14 Ways to Be a Happier Person

2015 = less fear and more happy:

Piloxing My A** Off

After my annual check up, my doctor expressed that I need to cut back on the *cough, cough* fries, beer, chocolate, etc. that I consume on a daily basis. I was not happy to hear it, but I already knew that I needed to reign in my habit of eating-whatever-I-crave-and/or-see. Although knowing what you need to do and actually doing it are two different things, right? Well, this time I decided to get support for my upcoming healthy lifestyle and contacted The Events Planner right away. An hour or so later a link for a Groupon of unlimited classes for a month at the YWCA.org awaited me. You know you have a great gal pal when she agrees to sweat buckets with you!

Our first class together was a morning Piloxing class. What is Piloxing? It is exactly what it sounds like: Pilates + boxing. Apparently, the fusion of Pilates and boxing is not some cutesy workout but an actual movement (www.piloxing.com). My friend and I looked at each other as the instructor walked in and just knew the next 60 minutes were going to be insane. We were right.

Usually, I’m a bit weary of group exercise classes. I mostly fear that people would see my missteps, but this class was crazy fast-paced. No one was paying any attention. The  instructor moved as though she was on speed! As soon as I mastered a move, she erratically (as a beginner it seemed that way) changed positions: jab, jab, jump, touch the ground, stand, raise leg, put leg down, switch directions, upper-cut, etc. Oh and if you have poor balance, then tough! Figure it out. I thought I hated mat Pilates but Pilates while standing equals a lot of toppling over.

The pace was so fast that I actually looked forward to the Pilates portion in order to slow down some. I took several water breaks and whenever it felt unbearable, I slowed myself down (falling out in the name of exercise is madness).  That class should seriously have a warning on the organization’s fitness schedule.  The pace felt  more intermediate/advanced than I thought it would be.

All in all, it was a fun and very rigorous work out. My legs were wobbling as we walked out and my heart rate was definitely raised. Would I attend again? Sure! Next time I’ll know what to expect.

What a Load of Veggie Crock-Pot Lasagna

I bought a crock-pot a year ago with envisions of creamy soups and stews for that winter; yet, it remained in the box until spring. During my spring cleaning, I took my never-used crock-pot out of its box and put it in the cupboard with all of my big pots. I thought I would surely use it if I saw it among other pots. Right? Wrong. As a single woman (that rarely cooked), I had no great need for large pots. I had not looked at that crock pot again.

Until two weeks ago, I was in the mood for some really good food. I usually order take-out from my neighborhood’s vast selection of restaurants. But even I was tired of the usual suspects: Chinese, Italian, Indian, etc. So I went online and searched “veggie and crock-pot” and found this beyond easy recipe on Lindsay’s Pinch of Yum Blog: http://pinchofyum.com/super-easy-skinny-veggie-crockpot-lasagna.

I headed to the grocery at once to pick up the required ingredients. It took me a while to get started. I actually de-stemmed kale! Maybe to you that’s not a biggie, but to me I felt like a big time cook then. Since I’m not in the habit of cooking, I followed Lindsay’s recipe down to a tee…meaning no eye-balling measurements.

My apartment smelled heavenly while the lasagna slowly cooked and I organized a bit. After 5 hours of slow cooking (on low setting) , my veggie lasagna was done. I let it cool so the moisture and soupy-ness could congeal, tasted it, then packaged it for lunch the next day.

I cut small pieces for a couple of friends and let 2 coworkers try  a taste. The verdict…delicious!  Now I’m truly excited about my crock-pot and I’m looking for more vegetarian meals to make in it. If you know of any, please share!

Veggie Lasagna

The Non-Date Date

Surprisingly, I just recently experienced the non-date date. A non-date date (NDD) is basically an outing between two people and one thinks it’s a date while the other thinks it’s just a casual meet up.  I’ve been on blind, double, and speed dates, but never before a NDD.

Well two weeks ago, I experienced the non-date date for the first time. I’d developed a low-grade crush on my neighbor (“Jake”). Whenever I ran into him in the building, I’d stop and we would have a 5-10 minute conversation catching up. Nice right? In this day and age who actually knows (let alone speaks to) his/her neighbor?

Anyway, Jake suggested that we meet up for coffee and after a few scheduling conflicts, he bumped it up to dinner instead. I was ecstatic because dinner is a date, right?  Coffee I know is ambiguous, but dinner not so much. I even approached a couple  male friends with the scenario to make sure I wasn’t reading something that wasn’t there. The consensus…it was a date.

On the evening of our “date,” I decided to wear a dress with heels. Jake collected me from my apartment, but before we’d even hit the lobby, he mentioned his girlfriend. Uhm, come again? {The kicker…he introduced her  to me in the elevator a month ago as a friend! That introduction + bad Intel from another neighbor and no wonder I “knew” he was single.} Oh and that wasn’t all; dinner was literally half a block away at a local bistro. I guess if this had happened with some random dude from online it could have been really awkward. However, we talked all the time. If the girlfriend drop and location of the “date” weren’t clues that I was on a NDD, then splitting the check surely was.

As we walked back to our apartments, Jake suggested we meet up for dinner once a month to catch up. I smiled, played nice and said a big energetic:”Sure!” I don’t plan to go on any more non-date dates with him anytime soon, though. I could just picture him bringing his girlfriend on a non-date date and THAT would be awkward. 🙂 Have you ever been on a non-date date?

Running Scared

As I walk to my bus stop in the wee mornings, joggers pass me by on a regular trot.  My neighborhood is full of joggers; no matter what time of day, I would see joggers. Now that spring is here, I have seen groups of joggers. Usually, I look at all these brave souls in wonderment as they pass me by.

It may seem silly to some, but I am scared (perhaps scared is too strong a word…embarrassed maybe?) of running in public. I figured with all the regular runners around, I’d just scream out-of-shape beginner. Are you supposed to have a specific technique? What about form? Do you remember that Friends episode when Phoebe jogged with Rachel in the park and Phoebe looked crazy as she did?

My form isn’t that outrageous, but those thoughts would normally keep me in my apartment safe from scrutiny. Yet last week Saturday, I woke up determined to give jogging a try but with a compromise. Instead of prying eyes of strangers, I settled for the eyes of animals in the zoo. I jogged for 1-2 minutes then walked for 1-2 minutes (maybe more like 2-4 minutes). Starting wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was early enough to miss the weekend morning rush, but not deserted as employees were preparing for their shifts. Also, I was running down-hill for most of the time. A fact I quickly figured out upon my return trip.

The zoo is deceptively steep. On my return, I jogged uphill not even a minute before switching to walking. At times, I had to outright stop and catch my breath! Though my tentative run lasted maybe 30 minutes, I was pretty proud with myself. As I stretched, more people entered through the zoo’s gates. Maybe next time, I’ll take my run to the sidewalk.

Quick, Fast, and in a Hurry: Networking

About three weeks ago, I attended a speed networking event at Lost Society and surprisingly had a good time. I am not usually intimidated by meeting new people, but add the words “networking” or “professional” to an event full of strangers and I tend to freeze up. I don’t know if it’s the pressure to be “on” or just the knowledge that someone I might meet could possibly help advance my career. Whatever it is I usually keep away from such events.

While my social network has grown a bit since school, my professional network…not so much. That’s why when a coworker forwarded an invite to attend a speed networking event, I accepted without pause. I got there right as it was to start, but the coordinators informed me they were running approximately forty minutes behind schedule. I mingled only a little bit because I was pretty anxious to get started. I chose the  seat facing outward so I was the one to remain seated while others rotated. The set up was very much like speed dating, hence the name. There were two to a table and rotations  were about every 3-4 minutes called by the coordinators. However, unlike speed dating, there were hardly any awkward pauses. Thank goodness.

I met approximately nine people and we all pitched our elevator speech (some more rehearsed than others) and exchanged information. I did not have any business cards (huge gaffe on my part!), but I took notes and gave my email address. Interestingly enough, people with cards were super hesitant with letting them go. I was surprised about this for two reasons: 1) in this digitized time, most of us scan things like business cards with our phones and 2) business cards are meant for the express purpose of networking!

Since the speed networking started late, I had to dip out earlier than anticipated. I’m glad I forced myself out of my comfort zone and attended. Meeting so many people in such a short period of time allowed me to relax and chat.

Of course, attending a networking event and following up are two different things. I contacted the people I felt there was a connection with and shared my interest in keeping in touch. Hopefully, I have increased my professional network by one if not a few.

We Are More Than Strangers…Solidarity in Loss

Last Sunday, I witnessed a baptism at mass. At first, I could only think of the inconvenience (I thought people had private baptisms) of the additional fifteen minutes . However, I realized at the end that it was not an inconvenience but a privilege to witness. Mid-way through the rites and responses, the congregation was called to look over this little baby and protect him/her from evil. It was a wonderful feeling witnessing this connection between this baby and a group of strangers. But I guess that’s it, we’re not strangers. We’re all connected in some way…at mass, we were connected by our faith. In life, we’re connected by humanity. I left mass that day feeling rejuvenated.

This past Sunday, I left mass with a heavier heart.  The tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday was hovering over us all.  The morning mass was pretty crowded compared to other Sundays, perhaps because people wanted to say an extra prayer for the lost lives on Friday. The Priest’s sermon mostly concentrated on the massacre and called upon us to remember that we were indeed connected. Those families’ loss was our loss because we’re all family. Sometimes it is so easy for me to stay in my own head; these two past Sundays at mass reminded me I am not only tied to family but linked to the rest of the world as well.

A-Corn-Mazing-Time!

About a week or two (or maybe three?), Raider Red suggested that we go and visit a corn maze. I have never been to a corn maze and it seemed like a very “fall” thing to do. I’ve been saying yes to invites out a lot lately and decided to continue with this unusual trend.  And that is exactly how I found myself on a freezing Friday night venturing out to Upper Marlboro to a corn maze at Montpelier Farms.

Out of all the beautiful fall days to go gallivanting in a maze, we chose the coldest night thus far. But first to get our energy up…we feasted on popcorn, cinnamon donuts, and hot chocolate at the Farm Market. As we waited for Tamarind to show, I joked that she was probably calling from the warmth of her home and secretly kicked myself for not beating her to it. She did show eventually and we immediately started out for the maze.

I don’t know what I’d expected, but it was dark…like where-is-the-moon-hiding-pitch-black-dark. On our way into the maze, we bumped into a team of guys that were pleased as punch that they figured out the maze in 20 minutes and ran through it twice. I think they exaggerated a bit on their completion time, especially since it was so dark out despite a flash light.

While we walked, talked, and got turned around, I half-expected someone to jump out from behind the tall corn stalks and scare us silly. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a scare tactic/element involved. We actually covered a lot of the maze, but on the way back we gave in and contacted one of the aides to direct us back.

At the end of the maze, we worked up quite a bit of an appetite and headed to Jaspers for a bite to eat. Wrong decision…trudging through corn stalks and mud does not make for the sexy/flirty vibe of that place on a Friday night. All in all…it was a fun time.

Jumping on the DIY Wagon

Saturday afternoon my brother entered my apartment, looked around and said: “Your living room looks (cue dramatic pause) used.” Are you calling me messy? I asked and he laughed…laughed! Most of my friends know that I’m neat-challenged, but they rarely give me slack about it. I guess siblings do not care.

After surviving two days in doors due to hurricane Sandy, I decided to confront my clutter. I looked around and noticed that most of the mess consisted of stacks of books and sprawling magazines around the love seat and ottoman. Thus I had a containment issue. I was about to go to the nearby CVS and buy a few magazine holders (they sell those right?) when I remembered reading something about a second use of cereal boxes as magazine holders. Not wanting to go out, I did a quick Google search  and found a do-it-yourself instruction on Budget Savvy Diva’s website.

There you have it…one silly comment from my brother plus being bored inside equaled a mid-morning Home Ec project. While gathering supplies, I realized I did not have any cereal boxes or any wrapping paper. Just as I was about to get frustrated and venture outside, I found some gift bags I bought two years ago for a friends baby shower. Good thing I’m a pack rat! I took a medium-ish package box and substituted it for the cereal box; cut the box diagonally on both sides; opened the gift bags; and wrapped (and taped) the bags around the box; then finally stacked with magazines. Voila! I now have the means to contain my magazines.

It may not be perfect, but it was free!

Oh and it holds twenty magazines! Did I mention that I have to make a couple more? Though the living room a bit neater, it still needs a bit of work.

The Deliciousness of Friendship

Summer is gone, Fall is totally here and before you know it the holiday season will be upon us. I did not get a chance to see many friends this summer so I sent a mass email for friends to join me at an event I have wanted to attend for years…Taste of DC. Last Saturday, I finally got to attend.

All in all, Taste of DC was a good event. Aside from a few hiccups upon arrival: The Will Call booth seemed hidden, the event workers (two in particular) were not customer friendly, the line to receive the drink ticket was crazy long, and most vendors did not take the tickets we were given…they dealt strictly with cash. I still would recommend attending the event. I like having a plethora of food options in one place.

Ordinarily, I’m a bit wary about ordering food from a food truck. C’mon…do you know how many things can go wrong? Come to think of it, I should not be since I ordered food from trucks growing up in the V.I. Anyway in the spirit of Taste of DC, not only did I visit two food trucks, but I actually ordered FISH! I know, I know. I was totally asking for some digestion mishap. I tried the blackened fish tacos from Surfside Food Truck and it was freakin’ fantastic! It was so good that I went back for seconds (and almost thirds).

Oh, but the winner of my food tasting were the corn fritters from Tapas Truck! I literally stopped a family of four (mid-bite) and asked them what they were eating. There is no shame in my game when it comes to finding good eats. The father pointed me in the direction of the Tapas Truck and its long line and I waited. Oh, but it was sooooo worth the wait! While walking and searching for other vendors to try, three people stopped me and asked where I got the corn fritters.

Most vendors were not taking tickets, but I lucked out with the food trucks above. I came out-of-pocket once when I caught a whiff of freshly fried samosas. But hey, $4 for two was a deal in my book!

On my second run to Surfside Food Truck and then Tapas Truck, there was  music playing in the background. As I met back up with The Event Planner, she brought to my attention that Sean Paul was performing. By then, I was already in a food stupor and I slowly turned around. Yup…it was Sean Paul. I moved closer to the stage to hear him better. Good food and a live concert…does it get any better than that? LOL

I’m glad we’d gone at the start of the event, though. By the time we left it was getting mad crowded. Though I had to wait in line a bit to order, the lines were disgustingly long as we were leaving. Sometimes though, a little waiting is worthwhile.