Jun 22, 2009
Soon I’ll be takin’ a dip in the beautiful blue waters of Playa del Carmen and takin’ a sip of something cool and frosty. Just 6 more days ’til my first beach vacation since Dave and I went to Cabo San Lucas in 1993. That’s right! It’s been 16 years since the big man and I kicked back in the sand. Books, sunscreen, bathing suits, my stack of CrossFit WOD index cards...
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Takin’ a Dip
Jun 22, 2009
I had an amazing Spartan Spirit weekend, and I’ll be posting photos and full update soon. But today, the corporate overlords are cracking the whip, so my stories will have to wait.
Instead, I want to tell you about One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick. You could say it’s about a guy who joined the Marines, but that would be minimizing its power. This story is about integrity, strength, honor,...
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Reading is Sexy: One Bullet Away
Jun 21, 2009
I found this Moroccan spice blend on Kalyn’s Kitchen blog and thought I’d pass it along to y’all. It’s very good on butternut squash and sweet potatoes (key components in my new post-workout breakfast), but I suspect it would also be tasty on chicken, shrimp, cauliflower, and other mildy-flavored things that are begging for a spicy-sweet zing.
Moroccan Spice Blend
2 tsp ground...
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Moroccan Spice Blend
Jun 19, 2009
Disclaimer: I have the deepest respect for the Spartan 300 workout and its ability to bring me to my knees. For an appropriately reverent take on the Spartan 300, visit Aaron’s blog. To be silly, read on.
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This post is dedicated to maintaining a playful, optimistic, relentless attitude about tomorrow’s Spartan 300 workout — and avoid the pitfalls of last...
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This. Is. Sparta.
Jun 18, 2009
Sometimes you just need to look at something cute. Big props to cuteoverload for the continuous supply of painfully cute...
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Stop… Hammie Time
Jun 18, 2009
Not this Sesame:
[My trouble-making cat Sesame, in her "hat model" glory days.]
This Sesame:
My lastest foodie find: tahini sauce.
Actually, it’s not a new discovery, but it is newly-added back into my daily menus, now that I’m taking in more good fat than previously. And I’m over-the-moon about it. YUM!
Check out how simple the recipe is, and then I’ll give you some awesome ideas...
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Open Sesame
Jun 17, 2009
Sign of the Apocalypse?
I hate talking on the phone. Just ask my mom, and she’ll tell you that I’m horrible at returning phone calls. (I love you, Mom – just don’t much like the phone.) So I rely on texting to stay in touch with friends and to send words of encouragement or to find Dave when we get separated in Target. Texting is awesomely useful. But this freaks me out a little. (Although I am pretty fast... read more
Jun 17, 2009
Countdown to Spartan 300: T Minus 3 Days
There are just three sleeps ’til the Spartan 300. Based on advice from my new mentor/boss, I’m taking both Thursday and Friday as rest days, which means this morning’s workout was my last one ’til the 3-2-1-GO! at 8:30 Saturday morning. I gotta admit: rest sounds yummy. Today’s workout was a great send-off into sleeping an extra hour each night and eating a little extra fat... read more
Jun 16, 2009
So many of my very favorite things are coming together on Saturday for the perfect weekend storm. Please consider yourself invited to all of these events – except my afternoon nap!
6:30 a.m. – Weight Watchers meeting
7:45 a.m. – Check-in for the final Spartan 300 Workout of the 6-week Challenge
8:30 a.m. – KILL the Spartan 300
10:00 a.m. – Indulgent breakfast at the Frisco Shop...
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Super Rockin’ Spartan Saturday
Jun 16, 2009
I love a super-cheesy action movie, and my favorite “pass the time on the bus” daydream is a long, involved story of double-crossing spies, starring me in black leather – with the miraculous ability to run in high heels.
Cracked.com has compiled a list of five real-life soliders who pretty much define badass. In it, you will meet a gentleman known as “The White Death” and learn...
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Five Real Badasses
Jun 16, 2009
Dinner & a Movie™: Curry & Prehistoric Eating Machines
Dave and I, after much painful trial and error, have declared Sundays “socializing-free zones,” which means that except for major occasions — like a friend’s recent wedding — we don’t make plans with other humans on Sundays. Sunday is our day to sleep late, do laundry, cook for the week, taunt the cat about being a skinny-ass Zombie beast, read books, take a nap, sit in... read more
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Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan • melissa@theclothesmakethegirl.com
Reading right now...
The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
I'm about two-thirds of the way through this detective thriller, and I'm hooked. It's set in modern Norway with flashbacks to WWII (catnip for me!) and features a somewhat grim hero that engenders empathy. I can't help pulling for the guy as I watch him struggle with his case and his life. The cast of characters is a realistic but motley crew, and it reminds me of other favorites set in cold, snowy climes: the Millenium Trilogy and Smila's Sense of Snow.
Recently finished...
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
I picked up this book after reading an interview with Lee Child (author of the Jack Reacher thrillers). He referred to The Lost as "the book of the century" and since I devour as much as I can about the Holocaust to try to make sense of it all, I decided I needed to read it immediately. Part memoir, part detective tale, this book was thoroughly engrossing. It's intelligent, annoying, moving, frustrating, and ultimately, rewarding and beautifully written. It challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and I was sad when it was finished.
