Date Night

Date night tonight! My man and I will head out around 6pm to grab some Choo Choos - this restaurant that has great Korean food. Sounds fancy, huh? It's not. I like a very plain chicken and brown rice dish. But hey, it is delicious! And after our chicken and rice feast, we shall venture to the movie theater. I love movie nights!

The last movie we saw in the theater was "Avatar". OMG. Words cannot express how good this movie is. If you haven't seen it, RUN to your local theater and see it in all its 3D splendor. I don't care if you don't like sci-fi. This movie transcends labels. /End testimonial.

Oh wait. We took my cousins and Ariana to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" since then. If you're waiting for an endorsement, don't hold your breath. The first one was much better in my opinion. However, the kids loved it, so not a total loss.

Anyway, we are going to see "Sherlock Holmes" tonight. I really wanted to see "Up in the Air", but it is no longer at the movies. Boo. And I also want to see "The Lovely Bones", but I suppose tonight is not the night for child killers. Sherlock it is.

I used to think Jude Law was eye candy, but now - not so much. I think he is Alfie in real life (if any of you ever saw the movie of the same name where he played a total cad, as they say). However, he does have a soft spot in my heart because of one of my most very favorite movies - "The Holiday". We shall see who becomes my movie crush. Jude vs. Robert - it's on.

Date night starts early. When you have been up since 5am due to Boot Camp, a 7pm movie is just the ticket.

Mountain Getaway

I am exhausted.

Usually, when Bert and I go to the mountains, we come back relaxed and rejuvenated. This time around, we all stayed up 'til 1-2 every morning. I would shut down the party every night by announcing I needed to get some sleep! :)

But, oh boy, what a great time we had!

We met Bert's BFF, Wes, and his fabulous wife Jamie in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Our cabin was AWESOME. Click here for pictures of the cabin.

We enjoyed strolling the streets of downtown Blue Ridge, eating, shopping, etc. We also visited Mercier Orchards (where the photo above was taken). So fun.

And BTW, I highly recommend the book "If" to take along as a great fun adult game/conversation piece.

Between cooking out, my famous Chicken Scallopini, hanging out in the hot tub and watching the Golden Globes, it was lots of fun.

All in all, it was a great weekend! We are lucky to have such fabulous friends.

Labels: friends, vacation

Crystal Ball

Shamelessly stolen from LT:

I don't have a crystal ball, but here's what I am planning on for 2010. However, we know how God can laugh in the face of our plans! :)

Will you be looking for a new job? Nope. I am pretty happy with what I'm doing now! I am the Director of Public Relations and Communications for a K-12 school district.
Will you be looking for a new relationship? Heck no.
New house? Not this year...we will get to that in 2011 when Bert finishes his Ph.D. hopefully!
What will you do different in 2010? GET ABS
New Years resolutions? GET ABS
What will you not be doing in 2010? Sleeping like crap (hopefully) due to our amazing new king-sized bed!
Any trips planned? We just got back from a fun couple's trip to the Blue Ridge mountains in North Georgia - SO fun. Hope we will get to the beach this summer as well.
Wedding plans? Nope.
What's on your calendar? Lots of meetings, tasks, etc. It makes me tired to look at it!
What can't you wait for? Friday at 5 p.m. Story of my life.
What about yourself will you be changing? I hope to get in better shape and grow spiritually. That sounds so cheesy. Sorry about that. I just have to be honest that I find time for a lot of things, but not enough for exercise (see Boot Camp post below) or God. Need to do better.
Will you be nicer to the people you care about? Yes. I always try to be nicer each year. :)
Will you dress differently this year than you did in '09? I started taking some fashion risks in late '09 and was very happy with the results! I plan on doing more in '10.
Are you going to be in school in '10? Nope. Maybe I'll go back in a few years and work on being Dr. Anisa. We shall see.
How will you make more money in '10? More? Hmm. Well, there are no raises in sight due to the economy, so my plan is to stick to our savings plan!
Will you do charity work? Yes.
Will you be nice to people you don't know? Yes, but I will try to focus more on those that I do know.
Do you expect 2010 to be a worse year for you than 2009? I hope better, although I had a really good 2009.
How much did you change from this time last year til now? I am MUCH happier now than a year ago due to a much better work situation.
Do you plan on having a child? Yes - someday!
Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now? Absolutely.
Major lifestyle changes? You never know!
Will you be moving? Nope - not planning on it.
Is there anything you are not looking forward to this year? Can't think of it, although I do dread Monday mornings. It's rough to dread something that happens roughly 52 times a year!
What change would you like to make to your life? To stick with all my grand plans! :)

Labels: meme

Taking The Plunge

This is definitely not me. Nope, for when I finished Boot Camp at my gym at 6:30 this morning, I had already thrown up twice and was half dead. I was thisclose to quitting.

I went through emotions of nervousness and excitement last night. I decided yesterday evening to take the plunge and FINALLY do something drastic, but healthy, to lose some unwanted pounds. I figured working out three times a week for six weeks - plus at least one day of 30 minutes cardio (as we were told to do) might finally cause me to WIN the battle of the bulge. And this is a battle I have been fighting for YEARS.

So I showed up. It was 5:30 this morning - a couple of hours before I usually wake up. I consider anything before 6 to be nighttime. This was tough, but I was excited. We started out with about 2 minutes of running around the gym, followed by intense and hellish cardio followed by sculpting exercises followed by more hellish cardio.

I believe I threw up at both 5:50 and 6. I was ready to go HOME, but I knew Bert would be disappointed and I had friends cheering me on in the great world of Facebook.

Somehow, I made it through. Yes, I was the worst of all 5 fellow Boot Campers, but I got over any competitive feelings really fast. Because this is about me. And when all is said and done, I hope that I look back and remember how much I struggled and how far I have come. And at the end of the day, I did it. I hung in there for around 70% of it. But just barely. I might be being a little bit generous even.

At the end of class, I asked the trainer if I could do it. I really thought she would say no, that I should hire a personal trainer instead.

"Yes, you can do this. You know how I know? Because you came back. You have to decide that you can do this. I believe you can," she said.

I was shocked.

She then told me - much to my surprise - that most of her life, she was the "fat girl" and how her brothers teased her. After the birth of her second child, she changed her life. Now, she is in fantastic, awesome, perfect shape. It really helped me to know that she did not spend her life looking amazing, and that she had struggled. Because most of you can relate that as women, we struggle with weight.

I went from nearly quitting to pulling myself together. She also told me how her close friend had thrown up after 5 minutes in Boot Camp and nearly passed out. And now, she does the advanced moves.

I know I will be horribly sore tomorrow, but maybe - just maybe - on Wednesday, I will throw up only once.

Labels: fitness

Holiday Photo Wrap-Up

As promised, here are more pictures of my holiday break. Oh, I wish I could do it all over again!










It is not easy to get back to the daily grind. It was so nice to be completely flexible and just spend time with family and friends.

Oh, well - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday is right around the corner and we have a mountain getaway planned with friends. Just gotta hang on for two weeks. :)

Labels: family, holiday

2009 In Review

Shamelessly stolen from LT! :)

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Visit the East Coast
2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions in '09, and have you made some for '10? My goal is always to lose 10 lbs. I lost 9. I gained most of them back. Here we go YET AGAIN.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! My sister gave birth to my precious niece, Olivia. I also had several good friends/family members give birth too.


4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes. Lora DeFore, my former professor and great inspiration passed away a few months ago from cancer. I am so happy I was able to tell her what she meant to me.
5. What countries did you visit? Didn't leave the U.S. However, I did go to San Francisco, which was my first time to the East Coast. Amazing!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Abs
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? When my niece Olivia was born (Oct. 10)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting a fabulous job!
9. What was your biggest failure? Gaining those pesky 9 lbs. back.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I had a horrible ear infection at one point, but that was about it - thank God!
11. What was the best thing you bought? My iPhone (although Bert would disagree because I am too obsessed with it) and a pair of perfect-fitting jeans at Ann Taylor Loft

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Bert! He was able to get an assistantship and fellowship while working on his Ph.D.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Sarah Palin, all kinds of psychos in the news, the plotline to Precious, etc. etc. Personally - well, some things are better left unsaid. :)
14. Where did most of your money go? Living expenses and savings
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Visiting San Fran, going to the mountains for a quick getaway and time with family and friends
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? "Right Round" by Flo Rida
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? happier (b) thinner or fatter? Always the same! (c) richer or poorer? a little richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? getting up early/going to bed early/praying
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? thinking about the future and not living in the present
20. How did you spend Christmas? With my family!
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Yes. I fall in love each year with my Bert.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Lost

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No...no one new. :)
24. What was the best book you read? "The Help" - HIGHLY recommend
26. What did you want and get? Happiness.
27. What did you want and not get? To end the battle of the bulge.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? "Avatar" - do NOT miss this movie in 3D!
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29. I saw "Jersey Boys" and ate at the Sundial Restaurant - a GREAT birthday!
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If my grandfather would still have been alive
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Ann Taylor Loft with some funky accessories
32. What kept you sane? Bert, Mama, Prayer
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Bradley Cooper. After "The Hangover," Bert said he would go get a black button-up to wear with his black suit. Love my man. ;)

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Anything dealing with small mindedness. I shall leave it at that.
35. Who did you miss? Abbu, of course. I miss him every day.
36. Who was the best new person you met? My two new friends - both Jennifers!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. With hard work, anything is possible. Sometimes you just have to have faith that things will turn around and keep on keeping on.

2009 was good to me. Looking forward to a hopefully even-better 2010!

Labels: meme