Friday the 13th

Posted by Gretchen on July 13, 2012 Posted in Dear Diary Tagged feelgood friday

Unsurprisingly, it’s been a bit of a heavy week. Y’know, what with my in-depth Twilight eating disorder analysis paired with my most recent confession. Oh, this brain of mine. So with that in mind, as well as the fact that it’s Friday the 13th today (oooOOOooOooh!), let’s keep it light today, shall we?

Just in case there are any of you who are itching to kill a little time today, I invite you to view the following videos. The first is a banging music video that my brother wrote, shot, directed, and edited (including the SFX!) for the local DC-area band Rites of Ash. (Click here if the video isn’t embedding properly in email or RSS.)

The second is the first installment of an incredibly hilarious vlog series called “Alex Reads Twilight”. Ai Rei showed this to me after our viewing of the movie Monday night, and it is absolutely hilarious. Like, you should probably not watch if it there are lots of other people around you at work because you won’t be able to keep yourself from laughing. British vlogger Alex reads through the book Twilight for the first time, chapter by chapter, and his commentary is just wonderful. (Click here for the same reasons as stated above.)

Aaaaand just for those of you who may be completely unable to watch Youtube videos at work (you poor things), here is a good old-fashioned hilarious .gif to start the weekend off right:

(source)

And that, as they say, is that.

Have a great weekend!

Feelgood Friday: Puppies!

Posted by Gretchen on April 6, 2012 Posted in Pup Posts Tagged daxter, feelgood friday, haircut, harry, miniature schnauzers

It’s been a bit of a heavy week for me thus far, I admit. You know, what with the less than ideal Cherry Blossom 5K, and then a couple of generally melancholy days. So to thank you for sticking with me through my hum-drummery, I’m going to keep it light today. It is Good Friday, after all. So let’s kick off Easter Weekend with some genuine feelgoodery, shall we? 🙂

Someone(s) got a haircut yesterday, and it wasn’t me this time. In order for you to grasp how desperately a haircut was needed, allow me to present the following photos that my brother shot earlier this week:

What’s that you’re saying? They don’t look so bad? Oh, ho, ho… I cordially disagree:

LOLOLOLOLOL.

Off to the groomer they went bright and early yesterday, and when I picked them up, they actually looked like real schnauzers again! I took them to Purrfect Grrooming (heh), which is just down the street from my house. I’ve been there before, and recently they had a Living Social deal that I just couldn’t pass up! Coincidentally, Claire had also brought her pupster to the same groomer on the same day! I caught a glimpse of Oscar trying to bite the groomer’s hand off when I picked up my little guys, hahahaha.

Handsome boys!

Harry never looks quite as hobo-like as Daxter when his hair grows out, he just ends up looking really fat, bahaha. So his haircut makes him look like he lost 5 pounds — which, for a 24-lb schnauzer, is quite a lot! I sure wish it was that easy for me…

The Mini Schnauzer Weight Loss Plan™: As fast and easy as a hair cut!

This is actually Daxter’s first real schnauzer cut. I’ve kept him in kind of a teddy bear cut since he was a puppy, which has his hair the same length all over. I think he looks rather dapper as a true-blue schnauzer, don’t you?

Pulling. It. Off.

That said, I probably will go back to the teddy bear cut after this. I just don’t think he pulls off the distinguished old man look quite the same way that Harry does.

I make this look good.

Anyway, at the rate that their hair grows (which is FAST! The price I pay for having a non-shedding breed, I suppose) he’ll be back to looking like this in no time:

Photo by Ben

In the meantime, however, they’re all primped and primed for my big birthday bash next weekend! I keep trying to think of how to dress them up for the theme of the party. Labeling Harry as “Padfoot” is easy enough, since he’s already a greyish-black dog, but do you think that if I just wrap Daxter in a feather boa he could pass as Hedwig? My other thought was to dye him Orange and call him “Crookshanks” all night, bahahaha. (Kidding! …Mostly.)

Help!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and Happy Easter!

Feelgood Friday: The Little Things

Posted by Gretchen on March 30, 2012 Posted in Dear Diary Tagged cherry blossom, feelgood friday, friday, weekend

Happy Friday, friends! For those of you who will be playing the Mega Millions Lottery tonight (estimated jackpot of $540 million!), good luck! I’m playing with a pool started by my office, hehe. I mean, who knows? SOMEBODY’s gotta win eventually, right? Also good luck to those of you who are running the Cherry Blossom Race on Sunday! As you know, I dropped down from the 10 Miler to the 5K, so if you see me chugging along at some point, be sure to come say hi!

Though I have a feeling the race course will be unfortunately blossom-less this year.

I’m actually in a pretty good mood this morning, which is rather novel for this week. Hopefully it hasn’t shown TOO much here, but I’ve been doldrum-dwelling for the better part of this past week. I guess that with all the mental power I’ve been devoting to my career path, I was feeling a little burdened at the end of the day. So I figured that today I should capitalize on this feel-goodery and take a departure from all the big, life-changing decisions I’ve been contemplating and celebrate the little things that have me in such a stellar mood instead!

I took some of your advice from yesterday’s post and whipped up a large batch of awesomeness last night. I made a light pasta salad out of whole wheat angel hair with red peppers, onion, green onion, celery, and just a wee bit o’ bacon. I tossed it all together in a large bowl, then portioned some out and added balsamic vinaigrette to it separately. It was delicious, packed in a bunch of veggies, and was very satisfying. And now, I have a huge bowl of it in the fridge, where it should definitely keep for a little while, and for variety I can simply add whatever dressing or additional toppings to it that I want! I’m thinking I can try peanut sauce for an Asian twist, shake in a little parmesan cheese, or even just do a simple toss with oil and vinegar. I’m excited about the possibilities!

Daxter has been putting the “terror” in “terrier” lately by reigniting his chewing phase. I’ve lost a sports bra, pair of flip flops, and a camera tripod to the little monster so far, and he utterly destroyed Erin’s copy of “A Game of Thrones” (everybody’s a critic). Hopefully he is coming out of this phase though (Please… please let it be over…) with the help of chewable toys and treats that he’s actually ALLOWED to destroy. I submitted a picture of him for a contest by Embrace Pet Insurance (they’re the BEST if you’re thinking about getting pet insurance — and you really should!) and won a little package of stuff including an edible card! Hopefully it will help stave off the little mongrel from attacking any more of my footwear. He’s lucky he’s so cute.

I’ve been getting in some supplies for the EPIC AMAZINGNESS that will be my 24th birthday party. And yes, the rumors are true: It is going to be Harry Potter themed. (NO JUDGING!) I’m trying very hard not to go too-too overboard with the planning, but let’s just say that there most DEFINITELY be some adult Butterbeers served… and if people are really lucky, they might just get their hands on a vial of Felix Felicis as well.

What’s a little thing that’s making you happy today?

Feelgood “Friday”

Posted by Gretchen on November 10, 2011 Posted in Dear Diary, Pup Posts Tagged daxter, dogs, feelgood friday, harry, miniature schnauzers, pups

All right, all right. Enough wallowing. Well, enough public wallowing, at least. Enough public wallowing for now. Instead, let’s try to focus on happy things. Like the sushi that I got to eat last night in the company of a great friend (Hi Lizzie!). Like how I got paid today (w00t!) And like the fact that even though today is Thursday, it feels like a Friday since I have tomorrow off for Veterans’ Day.

Also, puppies. PREPARE FOR CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

Poor Harry. Always getting one-upped by that sassy little fluffball. By the way, how do you like their haircuts? Ben did Harry’s, and I did Daxter’s. He actually looks like a schnauzer again! A, um, BIG step up from some of my past grooming attempts, I’d say…

I just love it when you pin me down and shave my hair against my will.

And since I don’t have any actual content of substance to share with you, so concludes another completely pointless (but hopefully aesthetically pleasing?) post. But hey, at least I made an effort today, right? Baby steps. And in keeping with my plan to try to stay busy, I’ve got weekend plans up the wazoo. So stay tuned!

Is today your Friday? (Columbus Day deja vu!) Or are you secretly seething at me for bragging that I have tomorrow off? If it’s the latter, fret not. You probably get the day after Thanksgiving off, don’t you? Now who’s bragging, HMM?

Feelgood Friday: It’s my blog and I’ll post what I want to

Posted by Gretchen on July 29, 2011 Posted in Dear Diary Tagged feelgood friday, love, positivity, self-confidence, self-love

Naturally, today’s blog title is meant to be sung to the tune of one particularly famous Cyndi Lauper song (in your head if you’re a normal person, out loud as you type it if you’re me.) Heh.

So I could spend this post detailing out the nutritional black hole that was my day yesterday (bagel & cream cheese for breakky, chicken wrap & chips for lunch, food court Japanese bento box for dins if you were wondering) and how Harry Potter really was just as good the fourth time around. Or I could spend this post talking about how I clearly had forgotten what it is like to have a puppy in your home (though I maintain that Daxter was never this much work. My brother disagrees.) All I know is that you owe me big time, sister dearest.

So cute. So. Much. Energy.

Instead, I’m going to do this 5 Things post that Laura tagged me in. Yes, I realize that I literally just did one of these kinda things with my 7 Links post, but hey, it seemed to get a good response from you guys! Plus, it’s Friday and maybe someone out there could use a pick-me-up on this incredibly humid morning (seriously. It’s like walking into a swamp. WTF DC?) And lastly, and you may have already caught onto this because you are so very clever and that’s why I love you, it’s my blog. I get to post what I want to. Heehee.

source

So the idea is that I post five things that I love about myself (it’s hard to narrow it down that much, I know. HA!) They can be physical (toned arms!), mental (brilliant at math), emotional (supportive), totally random (makes perfectly symmetrical pankcakes) or anything else. Then I tag five other bloggers to do the same. Then you all reflect and comment on something that you love about yourself! And then we all bask in the glow of self-confidence and mutual acceptance (hence the whole “Feelgood Friday” thing.) And we kick off the weekend the right way. Sounds good? I think it sounds good.

Gretchen’s 5:

photo by ben powell

1. I love my sense of humor. I know that some of you might not agree (what sense of humor?) but I think I’m funny, dammit! After all, “if you can’t laugh at yourself, life’s going to seem a whole lot longer than you’d like.” (Garden State)

2. I actually kind of love that I’m such an emotional person. I mean, I know that most people wouldn’t really consider this to be a great trait, considering that I cry at the drop of a hat and have the thinnest skin ever (never be mean to me, k guys? Hahaha.) but it’s really something I’m trying to embrace. I’m a sensitive person. As much as I’ve tried in the past, this is something that I am never going to be able to change. And I’m finally realizing that I might not want to. Being this way is how I’ve gotten a lot of my strengths: empathy, honesty, and fiercely caring for my friends & family. But it also forces me to try to overcome some of my weaknesses, like being overly sensitive, defensive, and inappropriately emotional (hello crying at work!) I’m a work in progress, what can I say?

3. Let’s get vain: I love my eyes. They’re the most Asian part of me (perhaps the only Asian part of me — thanks DAD.) and so sue me, I think they’re pretty. Almond-shaped, deep-brown, small and evenly set.

photo by ben powell

4. Let’s get vainer (is that a word?): I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been kinda digging my legs lately. This is NEVER something I would have been able to say a year ago. I used to avoid shorts like the plague, but I’m definitely coming around to them. Okay, so maybe what I lack in Asianness, I get to make up for in long leggedness (thanks Dad!)

5. What else could this end with? I love that I’ve lost 56 pounds! I know I talk a lot about how I still have a ways to go, that I’m not at my goal yet, blahblahblah. While that is still true, I’m not done losing weight and I’m not at my “happy weight” or “healthy weight” or whatever-you-want-to-call-it weight yet, I think that sometimes I fixate so much on losing more than I forget to celebrate how much I’ve already lost, and how far I’ve already come.

So there you have it! So time for me to tag some others:

Jennifer @ A Knack for Nutrition
Erin @ The Part-Time Writer
Casey @ Hippie Health Nut
Bailey @ Bailey’s Belly Battle
Melissa @ The Journey to Marvelous

What do you love about yourself?