Hunger Games and Harrah's Casino

I know, it has been a while since I have blogged. And so now I have a really long blog post for you all. I would like to personally thank all of you who read this whole thing.

First order of business: The Hunger Games

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I thought that the movie was amazing. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I was sad that they couldn't have made it about five hours long and fit in every little detail and emotion, but I guess that's a little impractical.  I came into the theater pumped, and I left the theater pumped, which is a sign of a good movie. I felt they did a really great job maintaining the integrity of the story. Although apparently some people had a problem with the color of Rue's skin. Really? Really? It clearly stated the color of her skin in the book. Learn to read, kiddos.

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I don't care what shade her skin is, you have to admit that child is adorable. And totally tear-worthy. You better believe I cried. Also, I think the comparisons to Twilight have been fully debunked. For starters, there was real acting. But I will not dwell on that. Basically, it was awesome. Go see it! 

One of the reasons that I didn't blog much this weekend was that Zach and I went with his parents to Harrah's Casino for his grandmother's birthday. She wanted to eat at the restaurant there. Zach's parents gambled while he and I spent 4 hours just aimlessly walking around the hotel. It was super fun.

This hotel was all kinds of swanky.

There was a little balcony overlooking the casino where creepers like me could stand and watch/take pictures of all the gamblers. 

We ate at Paula Deen's Kitchen.... definitely not gluten-free-friendly, just so you know. 

There was a nice view of the casino across the river.

Zach and I spent some time looking at an otter that was swimming around (he was trying to go upstream against the current...rather unsuccessfully). It was the first time I have ever seen an otter in the wild. They are funny little creatures. Then I made Zach pose for a picture:

It was a pretty cool place. Maybe one day if I ever have lots of money to lose, I'll go back and hit up the casino. The hotel itself was nice but there were only so many times you could walk around the lobby before it got boring. 

Okay, last part, I promise (have you fallen asleep yet?). I started off my week really strong on the workout front, and then this weekend it just kind of fell apart. I had hoped to go for some walks, but it was rainy and nasty, and the sub-par netflix yoga video just didn't sound fun.

Weekly Workouts:
Monday: 3.5 mile walk
Tuesday: 30 minute yoga video
Wednesday: 1 hour pilates class
Thursday: 2 mile walk
Friday: off
Saturday: uhh... walking around a hotel for 4 hours?
Sunday: off

Hopefully I will do better this week. I am off to a good start with a 3.7 mile walk today! Can't beat the weather right now.

Have you seen the Hunger Games? Did you love it? Did you wish you had a night in a cave with Peeta?

Blueberry Smoothie

Lately I have been completely obsessed with a blueberry smoothie I've been making. I could eat this thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I figured I ought to share the recipe, because it is just too delicious to keep to myself!

Blueberry Oatmeal Protein Smoothie
serves: 1
-1/2 cup of ice
-1/3 cup frozen blueberries
-1/2 of a blueberry greek yogurt cup
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of vanilla almond milk (depending on how thick you want it)
-1/8 cup vanilla protein powder
-just under 1/4 cup of oats
-1/2 tbsp honey
-1/2 banana, sliced

Blend, and enjoy!!!

I don't have a picture, but this is more
or less what it looks like. Source.

Just Keep Walking

I think I forgot to mention in my last post that I went to see the physical therapist Friday, and he said I am improving a ton and that I might be able to start doing some light biking next week! I have never been so excited about biking. You really forget how much you enjoy exercise until you can't do it anymore, and I am just plain sick of pilates and swimming by now.

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Anyway, speaking of exercise and lack of motivation, I have done pretty much none of it this week. Oh, except eating. Building jaw muscles... you know the drill. I have been counting walks with the dog as exercise...because that's about all I've done.

Weekly Workouts:
Monday: off
Tuesday: circuit workout
Wednesday: 2 mile walk with the dog
Thursday: 30 minute pilates video
Friday: 1 mile walk with the dog
Saturday: 30 minute yoga video
Sunday: off

I have extreme ants in my pants at this point, and I don't think I'll be able to get back to swimming until later this week, if not next week (more on that later). So I am cardio-less. Ugh. Want to go for a walk, anyone? 

Walking the Dog

I'm sure that all of you are dying to see more pictures of the dog. Because I don't have nearly enough of him on the blog already, and I totally have done way more than just walk the dog over these past few days...definitely.

So, without further ado, here you go:

He seriously has to smell every. little. thing. on our walks. No clump of grass, large leaf, or rock goes un-smelled.

At one point, Zach and I decided to let him off the leash to see what he did. He ran around like he had just gotten out of jail or something. 

And then he ran away... see that speck in the distance? 

We had to chase him down and put him back on probation (the leash). I am going to enroll him in training classes soon so that he can learn to not take off like a bat out of hell every time we let him off the leash. Also, it'd be nice if he wouldn't bark and growl at everyone he meets. It tends to scare away visitors.

Good thing I still love him. 

Luckily, all of this walking has tired him out, and he has actually been sleeping all night, rather than waking up at random intervals to chew on my face and lick my ears. Or it could be the fact that I've been threatening to have him fixed if he doesn't calm down... who knows.

Spring Break

I have been the ultimate lazy bum this spring break. Most of my friends went to various beaches for parties. What did I do? I took my cat to the vet, and went to a dermatology appointment. Oh, and bought an interview suit. I am really living it up my senior year.

Truthfully, though, it has been really great to just chill out and be lazy for a week. After my visit to Charlotte, I drove up to Zach's house. He is not on spring break, so it has just been me and the dog for the past few days. We have filled our time with walks, tv shows, and playing fetch.

Can't say no to that face...

We have also really been enjoying the sunshine. 

Anyway, I guess one of these days I'll have to accept that I have to go back to school and actually have homework to do, but today is not that day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have lounging to do.

Visiting Charlotte

I came back home for a visit to Charlotte to kick off my spring break. It is so warm here! I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for my customary pre-rush hour traffic fuel on the way in.

I love the cinnamon swirl flavor. After spending what felt like forever stuck in traffic (Charlotte is full of absolutely crazy people on the roads), I got home and was greeted by my mom's obese cat, Chloe. 

She is a little on the large side. I think she may have a thyroid problem. Anyway, the weekend has been pretty fun. Yesterday, we spent all day at the mall, shopping for an interview suit. Apparently, no one my size wears suits, because nothing fit. Finally we found a really nice (read: expensive) suit that actually fit me. I will still have to get it tailored, but at least I don't look like I'm wearing clown pants in this one. Once I have the finished product, I will get pictures! 

Workouts this Week: 
Monday: off
Tuesday: aqua jogging, 40 minutes
Wednesday: 1 hour Pilates class
Thursday: 3 mile walk
Friday: off
Saturday: off (unless you count hours of walking around the mall)
Sunday: circuit workout + 1.5 mile walk 

My mom and I took Dudley (her boston terrier) for a walk today since it was so gorgeous outside. Dudley loved it. He flips if he even hears the word "walk". 

There is a big power line trail behind the house which makes for a good walking trail. The soft ground was also way easier on my knees.

Tomorrow I have a really exciting dermatologist appointment, and then I am meeting a friend for coffee. Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Snow Day

The weather up here has been bipolar lately. I was in shorts last week, and then yesterday, I had the pleasure of walking to classes in this mess:

Gotta love snow storms. Today, it was back up to 50 degrees and sunny again, so who knows.

My knees were killing me today. I don't know if it is the weather or the heavy snow boots I had to wear or what, but they hurt. I went to the pool and did about 35 minutes of pool jogging, and that was my work out for the day. 

Have any of you read "The Hunger Games"? I am SO excited for the movie! Just a few more weeks!
Trailer:

You should all go see it so that I have people to talk about how good it was with. Or Zach will have to listen to me talk about it for weeks. I hope that it is just as good as the book (I know, I know... unrealistic expectations). So far, though, from the trailers, it looks really accurate, and just how I pictured it!

Anyway, off to study some Inorganic Chemistry.

Masquerade!

This past week as well as this next week are CRAZY busy. The weeks leading up to spring break are always a nightmare, but this has been especially bad. Anyway, even in the middle of the craziness, I have still had some fun, and some exercise.

This week's workouts: 
Monday: off
Tuesday: 750m swim
Wednesday: Pilates
Thursday: swimming techniques (kickboard, paddles, etc)
Friday: off
Saturday: dancing!
Sunday: Pilates

So, you might wonder what the dancing was all about? Well, Zach and I went to the masquerade ball! Here are a few pictures: 

me hanging out.

myself and my handsome date. 

my dress. It is not actually as bright red as it looks in
these pictures. 

A picture with my cell phone. Better idea of
how bright my dress really is. 

Obviously I had to be careful with the dancing part because of my knees, but we had fun! It was great to get to go out and spend some quality time with Zach, too. It seems most of our activities lately involve him watching me write lab reports or study.

Next week is spring break. I am halfway through the last semester of my undergraduate career. I am so excited. Not that I am anxious to leave my friends and college life, but I am just ready for the next part of my life to start. Which will hopefully begin with finding a job that I love! 

Sexy Lab Goggles

If you guys have read my "About Me" section, you know that I majored in Chemistry just so I could wear the sexy lab goggles (that is totally sarcasm, by the way). So I thought I would give you all the pleasure of seeing my gorgeous lab goggles, courtesy of my lab partner who carries a camera everywhere:

If you think these are awesome, you should see the goggle marks that I have left on my face for hours after taking them off. Sex-y. 

Zach and I are planning to go to Outback tomorrow, mainly because I coerced him into agreeing to go with me (I am just kidding. That man would never turn down a steak). I have been drooling over the thought of one of these all week:

The Chocolate Thunder from Down Under. 

This is quite possibly the most delicious dessert of all time, and it happens to be gluten-free. Outback Steakhouse, you have made my life.

Well, I am off to another physical therapy appointment to get more painful, tedious exercises added onto my PT plan. Wish me luck!