Thirty Before Thirty

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[lulumadrid]

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[lulumadrid]

MIA With MIA Boys

I know. I know. I have been missing in action the past few days. My days have been pretty busy with my Miamian guests, Eric (my cousin), and Gabriel (his friend). I have to say, it's been really fun living with three guys. (I'm definitely a bigger fan of New Girl now that I can relate to it a bit more.) Some may call it 'overwhelming' and some may call it 'a dream' but I call it 'insight'. Although my boyfriend is one of those three (he is probably the 'Nick' of New Girl), it really makes me have an idea of what it is like to have brothers. 

Unfortunately, I am an only child. However, please note, I say "unfortunately" now as an adult. As a child, it felt great because when I realized how many times siblings fought, blamed each other to avoid punishments, or broke each other's toys out of spite [I saw so many beheaded Barbies as a child you would've thought there was a Mattel guillotine somewhere], I believe I held a ceremony for my mother's decision on tube tying. When I was a kid I thought I was living the dream! I did not have to fight anyone. I did not have to share any toys. All of my Barbies' heads were beautifully and perfectly attached. But, as the Notorious B.I.G. once said, "It was all a dream..."

As I got older I realized that I was the one who was missing out. My friends who have siblings have been able to share several responsibilities now as adults. Whether it is financial, home maintenance, or even care of a loved one, they have each other's back taking turns to make sure that everything is okay and life is once again well-balanced. With me, and because I come from a small nuclear family, anything and everything can be requested of me. At times, I really don't mind because I was raised with the concept of 'family first' no matter how much you may want to kill each other at the moment. But, other times, I just want to say, "Here, Sibling X, Y, Z, it's your turn. Peace out!" And, don't get me wrong, I know and have seen sibling relationships become sour. Not every sibling is willing to help, share, or be present. But, man, I still would love to have had a brother or a sister. Because, let's say, if he/she did not want to do anything to help with whatever or whomever needed assistance- I could at least behead their most favorite childhood toy with the Mattel guillotine and mail it to them with a note.

[love--fearlessly]

[lulumadrid]

Almost Nailed It...

I thought growing out my nails was going to be easier than expected. I had done pretty well for a week's worth of restraints. At some point I had even forgotten what pleasures I had gotten out of biting. But, man, one chipped nail definitely brought down the house! I mean, I haven't brutally savaged my nails like a raging bull. However, I did  manage to "trim" them down a little. [Can we just consider this moment as my "first manicure"?]  While I was doing something that I cannot recall at the moment (repressed memory?) my pinky nail took a hit. Even though I did not have that much nail to begin with, it still managed to chip down the middle. Of course, I did not want my pinky to have a Madonna complex due to its new gap. So, naturally, I asked my teeth if they could help with the trimming. They were THRILLED! I definitely should not have done that. One: It led me to take closer look at all the other nails and see which one needed a little "trim". Apparently, they all did. Two: The "trim" was equivalent to my mother's definition of "trimming": poor and too high. My teeth over did it. (Yes, I blame my teeth. Or should I blame my mother??) Now, some of my nails are back to looking a little rugged. Does this mean that I am back to square one? Hmmm...not sure. But, let's just say I'm at 'square two' because I can still see the "white part" of the nail. After all, progress IS progress!

[idiotheques]

[lulumadrid]

I just wanted to say that I feel great. First reason: I'm currently listening to Nirvana while at work. Nothing pumps you up more than 90's grunge music- in particularly Kurt Cobain's voice. Second reason: My cousin, Eric, is on his way up from Miami. He's going to be in NY for about a week or so. It's really nice to have people from home be in NYC. I'm homesick. As much as I want to move back down to the '305' I know I shouldn't yet. I need to accomplish things here first. There are so many things that I need to fulfill in my career before I make another move. I can't leave without knowing I did it or died trying. "If you can make it here you can make it anywhere"...right? RIGHT?! Why couldn't Mr. Ol' Blue Eyes leave a blue print on "How To Make It In NYC"? (See what I did there, eh, eh??) :sigh: 

[insomniabubble]

[lulumadrid]

This is definitely the face I have on today. ::yawn:: 

[lulumadrid]

Monday Mourning

Well, my plan of going to bed early on Sunday night did not happen what.so.ever. I think I went to bed around 1:30 AM (needing to wake up at 6:30 AM). I tried to sleep, I swear! I swear! Well, to be honest, my “trying” began around 1:15 AM. But, I definitely did try! 

I could not sleep easily as much I easily love to sleep. Sean and I stayed up late finishing the first season of Weeds. (I find that Weeds is pretty much a PG-13 rated version of Breaking Bad. And, I love me some BB!) We then discussed how much pain our bodies were experiencing and pinpointed the areas of where it was radiating from. It definitely gave us a glimpse into our future: old, cranky, and near death. Everything felt sore and broken. I even felt the muscle behind my breasts pulsate with every breath I took. My poor breasts. I don’t think they saw that pain coming. 

My arms, shoulder blades, and legs feel as if they have not rested in days. It’s as if they worked long hour shifts or gave in to long nights of partying. My abs, unfortunately do not hurt as much I expected them to do so. This only means that I did not go harder on myself and that I must do more core ab exercises. I mean, it’s only fair right? Because if word were to get out to the rest of my body, they may revolt; and the outcome may be ugly (especially if they get in contact with the glutes).#justsayin’ 

[quotes-for-reference]

And God said, Love your enemy, and I obeyed Him and loved myself.

Khalil Gibran (via quotes-for-reference)

[lulumadrid]

Sunday Funday!

I woke up a little earlier today (11:45AM/12:00 PM). Not because I wanted to, but because if I sleep in too late I won't be able to knock out at a reasonable hour. Also, the accrued eight hour energy from Sunday night's sleep prevents me from resenting my boyfriend who continues to slumber in bed while I get ready for work Monday morning.

My Sunday consisted of watching a few episodes of the 1st season of Weeds. I've never seen this show before but I have heard great things about it while it was running; so, why not? While I had that on, which truthfully ended up being background noise, I was working on a little drawing of an elephant that I started last night just for the heck of it. I haven't sketched anything in YEARS! I think the last time I drew anything I was in high school. It felt pretty nice to let my hands feel artistic and capable of creating a vision that I had in my head.

I also found another means of entertaining myself: I made little hearts out of drinking straws. With that, all I can say is, "Thank goodness for Youtube!" Even though I was almost not able to keep up with the video and I almost made a heart with my own fingers due to all the cross-hatching I had to do, I managed to make about six little straw hearts. There is seriously no way I could have done this prior to the age of the internet. Back in the olden times, before the glorious Youtube, I would have probably resorted to checking out an arts and crafts book at a local library, skim through the list of supplies for each craft, and determine which one I could make at home. After realizing that I was only capable of making two of the forty crafts published in the book because of what I had laying around at home, I would've picked one and try to stick with it.  I know I would have been rereading each step fifty times trying to make sure that my heart looked like a heart and not a deformed polygon. If it was a good great  book each step would have had a picture beside it. However, for a heart made out of straws, I'm not so sure one would really would have found such elaborated instructions because page space was limited. Haha. I bet you have a deeper appreciation for Youtube, too, eh?  

After the few episodes, some sketching, and a close spaghetti finger disaster, Sean and I power walked and jogged through our neighborhood. As a "punishment" for my need to stop to take pictures for my Instagram, we also added jumping jacks to make up for the lost time and sweat. An hour or so later we came home and did some work on the abdominals (aka: the perfect pillow for your potato couch buddy). 

[surfandwrite]

I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I really was.

Sade Andria Zabala | Thought of the Day: Self-Discovery (via the-healing-nest)

[lulumadrid]

Muscle and Flow

Happy Saturday! This is the first Saturday since I created my Thirty Before Thirty list. And, although it has not yet ended, let me at least tell you how it began...

It began in perfection: I woke up early (12:45 PM) to the comfort of cold sheets, a dark room, with the loves of my life beside me: the boyfriend (Sean) and a cat (Omelette).  I had slept 15 hours. [Yes, you read that right, 15. Don't judge me!]  Feeling  refreshed, I opened my bedroom window, sang a pretty tune greeting the sun, and two little birds flew in my direction, landing on my fingers. Okay, okay. You got me. That didn't happen. I DID wake up refreshed, but I knew today was going to be an interesting day. "Why?" you may ask? Ha, there is only one word that can make someone cringe and feel great at the same time: Gym. It's been a while since I have been to a gym. I love going to it and seeing the change within my body. But, for me, going to the gym in NY is no picnic. The closest gym is not close to where I live so I have to walk some blocks and take a train to get there. After a work out, when you find yourself drenched in sweat,  hungry, exhausted, and painfully sore, you have to deal with catching a train and walking back home. The trains aren't always a quick ride. There is no guarantee that you will have a seat. And, sometimes the trains are PACKED. No muy bueno! However, with the thought of my Thirty Before Thirty (aka: 30B430) in mind, I also felt motivated to surpass the negative aspects of the gym and let it become a routine.  So, I would like to say, I am a proud 1st day goer of the gym! I worked on my upper body today: arms, chest, shoulders, and back. ALL WEIGHTS, BABY!! I may not be able to lift a pencil tomorrow, and I may cry while I sleep, but I took my first step! Tomorrow, I will work on doing cardio and abs.

[fallontonightgifs]

[lulumadrid]

Volunteering Update: 

I have a Make-A-Wish Orientation scheduled for August 20th

I have an interview scheduled with Helping Hands of the Disabled of NYC for next Tuesday, July 22nd 

I have a volunteer event scheduled for Self Help Africa on July 29th

I have a Girl Scouts Troop Meeting some time in September (date to be announced then) 

[lulumadrid]

From Ummm to Ommm...

It's been four years since I did yoga. I loved it when I did it. I even managed to touch my toes while standing/bending which was something I had never been able to do. The reason why I stopped doing it was because I was too busy trying to finish a Master's degree. Once I accomplished that I moved to NY. I could've joined some yoga groups up here but, in all honesty, I preferred to hibernate and eat warm meals. Freezing weather was new to me and when you realize that anything can be delivered to your home, its definitely an offer you may not be able to refuse.

By the time summer arrived I was self-conscious from all the weight I had gained. I definitely did not want to do any 'downward facing dog' and accidentally reveal what I had eaten earlier that week. In my mind, the food I ate was written all over me. My stomach said "pasta", my glutes said "pizza", my thighs said "cookies" and, well, you get the idea. 

Since I turned 29 I've realized this is not how I want to live my life, end my twenties and start my thirties. I want to be healthier and live freely. On my Thirty Before Thirty list [scroll down to first post]  I listed that I must attend the gym, eat healthier, and do yoga. And that's exactly what I am going to do. I have already researched into 2 locations in my borough where I can go do yoga AND I have also found a yoga partner. BOOYAH!  

[lulumadrid]

Hard as Nails

I'm working hard on preventing myself from biting!! I just purchased a nail strengthening polish (Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails) to help them grow strong. Hopefully they become Samson strong in case my teeth try to have a crack at them. Heh. I've actually stopped myself plenty of times. I'm proud of these moments but man is it tough!! 

[toddstv]

[lulumadrid]

Ok, well, I have tried to stay productive with my goals. Since I last posted I have reached out to the following organizations:

The Coalition for the Homeless 

Girl Scouts NYC

Helping Hands of the Disabled of NYC

Self Help Africa

Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York

Now, we wait for replies! (I still have to do a little more research on a few others.)

[lulumadrid]

Soul Food

Good morning! It's day two of my blogging. As I have been sitting here at my work desk I cannot help but think with excitement of all the things that I'd like to tackle on that list. So, today, I will focus on reaching out to organizations where I can volunteer, along with The Coalition for the Homeless. I know, I know. Some of you may be wondering, "But, why don't you just include The Coalition for the Homeless as one of your three organizations? Why not kill 2 birds with one stone?" That's a great question. And I have some answers for that. First, I personally, don't see it that way (killing two birds with one stone). There is something about feeding the homeless that grounds and humbles you. Anyone can be in that situation at any point in their lives. I don't mean to discredit any of the other organizations that I plan on volunteering at, and what I am about to say is based on my own personal experience, but, when you volunteer your time to feeding the homeless, you have the ability to connect with these individuals. You have the opportunity to interact on an individual basis. Human to human. Spirit to spirit. You have the ability to individually speak to him/her and hear their story. You get to understand their fears while seeing how resilient they are even if they  may not yet be able to see it at the moment. You are not behind a desk or trying to pass a bill for someone you don't really know. Therefore, given what I have shared, it is for this reason why I feel that feeding the homeless deserved its own bullet.

Second, I would like my three organizations to be focused on different causes that reflect my interests and desires of where I'd like to see change and be part of the change: 1. Human Rights, 2. Animal Rights, and 3. Environmental Rights. If any other organization within or outside of these interests captures my attention then I would like to add myself in there. I know that I will probably have to add a 4th organization in my list because I definitely want to participate in some cause regarding children. I will look into it.