But he did do a really good job with some of the saddest parts of the movie. This one's probably my favorite thing I've seen him in.

There. I hope I didn't give too much away. I apologize if I did. But now, I'm going to go eat some Buffalo Wild Wings.

I'll work on my diet later.

Maybe.

much love,
alex

"Aw man, she's doing what?!"

...is what I imagine my father will say upon reading my post. If he reads this.

I kind of made it sound like this unveiling would be something exciting... But it's really not. A little backstory...

I played sports in junior high and high school, and then I came to college and found time to work out, and then I became an upperclassman and I can no longer convince myself to go to the rec, especially when it's cold outside. So, I decided to buy...

Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred.

I've always been a workout-on-my-own kind of girl, but since things are hectic right now, I thought I'd give it a shot. I'll say how today went in a second, but I've decided to take this whole 30-Day challenge thing to a new level. I somehow convinced Michael to do it too. I'm also going to blog everyday to give an update, plus I'm also going to be posting a new picture everyday from my day. I haven't been able to take many pictures because of school, but I want to get back into it. Who knows, maybe I can get my dear husband to guest blog a few days, too, to give this whole thing from a man's perspective.

I know it's not as exciting as Julie & Julia, where Julie looked up to Meryl Streep Julia Child for 365 days... But 30's a start, right?

So, today... Day 1. I decided to start on Level 1 (out of 3). I know I'm out of shape, but goodness. It was pretty intense. Things I used to be able to do, I had some issues with. It's depressing. I lasted the 20 minutes... jello legs and all. I do need to buy some hand weights, though. Candles just aren't cutting it. Level's 2 and 3 are supposed to be more difficult, but I'll probably go ahead and alternate levels just so I don't get too tired of one at once. I definitely felt the burn, though.

And today's picture...



Yup, it's true... There's now a saxophone being housed in my apartment, and yes, it's mine. Michael and I's friend, Chris, found/stole/...whatever this alto when he was helping a high school clean out their instruments. We got this in exchange for Michael teaching Chris how to play trumpet. Yay! I just need to buy a mouthpiece. An alto is no tenor, but it should hold me over until I find the money to buy a tenor.

And I'm pretty sure this alto is nicer than most saxes I've played on.

Sweet.

much love,
alex

Oh, 14-year-old-Alex...

"In the soundless awe and wonder, words fall short to hope again. How beautiful, how vast Your love is. New forever, world without an end."
-"World Without End" by Five Iron Frenzy

I've been going through a bit of an FIF stage... their DVD is coming out on 3/2/10... and I'm friggin excited. Good times.

So... In a random fit of boredom on a Friday afternoon... I decided to go back and check out my old Xanga. Ya know, the blogging site that was cool for kids 10 years ago? Yeah, I definitely had one, and I've definitely been going through it this afternoon. I've just been skimming through the entries and mainly just shaking my head and smiling at all of the random stuff that was going on. Though I'm definitely not proud of some of my attributes back then, I know it's part of made me into who I am today. I'm hoping I'm not nearly as self-centered and melodramatic as I was back then, and that my grammar has improved, at least, slightly. And that I don't complain as much. Cause... geez.

No way am I giving out the link (well... not for now), but I did run across this... "74 things you might not know about me". And this gave me the biggest laugh. So I thought I'd run that list through here, with commentary (in bold) from a 20-year-old-Alex. (you'll see what I mean about the grammar part...)

1. my whole name is Alexandra Katherine Seals [well, this is still true... just with my new last name at the end.]
2. i work at Best Regards (makethemsmile.com is the website... they really dont need any more workers though.) [Hands down, the best job I've had so far. Great people, great business.]
3. one of my favorite movies is moulin rouge. [Need to watch this again. Still one of my favorites.]
4. i like guys that can sing (but if ya can't that's cool.. because i can't.) [Meh.]
5. i'm a sap...i'm one of those girls who just likes to cuddle up by the fire or under the blankets and listen to music. [Been there, done that.]
6. i play soccer [I do miss soccer.]
7. my best friend hates girls. (?) [Well, that was true. I wasn't too fond of them either.]
8. favorite shows are er, lost, gilmore girls [Man. I started watching season 1 of LOST, then I heard they were canceling it, so I stopped watching before I could get addicted. Lame. I did watch Gilmore Girls the other day. Still amazing.]
9. i play guitar (accoustic) [Hahaha. I like to think I can play guitar.]
10. i..played basketball. [Technically I still can play basketball...]
11. my favorite candy is kit-kats [Psh. Reeses.]
12. God is my life [God is a big part of my life.]
13. i'm a big Christian, but don't really have a church right now (it's not stoppin me.) [Still don't have a church. Still learning.]
14. i love every gnere of movies... [True.... Even if I can't spell genre.]
15. i love almost all music (not rap normally...) [Is rap really music? Ooh just kidding. mostly.]
16. i'm a country girl. [HAHAHAHAHA. That's funny. I'm glad I'm over this phase.]
17. i like country guys. [So. Not. True. See #16.]
18. my birthday's on july 13th [Yup. The big 2-1 is this year!]
19. i've got a collie named mica (she's awesome) and 4 beta fish in my room named penguin, taz, squirt and jaws jr. [My parents still have Mica... those beta fish are looong gone, though.]
20. i love rain [Very much. As long as I'm not walking around campus in it.]
21. fall's my favorite season, because i love the trees [Still true.]
22. i've got asthma [So they say.]
23. i'm ambitextrous. [Also true. I occasionally write left-handed, and can bat switch.]
24. i've got an older sister, brother-in-law, older brother, and a younger sister. [Plus a sister-in-law]
25. i grew up in wichita [Fact.]
26. i've got a nephew, gage whose 3, and two nieces, madison's 1 1/2, and megan's 5 months old. [Awww. Gage is 8, Madi is 7, Megan is 5, and Garrett is almost 7 months old.]
27. i'm obsessed with names... [Sad, but true.]
28. i don't have my own cell phone [Yikes. I didn't get my own cell phone for another couple years. Oh, technology.]
29. i own a '93 thunderbird (soon to have a name) [Holy crap, my car's that old?!]
30. i haven't talked to my friends in wichita since i've moved here. [Well... yeah.]
31. i'm a random person [That might be an understatement. Though I'm getting better at restraining myself.]
32. i love soft music more than loud [Definitely depends on my mood.]
33. when i'm sad/depressed... i put in matchbox 20, the dixie chicks, five iron frenzy or switchfoot [Well... no. I usually listen to sappy indie stuff now.]
34. my grandma died in february. i was really close to her. [And I still miss her, and all of my other grandparents, dearly.]
35. my granmda on my dad's side is the only grandparent i have left. [RIP grandma.]
36. i love playing cards. [So true. I wish I could play more.]
37. it takes a lot to anger me [Also true, though I'm still working on it.]
38. i keep a lot of my feelings bottled up inside me [Also something I'm working on. Not the greatest thing to be doing.]
39. i overdosed on my little sister's tylenol when i was 1 [Haha. Yup.]
40. i love jazz [So, so true.]
41. i like being quiet. [Yeah...]
42. i get slaphappy when i'm really tired [Thankfully, I haven't gotten to that point in a long, long time. It was scary.]
43. i snowboard [I am capable of snowboarding. It's been years, and I can't wait until I get the chance to do it again.]
44. i've only been to 12 other states [Too lazy to count.]
45. i've never been out of country. [Sadly.]
46. i have a hard time getting over relationships [Well... no.]
47. my best guy friend lives an hour away, and i get to see him about once a year. [I think I was talking about Nate. Now my best guy friend (Michael) lives in the same apartment. Oh, and he happens to be my husband. Fancy!]
48. i attend band camp every summer [Or, I did. That's right, I was a band geek.]
49. i've always wanted to skydive [Still do.]
50. i can't dance [No one will ever see me attempt to, either.]
51. i'm a kinda picky eater, but if i'm at someone else's house, i'll eat whatever they put in front of me. [Yup. Though I'm not as bad as I used to be.]
52. i have a realllly fast metabolism (i can't gain weight) [Well, it's slowly slowing down. (nooooooo!)]
53. i love thursday's [...what?!]
54. i can't wait to have kids [Ah, true.]
55. i want to go to college in state [Done.]
56. i drink a coke a day [Still.]
57. i'm not a healthy eater [I'm trying, I'm trying.]
58. i love science and math [Hence, my majors.]
59. it's hard for me to sleep sometimes [Not as much, anymore.]
60. John 16:33 - go read it. one of my favorite verses [I wish I could remember what verse that is. My favorite book now is Romans.]
61. i'm scared of some stuff... [Who isn't?]
62. sometimes i get depressed and i don't know why [I've been fairly happy for a few years now.]
63. i play ddr [Oh, dear. No. I don't.]
64. my dad's an editor at the kansas city star. [Nope, he's an editor/writer at the paper in my hometown now.]
65. i'm just waitin for the right guy to come along. [Ah, and come along he has.]
66. i've never drank [well...]
67. never smoked. [Never will.]
68. my favorite number is 13 [For several more reasons now.]
69. i love reading [I wish I had more time to do so.]
70. the 70th day of the year is march 10th. [See? Random.]
71. i'm a dreamer [Sometimes.]
72. i like to dream about what could have been... or what it would be like. [Not usually.]
73. i'm reeeally sensitive. [Definitely worked on that. I'm creating quite the exterior. Or, so I'd like to think.]
74. i feel guilty real easily. [I don't think this will ever change.]

And there we have it. Fairly boring for most of you, I'm sure... but it's been great for me to look back and see that, in fact, I have grown up some. Plus, my grammar has improved.

Be on the lookout, starting tomorrow, for some changes on my blog. Details, of course, coming tomorrow. Eek. We'll see how that goes.
much love,
alex

100th post antics...

"And I'll be awful sometimes, weakened to my knees, but I'll learn to get by on the little victories."
-"Little Victories" by Matt Nathanson

It's my 100th post... Crazy! I was thinking about all of the other blogs I read, and how most of them do awesome giveaways when they reach milestones, but then I realized I have nothing cool to give away... Unless somebody wants a biology book, genetics solutions manual or McDonalds toys. I figured the chances of that were slim... So instead we'll all just give a "yay!" for my 100th post.

Which will be filled of the usual nothing-ness. This week just kind of dragged on for me. I actually did use the breaks between classes to do homework, specifically p. chem homework. This class.... the professor is Russian, I think, and he just puts notes on an overhead that he wrote, and no one can read it, and he just talks about them. It's mainly conceptual stuff, but the homework was all math (I wasn't complaining about that). He likes to tell us (as he skips over stuff) that we should review it at home. Yesterday, all I heard in class was, "you put this over here, and that proves this and you put this over here and this is why it's not classical mechanics."

Phew. I didn't mean to rant like that. I apologize.

Today I'm hanging out at home. The K-State vs KU game is today, and soon after anyone moves to Manhattan, you realize traveling around the city on game days, especially against KU, is insane and useless. So I'm going to clean, catch up on One Tree Hill, and make meatloaf. And read. And drool over more Etsy jewelry, camera straps and baby clothes. Seriously, there are some talented people on that site.

I thought I'd throw in a few pictures... Mainly cause I miss this face...\


and these faces...


And just because I like this one.


Ooh, I'm also excited about the new arena in Wichita... Michael Buble's going to be there in June, and Sarah and I are hoping to go see him again (the first concert was great). Dave Matthews Band is also going to be there at some point, I think... It's just bringing some good shows to Wichita. Yay!

Random, nonsense post. I got my new header up... I like it a little better, at least. Anyway. I hope everyone is doing well.
much love,

alex

Hope, and other ramblings

"Oh, when it hits me, all I can do is just breathe again, and breathe through. Can I hope for something more? Can I hope for something real?"
- "Breathe Through" by Annie Stela

It really does feel like just yesterday that I last updated my blog. I'm fairly certain school causes me to enter some crazy time-continual... thing. I'm sure I'll be able to explain it after I'm done with physical chemistry 2.

Oh, how I wish I were kidding.

Anyway...

Lately, with this whole Haiti thing, I've been hearing and thinking a lot about hope. In high school, one of my English teachers asked us to define the word "hope". I remember sitting there, feeling slightly dumbfounded that I couldn't give a definition for a word that I believed so much in. But how do you explain hope? I just don't think it is that easy.

I mean... there's the feeling of hope you get when you see parents with a newborn...


There's hope for a warmer season when you see color among the dead things...


And yet... we all use the word hope on a daily basis, for things not as important...
I hope it doesn't storm tonight.
I hope we still have eggs in the fridge.
I hope my metabolism never slows down.
I hope I don't regret okay-ing my dear husband to buy an xbox (...wait...what?)

We hope for things for our current family...
I hope my mom gets the job she's been hoping for.
I hope my dad can get a book published.
I hope that everything works out job-wise for my sister and her family.
I hope my brother and his wife don't move too far away.
I hope my little sister succeeds in all she wants to do.
I hope my husband always loves and enjoys music as much as he does now.

...for our future family....
I hope I can do half as good of a job raising my (future) kids as my parents did raising me.
I hope I will be able to give my kids a beautiful and stable life.
I hope that God times everything out perfectly.

...for ourselves...
I hope that I can make someone smile today.
I hope I don't disappoint or fail people I care about.
I hope that I'll be a better person today than I was yesterday.
I hope I can survive classes this semester.
I hope I don't go crazy and destroy the xbox
(only kidding... of course.)
...I hope no one tells my husband that I've played the xbox more than him so far.

ahem.

We have hopes for the world...
I hope the people in Haiti are feeling a sense of peace and can get back on their feet soon.
I hope all of the soldiers, and families of soldiers, are staying sane.
I hope everyone who doesn't think they are loved, know that they really are.
I hope that one day people will just love. They will stop treating people differently because of gender, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, DVD collection. Love is so much easier than hate, and I hope people will someday realize that.

Of course, we all hope for things that probably will never happen...
I hope that I'll win the lottery.
I hope none of the people I love ever have to feel pain.
I hope my children will never have to experience sadness.
I hope that some day I have enough money to buy out half of the Etsy shops. (a girl can dream, right?)

It's amazing how much there really is to hope for in the world. We all hold on to these hopes, and I really do think it is good for our soul. "They" always say it's never good to give up hope. I definitely believe that's true. The people I've met who have given up on hope seem to have all been in really low places in their lives. Sure, it's not all because of giving up hope, but there is definitely a correlation.

Moral of the story... hope is everywhere. We can hope for just about anything. Whether they come true or not, doesn't really matter, as long as you hope and dream. It's good for the mind.

Ah. It feels good to ramble, even if none of the above makes sense. I'm not a writer, definitely a long way from being one, but it's good to just talk/write sometimes. Everything else in life is good. Michael and I are going ice skating tomorrow (he's never been!) and have been married for almost 8 months already, which is insane. I'm not ready for another week of school, but I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it like the 20,000 other people on campus. Classes are interesting this semester, and I have a lot of downtime between most of them, which will hopefully be incentive for me to study...

...

But anybody who knows me know that probably won't happen. (But mom and dad, I promise to try really, really hard.) We do have a new addition to the household... the aforementioned xbox 360. We have Assassin's Creed 2 and Godfather 2. I'm pretty horrible at the types of games for xbox, which is why I love our wii... But yeah. I've been playing. Usually when Michael's not home, and you hear things like, "Here horsey... you stay here with the other horseys... I'm gonna go kill some evil people."

I would do homework, but I haven't had any... Which will change very, very quickly starting tomorrow. So I will try to update again sooner rather than later... There really is just nothing too interesting happening.

Hmm... I don't like my header for my new layout... but I've gotta get to go watch The Ugly Truth, so it'll have to do for now.