Monday, October 7, 2013

Update Time

Hey everyone! Jeez, I didn't realize how long it has been since I've updated. I guess because nothing has really been going on? Or at least just nothing that I find interesting but I guess that is subjective? I have a feeling this update will turn out to be longer than I expect, but that's ok I guess!

OK, so up first, this is long overdue! Ingrid was such a sweetheart and sent me a really sweet birthday gift!



First, how adorable is this card?! This is nerd alert central and I'm totally in love with it!


The packaging was so pretty I didn't want to ruin it!


So here is the beautiful bracelet and the hilarious lip balm that Ingrid sent me! I love them both, thank you so so much Ingrid!!

OK, so I guess the Virgo/Type A/OCD is about to come out because I'm about to categorize my post :X

Health Update

OK, so not too much to update here. I'm on a shitty medicine that I hate but I'm going to speak to my Dr. about it the next time I go in to see if there is anything else I can switch to. 

In more interesting(?) news, my allergist completely blew my mind today. Like seriously needed to take a minute to recover from how gross the info was. And because I'm the kind of person that says "ew this is gross, try it" I'm going to share this info with you. 

Remember how I told you I was tested for a cockroach allergy as part of the standard airborne allergens testing for the Northeast? I must have hallucinated that he said I wasn't allergic because it turns out I'M ALLERGIC TO FUCKING COCKROACHES! Ok, so yeah that's gross and it took me a minute to soak that in but then I was like ok, I don't have roaches in my house or anything so I guess I'm ok? And he asked me if I ate chocolate and I said yes and then he told me that it is possible I'm ingesting tiny amounts of roaches. Digest that one for a second, let it soak in. He said processed chocolate but when I looked it up (as you know I would) it said that it can be traced back to the bean. And it's not just chocolate... it's fruit, wheat and other stuff. But honestly if you think about it... it's not a huge surprise considering all of that stuff comes from nature!! It is not my intention to freak everyone out, I just thought it was interesting information so please don't be freaked or grossed out!

Is your mind blown? Luckily my LONG allergy season is almost over and so the only allergies I'll have to deal with are my cat and cockroach allergies. I am debating trying allergy shots next year or the year after but I don't know. Has anyone ever heard anything about allergy shots? Are they gross like flu shots or is a good idea to just try and get rid of the seasonal allergies that take me out for 8 months of the year?

What I'm Listening To

I don't get into music too much on my blog but I figured that I'd kind of give you a peek into what is filling my ears lately. I don't think I've ever mentioned it here (or in blogs past) but I am a HUGE Metallica fan. Starting in high school they were one of my absolute favorite bands and while I haven't been listening to them as much in the past years, every time I play through my VERY extensive Metallica music library I'm reminded of how amazing they are. They've shown up on a lot of radio shows and podcasts lately as they have released a movie to theaters so listening to all of the interviews has made me feel very nostalgic and I've been in Metallica mode for the last couple of weeks. I was going to see the movie but then I heard that there's a lot of footage of a kid getting his ass kicked in between footage of a live show and I just don't think I can deal with that so I'll probably pass. I checked out the soundtrack on iTunes though and the sound quality of the live performances is INCREDIBLE. If you are a fan of theirs at all I definitely recommend checking out the soundtrack.

They have also illustrated another point I've made a million times in my life and one reason I hate men and that is because the older they get the better looking they are. It's really damn annoying that men just age really gracefully and look BETTER as they age. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. 



So when I tell you that James Hetfield looks like this at the age of 50 you get my point. NOT. FAIR.

Anyway, what kind of music do you listen to? Who are some of your favorite artists? I'm a hard rock girl at my core and topping my list are Metallica, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, the Deftones, Tool and many more.

I've also been trying to expand my podcast horizons so I've started bingeing on episodes of the Nerdist Podcast.



It's hosted by Chris Hardwick (you may remember him from the show "Singled Out" on MTV) and he talks all things nerdy with TONS of different guests. He's done like 400 episodes or something crazy and has amazing people from Metallica to Tegan & Sara to Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper!! and math nerd!) to Kevin Smith etc, etc. So far my absolute favorite episode other than Metallica was the Alton Brown episode!! If you are a podcast enthusiast I definitely recommend you listen to the Alton Brown episode. He is so interesting and hearing him curse was kind of amazing. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for this podcast (bonus points if you get that reference).

What I'm Watching

So I'm sure that this will come as no surprise but I've been watching the Weather Channel pretty exclusively ;) There is a show on there called Prospectors and I LOVE that show. I've seen every episode a million times (thanks On Demand!) and it's basically about a group of gemstone miners that mine their claims in the Colorado mountains. It's such a dangerous job but at the same time I would really love to just drop everything and move to the mountains and mine for gems. When I was a kid I collected rocks and gems (how the hell did I NOT study geology in school the first time around?! The signs were all there) so I've always had an interest in it and the show just brought all of that back up for me :) Luckily, I do live in a state where you can mine for certain gemstones (Garnet and Herkimer Diamonds specifically) as well as gold so I'm hoping to plan a fun weekend trip upstate in the spring the check out some mines! Nerd Alert right there!

What I'm Reading

Finally, I picked up a book I've been meaning to read for a long time:


Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live! My goal is to really try to use my diet as my main "medicine" and since I decided to give myself a break when it comes to my diet I've been feeling extra crappy so I decided that I'm going to try following this plan. To break it down to it's bare bones explanation, your diet consists mainly for fresh fruit and veggies (with a goal of 1 lb raw and 1 lb cooked veggies daily) supplemented with beans, nuts and seeds. There are no added oils, salts or sugars either. Supposedly just a few weeks can make a huge difference in your health so I'm really excited to get started!

Has anyone tried Eat to Live? How did you feel?

Alright, I guess that is my boring life right now :) I am sure I'll be posting more of my food as I start Eat to Live so stay tuned for that! I hope you have all been well over the past few weeks!


19 comments:

  1. That is disgusting about chocolate and roach parts. Like, seriously. Living in an apartment, roaches are pretty much unavoidable and I'm well aware of how they affect people with allergies. It's really sick. Chocolate has been making me feel a little weird recently too so I'm thinking I should definitely cut back. Sad. Allergy shots does not sound like fun. I hope you find a way to feel better without having to go through that.
    "Lip Shit" sounds right up yr alley. Ingrid really knew what she was doing there, haha!
    I don't listen to metallica a lot..and when I do, it's usually the old stuff but they're decent. TooL and AiC used to be a couple of my favorite bands, though. I really like all that grungey, heavy stuff, though I'm really all over the place in what I listen to. Love to hear about other people's musical tastes, though.
    Haven't read Eat to Live but it sounds interesting. Hope you enjoy it.
    And Happy Birthday, didn't get to comment last post!

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    1. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out! It is just crazy and I thought that people would want to know. I reworded it a bit because I think I was freaked out while I was writing it and it came out more extreme than I intended it. Again, I apologize!

      Allergy shots sound like a pain in the ass so I'll probably try using diet (Eat to Live talks a lot about eliminating allergy symptoms) first. If it doesn't work I'll probably consider the shots because the new career path I'm interested in would probably have me working outside a lot so I'd rather not feel totally crappy.

      Haha I know, the balm is so awesome! Definitely made me smile :)

      The old stuff is amazing. Truth be told I haven't heard much off of the newest albums but I have nothing against it. I love the heavy stuff but like you I veer off that course and listen to some other types as well.

      Thank you so much!!

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  2. Firstly the fact that that makes vegan chocolate not vegan and fruit not vegan disturbs me on many levels. So gross. so so gross. ick!

    Secondly happy belated birthday! I meant to comment last post but the time moster gobbled up any spare moments to.

    On allergy shots- my father had them years ago and never looked back. I was supposed to get them for havfever but found that changing my diet (eating as close to eat to live as possible) helped me so much I didn't want to get them anymore.

    ETL is great. The problems I have with it are related to my dodgey tummy (onions, beans etc) so I'm sure you'll be fine. I find myself feeling the best on ETL, the times I don't eat enough are when I want to overeat on unhealthy food so make sure you keep eating... it takes a bit of getting used to the sheer quantity of veggies but you'll get there. I tend to juice for breakfast and snacks to get extra allergy beating goodness in and have a huge salad with yummy dressing for lunch and stirfry/soup/stew etc for dinner... oh and remember to have some healthy desserts. I find it so much harder when I forget to enjoy things like fruit 'ice cream' desserts.

    All the best xxx

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    1. I don't actually believe that fruit is not vegan because of this. I think it is impossible to expect that no bugs have ever touched your produce considering it comes from the earth. I think that after washing it you are totally fine and not actually consuming bugs. The chocolate was a shock for me but I think the processing is really the problem because it's the same thing with the beans as it is with the fruit. I feel bad for freaking everyone out, I tried to reword it to get my immediate reaction/emotion out of it!

      Thank you so much!!

      It's funny because I was actually going to try Eat to Live first to see if I could naturally eliminate my allergy symptoms and if all else fails I'd consider the shots. Definitely good to know though!

      I'm so glad to hear that!! The plan sounds pretty straightforward and I was actually planning on eating similarly to you. I was going to do either a smoothie, fruit or oatmeal for breakfast. A giant salad for lunch every day and cooked veggies for dinner (with a grain if I don't have oatmeal for breakfast). It seems pretty easy! Do you have any suggestions for oil free salad dressings that you love? Yes definitely some fun fruity ice cream for dessert when it gets hot again!

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  3. You are so welcome! I hope you're enjoying the sassy lip balm and the bracelet!

    Honestly, I'm not too surprised about the prevalence of insects in our food (although, it's still gag-worthy!). When someone mentions how "weird" it is that I don't eat pizza - I just tell them about the phlegm they'll have from the cheese and that the government allows a specified amount of rat hair in pepperoni. At least we can wash our fruit, right?! ;) Chocolate, however, I don't know what to do. Ha! I hope you're able to find medication that meshes better with your system soon. I definitely think food is a pathway, and the Eat to Live book has been on my radar for a while. I'm going to see if our library has a copy!

    T.V., music. . .I have been living in a vacuum run by work! I only saw a movie last weekend because of my brother, and my commute to work is 12 minutes - thus, I listen to NPR for the news! I haven't had cable in some years, but I'll ask my family about that show (they were the ones to inform me of "Duck Dynasty" and I saw a couple of episodes last Christmas while visiting them). I will say that music-wise, all of my spin and yoga instructors play great music. During my Align & Flow class today, I wanted to ask her what the name of certain songs were, but I was too busy not balancing my knees on my elbows (crow pose). I'm not quite at the level I need to be for this class!

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    1. Yes I am enjoying both, thank you!

      I know, it is so gross but I guess I just never put two and two together.I hope the meds stop being annoying soon too. Definitely check out Eat to Live, it's a very interesting read.

      Lol! I haven't seen a movie in the theaters in like 2-3 years or something. Haha I've heard Duck Dinasty is funny but I've never seen it. Oh man I could never do crow pose. Cool that the classes are introducing you to new music though!

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  4. Oh hey! I can comment! For some reason it wasn't letting me comment on the last couple posts. The cockroach thing is pretty nasty (we had 'em in our house in Austin), and that sucks about the processing, though I suppose I always assumed little bits of bug got mixed in with most dried goods. Out of sight, out of mind? That's how I cope anyway, ha ha. And I know EXACTLY what you mean about the men and aging thing, so not fair! But on the flip side, we get makeup, ha ha ha. :)

    I love STP, they were a big part of my teenage years! Same with Tool, though I always preferred Perfect Circle more...not for the mellowness, it's just less mathy. And if you're listening to Nerdist podcasts, definitely check out Sex Nerd Sandra, she's pretty awesome, I've been following her show for about a year now. If you're into that kind of topic, ha ha (for some reason I feel like I might've recommended that before too, sorry if I'm having a bad memory). Have fun with Eat To Live, Joel Fuhrman seems pretty cool! Though I wouldn't be able to cut out oil - not for my sake, but Michael's...that guy needs all the calories he can get!

    It was nice hearing an update, I've missed you around the blogosphere!

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    1. Yay for commenting! I guess deep down I knew this was happening but when he said it flat out to my face I was SO GROSSED OUT. Especially because I'm allergic to it! No wonder processed food makes me sick! OMG men are so annoying because they just look BETTER! I'm too lazy for makeup! I just thank my mom for passing her baby face on to me :)

      I like APC too, Maynard's voice is insane. Love it. Ah I'll have to check it out! I've been trying to expand my podcast horizons. I'm not too concerned about the oil. The place I'll probably miss it most is salad dressing.

      Thanks, I've missed you guys too!

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  5. EWWWW roaches in chocolate! I am mildly horrified right now. Whyyy do I love chocolate so much?

    I've sorry to hear you are still feeling so awful! At least the winter will provide some relief from allergies right?

    Thanks for the podcast recommendation, I have just recent;y gotten into them, so I can't wait to give this one a listen!

    I have actually never read Eat to Live which I feel totally guilty about. But I've heard it's wonderful! I will definitely read it once I'm done school (and can choose what I read again haha). I hope this plan helps you! If nothing else, it is incredibly healthy so it can't hurt right??

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    1. I know, it's so horrible! Gross gross gross!

      I hope that the winter will definitely help deal with the allergies. I should be fine with the cat allergies since I'm only exposed at my brother's house.

      Yes, Nerdist is so good!! Let me know what you think when you check it out!

      It's a good read, I think you like it! I agree, it definitely can't hurt :)

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  6. Well, the cockroach thing didn't surprise me because I've worked in the food industry for the past 14 years. Lots of strange stuff goes on with our food, unfortunately...

    One of my co-workers is a huge Metallica fan & has been to a very large number of their concerts. He even has his hair long in classic 80's Metallica style. :) I do like all the bands you listed and also get into stuff like The Civil Wars, Mumford & Sons & Passenger.

    Ingrid really sent you a great package! Love the card, adore that bracelet and I'm absolutely in love with the lip balm. ha!

    I hear you on wanting to drop everything and move to the mountains. We would love to have a tiny isolated cottage in the mountains. So nice! Another co-worker of mine always says he plans to move to Colorado when he retires so he can pan for gold & smoke pot. He's pretty serious about it, too. :)

    I have read Eat To Live but haven't followed the plan. However, I have heard a lot of positive things about it.

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    1. Ugh, gross lol.

      Haha love the 80s hair. Very cool!

      I know, she is awesome! The bracelet is so pretty and the lip balm made me laugh so hard.

      Haha that's pretty funny about your coworker! I knew you would understand my desire to go off the grid :) I feel like life would be so simple and happy :)

      I'll let you know how I feel!

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  7. The birthday bracelet is so pretty. Ingrid did well, knowing you like that kind of Etsy stuff so much.

    Apparently, the FDA approves a certain percentage of bugs to be included in our packaged/processed foods. I always think about that when I eat Tomato Sauce, Ketchup etc.

    Due to their pro-hunting stance, I do not like Metallica at all. Don't care what their music sounds like.

    I watch Chris Hardwick on 'Talking Dead' (the show that discusses 'The Walking Dead') and a little on 'Talking Bad'. Unfortunately, to me, he'll always be that guy that got out shined by Jenny McCarthy.

    Finding some Herkimer Diamonds. That would be really cool! Lot the name 'Herkimer'.

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    1. It is definitely such a pretty bracelet! She definitely did well, I love it!

      I just read about the FDA limits and it's so gross.

      Ugh shit! I must have either repressed that fact 15 years ago when I was at the height of my fandom or just not realized it but that makes me so sad :(

      I had such a crush on Chris Hardwick when he was on Singled Out and I kinda still do! ;) Haha love the nerdy dudes. He was always the star of that show in my book. Jenny McCarthy was always annoying to me and way over the top.

      I definitely want to find some diamonds! Haha I know, the name is so fun! They got the name from Herkimer, NY which is where you can find them.

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  8. I think I've heard that cockroach fact before, or at least that there are bugs in almost everything we eat. Totally gross, but whatever.

    I don't listen to rock music AT ALL. It grates on my nerves so much--haha! It's too bad because Chris loves Nickleback and Daughtry, and I can't stand them. I love me some girly dance pop like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry.

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    1. I had a feeling that you might not be into rock music ;) I can do pop music once in a while when I'm in the mood for it but most of the time I'm not :X

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  9. Eww.... so maybe I should call my cookies cockroach chip?! I once had an apartment that did have roaches - so gross! I totally freaked out the first time I saw one, but Sweetie talked me down and said they weren't "that big" like the ones in his apartment in Guinea - !!!

    So you're a metal head? Do you have a picture of yourself as a teenage hard rocker girl? If so, you've got to post it.

    I think Eat to Live is a very healthy diet in a straightforward way. No faux "magical ingredients" or anything, just fresh whole foods. Have you seen the documentary Vegucated? Dr. Furhman is in it. It's a really good movie, both fun and informative. I encouraged one of my coworkers at the library to get it through ILL, and she took it home last night.

    Love your new site, and I'll be stopping by again.

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    1. LOL!!! The more I settle into the information the more I calm down about it. Seeing them is a whole other story. SO gross. Ewww OMG I can't even imagine what he saw and I don't want to. I saw a pic of wasps the size of someone's hand the other day and the first thing I said was "OMG I can't unsee that" and then I started itching.

      I'd have to look and see if I can dig anything up! I wasn't really goth or anything, just wore baggy jeans and black band shirts. The least flattering and attractive clothes you could imagine lol.

      I agree, I love that it is just fresh, whole foods and no fads or anything silly. I have not seen that documentary, I'll have to check it out! Very cool about your coworker!

      Thanks!

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