Archives for October 2009 | theclothesmakethegirl

Oct 8, 2009 Posted by Mel

Humid Helen… Skinnier Band!

The last time I did Helen (July 20, 2009) was both a testament to my stubbornness and a test of my faith. I’d upgraded my kettlebell weight and downgraded the thickness of the band I used to help with pullups. I didn’t quit on the workout, but my time was north of the 20-minute cutoff, and Carla had to encourage me through my last pullups. I was still doing them when the rest of the class was... read more

Oct 8, 2009 Posted by Mel

Results Not Typical

While I deal with corporate overlord silliness, take a look at this story on That’s Fit about the new guidelines regarding truth in weight loss advertising. Results Not Typical read more

Oct 7, 2009 Posted by Mel

Stay On Your Grizzly

This public service announcement brought to you by Erika and me… hold your own, know your name, go your own way, and stay on your... read more

Oct 7, 2009 Posted by Mel

Feelin’ Randy

I’m a sucker for British television mysteries like Midsomer Murders and British mystery novels by Elizabeth George and Minette Walters (but not Agatha Christie). The secrets are darker, the countryside is greener, and the language is peppered with phrases like “Bloody Hell!” and “Inn’t it?” Plus naughty people are occasionally described as randy (having a coarse manner;... read more

Oct 6, 2009 Posted by Mel

That’s Fit: Secret Lives of Women

Chalk this up to the universe teaching me a lesson about being closed-minded. I wouldn’t have voluntarily watched “Secret Lives of Women,” but I got an advance screener of tonight’s episode so I could write about it for That’s Fit. And I was surprised. This installment is about three women who lost significant amounts of weight, and I have to say, it was a pretty good show. It... read more

Oct 6, 2009 Posted by Mel

Dinner and a Movie™: Executive Decision and Chicken & FauxJacks

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. It’s 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 the... read more

Oct 5, 2009 Posted by Mel

Bamboozled by Banglz

Sweet! According to the Banglz website, I can forget about the heavy weights I’ve been lifting twice a week, kiss my scary-sweaty met-con workouts goodbye, cancel my CrossFit Central membership, and just start wearing cute bracelets to reach my... read more

Oct 4, 2009 Posted by Mel

Hot Spinach – Cool Dressing – Awesome Snack

+ + + The SituationIt’s Sunday afternoon. I need a snack. And if I do it right, the damn thing will be made of vegetables, preferably something leafy and green. (See Moxy-Boss and Dallas?! I’m listening.) I look in the fridge which is, mercifully, packed with vegetables and other dino-chow goodies because I visited the grocery store twice today. Sigh. What I grabbed• a defrosted bag of... read more

Oct 4, 2009 Posted by Mel

Eating Paleo at ACL

Yesterday proved what I suspected: you can find dino-chow just about anywhere – you just have to be vigilant, diligent, and willing to toss a bun! After seeing Flogging Molly in relentless and awesome rain (see video below), I dug into a pulled pork sandwich from the Salt Lick BBQ stand: a pile of tasty pork with very lightly dressed shredded cabbage and a small squirt of BBQ sauce. The bun acted as a... read more

Oct 2, 2009 Posted by Mel

That’s Fit: Coke Comes Clean on Calories

That’s Fit is a fitness and nutrition blog in the AOL network – and one of my blog posts is live today. Coke Comes Clean on... read more

Oct 1, 2009 Posted by Mel

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Exactly two years ago today, I went to my first CrossFit Bootcamp workout. Suffice it to say, it was a life-changing event. On my one-year anniversary last year, I threw down some major goals for 2008-2009: pullup a handstand jumping on the tall box How did I do against them? Meh. Box jumps are conquered and now much-adored, which is pretty great. And if I’m well-rested, well-fed, and in a... read more

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reading is sexy
Reading right now...

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.