Archive for January 2012

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30 January 2012

Back to gym

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: gym

As much as I like working out, the lazy part of me likes NOT working out more.

Sure, the endorphin rush is awesome, but if I had the option, I would not mind sleeping in and skipping the gym altogether.

Yes, my love/hate relationship with the gym continues!

And as fun as not working out it, I just got a solid reminder of how easy it is to fall off the gym bandwagon.

Between pre-Sundance work, being in Park City and then post-Sundance exhaustion, I have not worked out for two weeks. Naively, I thought it would be easy to jump back in to the routine.

Then I went to the gym yesterday, tried to work out and wanted to crawl home.

I’m not even being slightly dramatic.

Then this morning, I went again and did better, but still was barely getting through my old routine.

Two weeks away felt like two years! It’s amazing how fast you can lose your momentum.

And what’s worse, is getting back in the early morning routine. The alarm goes off at 5:30 am and I want to knock it off the nightstand. But, I slowly get myself up and go, I mean, it has to get easier right?

I know this is only temporary and I’ll be back in the routine again soon but holy cow.

I definitely need to be better about working out while I’m traveling, why is that so difficult?

Do you find it easy to get back in your workout or other routines after being gone for a while?

 

6 Comments

26 January 2012

First dates suck

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Relationships

First dates are my least favorite part of the dating process.

They are the inevitable dance of getting to know someone without revealing too much and being vague enough where you can decide if you would want to see that person again. Most of the time, the answer is “maybe.”

Here is usually how my first dates go:

  • Anxiety about going and contemplating if I should cancel or postpone
  • Review the person’s online dating profile to determine conversation topics for the evening
  • Taking my time arriving at pre-arranged location so I’m not the first one there
  • Commence awkward introductions/discussion of weather/transportation/parking to the location
  • Review menus, smile and make very light talk while waiting for drinks to arrive
  • *At this point, I get a sense if I will have to lead conversation a bit more or if he will*
  • If I have to make conversation, I will initiate by asking something relative to items we’ve discussed by email and/or on his profile
  • Conversation will continue
  • Insert a few awkward pauses as one of us decides what else to discuss or if we should just call it a night
  • Add in a few “bathroom breaks” which allow me to check my phone
  • Evening ends, I walk to the bus or cab home, send a text to say thank you (if he paid) and delay deciding if I would see him again

This may sound cynical but I guess I’m not used to first dates going well.

Either way, a first date/drinks could be fun, a mess or just two hours of my life I won’t get back. Regardless, I’m giving it a try to keep me moving forward.

I don’t like starting over, starting fresh with someone I don’t know and putting in the extra work to try and see if “me” is someone he might be interested in. It would be easier to go back to the way things were, but there isn’t anything there anymore, so I have to start over.

But then again, drinks are just drinks and worst case, I make a quick escape and try again with someone else.

Whatever, let’s do this.

12 Comments

24 January 2012

Sundance!

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Movies, travel

Fair warning, there is a little bit of cheese in this post so bring crackers.

If you know me, you know that I love movies. L-O-V-E. I’ve loved them since I was a kid and saw E.T. in the theaters.

And I took a little bit of a blog break last week because I was fulfilling one of my movie-lover bucket list items: going to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

One of my clients was there and I got to be on the ground for five days working and hanging out in Park City, seeing screenings, etc. Yes, I was working, trust me, it was not all play.

It was a stressful, exhausting and taxing time, but also, just…amazing.

Park City is gorgeous, I was fortunate enough to visit it last summer for a conference, but the best part was going to the screenings. My colleague and I saw a total of 8 movies over four days and I loved EVERYTHING I saw, minus one movie. Most of the movies we saw were heavy too, including the documentaries, but I really hope these get wider release because you guys should check them out.

Here is the cheesy part: during one screening, when the reality of where I was sitting hit, I started to tear up because being there has been a dream for so long, that I couldn’t believe it was happening. CHEESE.

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

More photos are on Facebook and Flickr (here). Yikes, just looking at it makes me tired. Time to rest up!

How was your weekend? Anything new with all of you?

12 Comments

16 January 2012

Golden Globes fashion recap!

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Fashion

Yes! It’s awards season! And I’m back to share my best/worst dressed picks for the Golden Globes, which is like a playoff game for the Oscars.

Overall, there were a lot of great looks last night (I had a hard time narrowing them down!) but in many cases, an overuse of fabric (cough, Sarah Michelle Gellar).

So let’s take a look.

Favorite Looks

Julianne Moore – Simple, age-appropriate and nicely styled

Frieda Pinto – Dress was better on TV but the color and her necklace were divine

Michelle Williams – A little matronly but love the detail and headband

Shailene Woodley – Bad posture but the dress was really delicate and feminine. Gorgeous.

Charlize Theron – Wasn’t a huge fan at first but the way she accessorized it won me over

Claire Danes – The webbed detail on the back was fab and it matched perfectly with the red lip

Needs Improvement (aka the “see me” note you dread from the teacher)

Lea Michele – It’s like a bad Cher/Bob Mackie revival. No thank you

Jessica Biel – Based on this, I’m now worried about what she’ll wear to her wedding.

Kelly Osborne – Dowdy dress + gray hair = not flattering

Rooney Mara – She is so gorgeous but this dress isn’t the good kind of edgy

Natalie Portman -The random “sail” hanging off her hip is not flattering

Piper Perabo – This isn’t a bad picture but the pale color plus full skirt just did not work. At all

For the men, I can never go wrong with a man in a tux. And of course, George, Jake and even orange Rob Lowe looked so handsome. I’ll even give Matt LeBlanc a nod for wearing a midnight blue suit. Very dashing.

And way for photobombing to become very mainstream. Let’s just say, I’d love to sit at the Modern Family or Fey/Poehler table any day. Those look like fun tables to spend an evening at (with champagne).

Did you watch last night? What looks did you love?

13 Comments

12 January 2012

Pet peeves: Winter edition

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random

As much as I love Chicago, there are things here that irritate me, especially when weather comes in to play. Let’s just say, when it rains, your morning commute can become a nightmare.

But, that’s life in the big city where you rely on public transportation and tourists are a way of life.

So in the celebration of this season, here is my recent list of pet peeves (winter edition):

  • Long hair - Yes, this is my choice, but it gets stuck in everything! Scarves, zippers, coats, etc. It is driving me bananas
  • Sweating - The buses have turned on the heat and when you’re smushed in the bus with the heat blasting and a heavy coat on, it is like sitting in a hotbox. Awful
  • Static electricity - For some reason, I shock everyone. Might be shuffling my feet or the dryness of my apartment but everything and everyone I touch, I shock them. Embarrassing
  • Dry skin - The wind here chaps my skin and dries it out like the desert. I’m constantly applying lotion and lip balm. Thank goodness for Kiehl’s Whipped Creme de Corps, feels like butter on my skin

It’s funny because prior to today, this Chicago winter has been very mild. Now, it’s snowing, with inches already on the ground and snow and temps are getting back semi-seasonal 30 degree highs temps.

I may have to amend this post with “pet peeves: snow edition” shortly. Because once snow falls, people get way dumber about how to get around in the city. No kidding.

What’s bothering you about this winter season?

 

13 Comments
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