Making Sweet Memories with Jen

And We're Off!

2012-09-30T07:48:00.001-07:00

Bloggin' from good ole LAX! My bags are all packed and checked in and now we're Prague bound :)

Made the wise decision to go to a concert the night before our early flight and it was totally worth it! Country concerts are so much fun and Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean were great!

Well, we're about to board our flight! Check ya later! Or should I say Czech?!

Wanderlust Wednesday: Barcelona (Two Days late...)

2012-09-28T10:12:00.001-07:00

But it's not Wednesday...

Needless to say, ~~but I already said it~~, this week has been busyyyy and I didn't get to this post on time. Is it just me or does life seem to be the busiest right before you go on vacation?

Anyways, onto the final destination of the trip- Barcelona!

Barcelona is one of the places I've always wanted to travel and is probably the city I've heard the most about. I'd like to thank high school Spanish class for teaching me a thing or two. The beaches, the nightlife, the culture, the history, I look forward to experiencing all that I can.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the works of Gaudi, namely the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. I've seen the pictures over and over, but the real thrill will come from seeing them in person.

I'm also extremely excited about our hostel location, which is right on Plaza Real in the Gothic Quarter, a popular tourist attraction. The restaurants and nightclubs should definitely make for a lively stay. It is also right next to La Rambla, so the fun will be endless.

The beaches are also a must! Luckily, in October the weather is still a fairly warm, but not too hot or humid. We may have to get our tan on and enjoy the sun. And what's better than a cool drink than relaxing in the sun? I can't wait to try some real, authentic, Spanish sangria! And how about the food?! I'm dying to try some seafood paella!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Have you been to Barcelona before? Any tips, advice, or must-sees?

HOLY CRAP, in less than 48 hours I'll be on my way! Better finish packing...

Wednesday Wanderlust: Interlaken

2012-09-19T22:38:00.001-07:00

source

The third destination of our grand journey is Interlaken, Switzerland. (See the first two destinations here and here) I'm going into Interlaken knowing the least compared to all the other cities. What I do know, I know from friends who've traveled there and from my friend wiki. And from the pictures I've seen, it's incredibly beautiful!

This city will also be our city for adventure! Interlaken is one of the leading cities for outdoor activities and adventures. We're hoping to go on hiking, canyoning and, if money allows, bungy jumping.

One of the hikes we're most looking forward to is the hike to Harder Kulm, a mountain in the city about 1322 meters above sea-level. The views look phenomenal and I can't wait to see them in person.

source

I'm also really excited about our hostel. We're staying at Balmers, which is apparently a pretty well known (and fun!) hostel. Perks includes being the home of Interlaken's most popular club, MetroBar, and relaxation rooms (with hammocks!).

Interlaken seems like the perfect mixture of relaxation and adventure. I can't wait to be surprised in the best way possible!

Just 11 days until this whole trip begins! Not that I'm counting...

Heats and Eats

2012-09-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

There was most definitely a heatwave throughout good ole SoCal this weekend. Just when we think fall is upon us, we get tricked again! A good way to avoid the heat is to be really busy working on your thesis and presentation and spend a lot of time indoors...

wahwahwah.

Air-conditioned coffee shops > un-air-conditioned sweat-box apartment

I actually did get out a bit because my dad and sister where in town! My sister had a volleyball tournament at a nearby JC, so my dad and I went to cheer her on. Did I mention my sister is a BOSS?! Cause she is...

When a parent visits, it means one thing: free food! And quality time :) My dad and I then went to lunch at a nearby Thai place (Thai Time III) and each had one of there lunch specials. The food was decent, but the portions were pretty small, but I guess that's why it's so cheap. My dad went to check into his hotel while I did a bit more work and then we met up for dinner. We went to Rock Bottom which I had heard good things about. My dad and I both though their food was pretty decent, but pretty typical restaurant brewery food. I had the shrimp and lobster enchiladas which were good, but I've had better. The black beans were pretty great though and I did really like my beer, the Mary Jane IPA, so that makes the meal a win. My dad got one of the burgers, I forgot which one, but his favorite part of his meal was the side of mac and cheese which was super tasty. Next time I'm getting their blackened shrimp mac and cheese entree because if they do the regular mac and cheese this good, the shrimp has to be even better. After dinner we parted ways, with plans to meet up in the morning. My step mom, Liz, was took the train in late Saturday night and would be joining us for our Sunday Funday.

Woke up Sunday and my dad, Liz, and I headed out for some tourist-y sites along the coast. From La Jolla -> Del Mar -> Solana Beach. Luckily the heat subsided a little and being outside was actually nice and enjoyable.

One of the best parts of Sunday was our delicious brunch at Jake's Del Mar. I'll have to save that review for another post, because it was so good it deserves its own. Eating with a view of the ocean is always a plus.

The rest of my Sunday involved football, more school work, and an actual work out! Life got in the way and I had an unintentional 4-day "rest". Today I got back with the program: Chest and Triceps + Biceps and Back + 4 mile run (39:00, 9:45 pace). A workout was exactly was I need to end my weekend on a happy note. Well, winning this week in fantasy by 1.1 pt also helped...

How did you beat the heat this weekend?

What's your favorite part of having your parents visit?

Wednesday Wanderlust: Munich

2012-09-12T15:45:00.001-07:00

Frauenkirche (Source)

When Shannon and I first started planning our trip, it centered around Munich and Oktoberfest. We were going to travel just for the festival itself, but then we started planning a little more... I'm glad we added more countries to our list, but I can speak for both of us when I say that we're most excited to see what Oktoberfest in Munich has to offer. We'll be in Munich the longest out of any of the cities, about 4.5 days and 4 nights (Oct.4th-8th).

We started getting more serious about traveling in the early months of this year. Both of us had gone to "Oktoberfest-like" festivities last year in our respective cities, and we talked about how incredible it would be to go to the real thing.

Pro tip: if you're serious about going to Oktoberfest, you should start planning at least a year in advance. Hotels and hostels sell out fast!!

But, if you're like us and don't start planning until everything you look at is full/booked/incredibly expensive, don't be discouraged. Many tour groups from around the world offer Oktoberfest packages, often including some form of travel and accommodations. Tour groups tend to book up spaces at hotels and hostels and then you can book through the tour group if you want to go. It is pricier than a hostel in any other city would be, but you're paying for the experience as well. The same is expected for any other huge world-renowned festival. We're traveling with a group called The Fanatics, both UK and Australia based. Yup, us two Americans are headed out with them. I can't attest to how great they are just yet, but it did make planning very easy as you could choose from staying in a hotel, hostel, or campground and what dates you want to go. We chose one of the hostel options, conveniently located close to the Oktoberfest grounds during the closing weekend (Oct. 5th-7th). Plus, with a travel group you're pretty much guaranteed to make a ton of new friends. Right?

There are also Oktoberfest campgrounds if you're into that sort of thing OR if sleeping on the ground, being cold, drunk, and dirty sounds good to you ;) I'm sure that's an adventure in itself, just not my kind.

Olympiapark (Source)

Marienplatz (Source)

It makes sense that Oktoberfest and the actual festival and beer tents will make up a large portion of our time in Munich, but we have other activities planned and sights to see as well. Again, we think a bike tour would be one of the most fun and most efficient ways to see a lot of the city. As you can imagine, being the capital of Germany, there is quite a lot to see. The inner city with famous squares, churches, and buildings is a must. Munich is also known for their parks, so hopefully we'll check a couple off of the list--the Englischer Garten, Olympiapark, Hofgarten, the gardens at Nymphenburg, and more. If we have time, we may check out a museum or two. Did you know the BMW museum is in Munich?

Nymphenburg Palace (Source)

Hofgarten (Source)

But, we can't get away from the beer for long; we're bound to go some of the famous biergartens. Of course there is the famous Hofbrauhaus, but Augustiner is also on my list. It may seem like we're just in Munich to drink, but hey this is Oktoberfest. It's pretty much our once-in-a-lifetime chance to go this festival and we are in a city that has a strong beer-culture, so why not live it up a little. ;) When in ~~Rome~~ Munich...

Have you been to Oktoberfest before? Any other big world-famous festival?

Have you been to Munich before? Any tips? Places to see? Favorite beer?

Saturdate Night: Ichiban PB

2012-09-09T11:49:00.001-07:00

Since Shaun's been back in town we have yet to do a proper date night. We were set on sushi, so it was Yelp to the rescue and we decided on a new-to-us place in Pacific Beach, Ichiban PB.

Ichiban PB

1441 Garnet Avenue, San Diego, CA 92109

(858) 270-5755

When you walk in, you place your order at the counter and they bring you your food. We were in luck because we were there during their happy hour (5pm-7pm Mon-Sat, dine-in only) which meant a couple dollars off certain rolls and beers (aka my kind of deal!). Their decor is nothing to write home about, it was pretty casual and you just seat yourself after ordering.

Seaweed salad + beer

Vegetable tempura

We ordered the seaweed salad ($3.50), vegetable tempura ($3.95), and 3 of the specialty rolls on the happy hour menu:

Mango special roll: Inside-mango, asparagus, avocado. Outside- salmon, mango. (~~$8 something~~ $6 something hh price)

Diego roll: Inside- jalapeño, spicy crab, spicy salmon, cream cheese, chili powder. Outside- tempura. Served with salsa. (~~$7.75~~, $6.25 hh price)

Eel roll: Inside- eel, sauce, seaweed, avocado. ~~($6.25~~, $4.95 hh price)

Mango special roll

And a 16oz Kirin draft ($2 hh price) for me!

So. Much. Food. For how cheap the prices were, all the food was great in both quantity and quality. My seaweed salad hit the spot. The vegetable tempura was so-so, not bad but not great. The Mango roll was unique and really refreshing. By contrast, the Diego roll was spicy and so different than any roll either of us had tried before- served with salsa? The eel roll was pretty standard in my opinion.

I'd definitely go here again and Shaun agrees. The prices were right up my alley, and although I can be skeptical of a sushi place that are too cheap, the food was surprisingly good quality and much better than expected. The service was quick too, but we also may have beat the rush a little. If you're in San Diego, on a budget, and looking for some good sushi, I'd highly recommend Ichiban PB. I'm adding it to the list of places I need to go back to!

HIIT Me Baby, One More Time

2012-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the title inspo, B. Spears.

I was short on time last night, but knew that if I didn't get a little bit of sweat on I'd regret it later. As always. My key for a good quality workout but not much time = HIIT! HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. It involves alternating short periods of intense anaerobic activity with slower, less intense periods of recovery. It can be applied to many types of exercises such as biking, running, rowing, jump-roping, and even plyometric exercises.

What I like most about HIIT is that it's quick and efficient. Studies also show that you burn more fat doing HIIT because of those quick bursts of exertion, so that's also a plus in my book. Let's face it, running on the treadmill can be boringgggg. With this workout you're constantly changing up the speeds and working so hard that you don't have time to get bored...the perfect recipe for treadmill success! Speed workouts have always been a killer for me, but running faster is definitely something I need to do more of if I want to get better and faster in the long run. Get it? the long run? What a concept. Hopefully I'll start incorporating a little speed more often.

Here's the workout I did for me HIIT session:

Not counting the 5 minute walk at the end, I covered 2.3 miles in 20 minutes. Not too shabby for me.

Followed up my run with some chest/tricep strength training.

Recovered with a chocolate protein shake and then a beer or two. Hey, it was Friday night ;)

What's your favorite HIIT workout?

What's your favorite way to recover?

Wednesday Wanderlust: Prague

2012-09-05T22:23:00.001-07:00

Prague, Czech Republic

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The first leg of our European journey begins in Prague. We depart LAX the morning of the 30th and arrive mid-morning on October 1st before leaving the morning of the 4th.

Why Prague?

First of all, the city is rich in history and from what I've seen in pictures the architecture and art are absolutely stunning. The historical and cultural attractions are what draws me to Prague the most. Everybody we know that has had the opportunity to travel there has said it's a 'must' in terms of cities to go to. I, for one, have to check out what this city is all about! It helps that the prices make traveling there extremely affordable as well. This city is also very walkable, so we won't have to rely too much on public transport. We're looking to have some fun as well and rumor has it that the nightlife in Prague is top notch.

Attractions we plan on seeing/visiting: The Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and the clock tower, Wenceslas Square, and the John Lennon wall to name a few.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Activities: We're going into our whole trip with a few activities and plans in mind, but we also want to be flexible with our schedule and not have it be overly strict or tight on time. In addition to the above sightseeing, we know we want to do a bike tour and see the city from that view. Beer gardens are a must so plan to visit a few to find our favorite! Again with the nightlife, we've heard a lot about their famous pub crawls so we're definitely putting that in the books for one of the nights and into the early morning... Shopping for fun and authentic gifts is in the plans too. Lastly, we may or may not reenact scenes from The Bachelorette a la Emily and Jef. Yeah, I need to go to that library...

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I can't wait to see what this city has to offer and to experience it all in person. I'm going into this whole trip with an open mind and am ready to take it all in and just go with the flow!

Wednesday Wanderlust: Introduction

2012-09-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

wan·der·lust
noun: a strong desire to travel: "a man consumed by wanderlust"

I've had an extreme case of wanderlust for some time now. Besides Mexico, I've only traveled outside the U.S. once. The summer after my second year of college (2007) I traveled to Australia with an international student volunteer group (ISV) for two weeks of volunteering and two weeks of traveling and it was such an amazing experience where I learned a lot, grew a lot, and had a crazy amount of fun. Plus, Australia is beautiful!! I was blessed to have that experience, but it made me crave more travel. I want to see and experience what the world has pto offer!

ah, memories...

Since then, I just haven't had the time or the funds to travel more. I finished my undergrad and couldn't afford to travel more at that particular time. A few months later it was diving head first into my Masters program where it's been two years straight of school including a year-long internship.

In approximately three short weeks, I'll be done and, god-willing, my degree will be conferred! NOW is the perfect time to travel since I've been able to save up some money and I'm not tied down to school obligations. My travel plans are not grand ones; only about 2 weeks of travel total, but I'm beyond excited to have this opportunity! I'm considering this my graduation present to myself (and a nice break before starting work again and maybe applying to PhD programs?)!

So what are said travel plans? One of my best friends and former roommates, Shannon, and I will be headed on a 4-country European jaunt! We're hitting Prague, Czech Republic; Munich, Germany; Interlaken, Switzerland; and Barcelona, Spain. This whole trip started because we wanted to go to Oktoberfest in Munich aka the real deal, which we are actually doing! It's since evolved to include 3 other countries, a whole lot of fun to be had, and sight-seeing to be done!

There are 4 Wednesdays left until we leave (Sept. 30th), so each Wednesday I plan on highlighting a different city we're going to, why we chose it, and some of our potential plans. First up, Prague!

Where have you traveled to? Where do you want to travel to? Any travel tips?

Music, Misc, and Money Monday

2012-09-04T22:15:00.003-07:00

Music: Friday night I got my music fix by going to the M83 concert at SOMA. I can honestly say it was one of the most fun concerts I've been too. They're phenomenal performers and played with so much energy. A perfect and to the work-week and start to the weekend! I love me some live music.

a little video for your entertainment:

Misc: The random/miscellaneous parts of this weekend included trying a new-to-me restaurant called Noodles & Company. It was pretty good and kinda reminded me of Panera but was pasta, soup, and salad dishes in Asian. American, or Mediterranean styles. I got the Bangkok curry dish with shrimp and it was seasoned perfectly.

Enjoyed some quality time wandering a bookstore, taking a sunset walk, excising, and relaxing.

Throw in some work and school stuff for good measure. Hey, what's Labor Day weekend without a little labor?

Money Monday: For our day off, Shaun and I spent the day at the Del Mar Racetrack.

I bought a Groupon deal earlier this summer which was 2-for-1 admittance in the Thoroughbred Club. We enjoyed the great weather and spent a few $s placing some cheap bets.

This was my first time betting on the ponies and it was pretty fun. It'd be more fun if I had more money to spend ;) Maybe one day...

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend?

Running Skirt Convert and Less "Girly" Things

2012-08-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Something is going on here in SoCal with the humidity and I am just not having it. Neither is my hair. Ugh. Despite the humidity (still going strong at 6pm), I told myself a run outside would be worth it and I'd feel great after. I did...even if I was 10x more sweaty than usual. The run overall went well though and I feel so much faster outside than on the treadmill; definite confident boost.

I had a "first" on this run too. A while back I bought a Nike running skirt at Marshall's on a whim, but I had yet to wear it because I wasn't sure how I really felt about running skirts in general. Well, let's just say I'm a fan! This skirt didn't ride up, kept me cool, has a key pocket, and is more fun than plain old capris or shorts. Consider me a convert! I may have to go buy another one...

In order to redeem myself from sounding over-the-top girly and talking about skirts, I will share with you this:

Fantasy Football draft went down tonight. Our league is Dirty Randy's Jabronies a la The League and my team name is Victorious Secret. I am the only girl in the league, but I'm pretty excited to beat some boys ;) Bring on the football season! ...but also keep your fingers crossed that the Dodgers make the playoffs cause baseball ain't over yet!

Wednesday Wrap-Up

2012-08-29T22:49:00.001-07:00

Now that I have a phone again, I'm back in business.

This weekend I went for a record of how many episodes of Breaking Bad one could watch in a given period of time. I'm pretty sure I'm in the running for the lead.

wine, dark chocolate, Breaking Bad = my Saturday night

I also did other important things like eat, sleep, work, and work out. But, let's be real, Breaking Bad was at the top of my priority list. Somebody needs to force me to sit down and work on my thesis because at this rate it isn't going to write itself. Oh, and it's due in a month. Great. Guess I need to catch up on Breaking Bad so I can focus again.

Source

Took a rest day on Monday because my boy came back home (with beautiful flowers in tow)! Oh how I missed him!

Ran 3 miles Tuesday morning so I could have time to mentally prepare for the summer finale of Pretty Little Liars that night. That ish is intense!! I'm already counting down the days until their Halloween special...

Source

Yeah, so I'm 25 and watch shows geared towards a high school demographic. It's okay, my Fbook friends understand. Quality television right here, trust me.

And today I got in about 30 minutes on the elliptical and a mile on the treadmill.

I've been in a treadmill rut lately and need to do my best to try to get outside for a few good runs. It's do beautiful here and I really need to take advantage of it. I've also been tackling weights at the gym a little more which is something I really need to work on, along with getting back into BodyPump a little more. Good news is I'm finally feeling more motivated again :) I've also been eating a lot cleaner which is something I'll share with you soon!

Ever get in a workout rut? Tips for getting out of it?

What show are you currently addicted to?

Don't Pull a Jen

2012-08-26T11:26:00.001-07:00

Semi-legitimate no-blogging excuse: I've been phone-less for the past week and that has pretty much been consuming my life.

Last Saturday I headed on down to LA to celebrate the birthday of one of my favorite girls/former roomies, Tori.

We had a great night out, as we typically do during our roommate rendezvous...maybe too much fun.

We took a taxi home and before I knew it I had left my purse in there! (Thankfully it was just my phone, DL, some cash, and lipgloss...no cards or keys or anything, so it could have been worse). Unfortunately we hailed the taxi and paid with cash, thus no way to directly contact them. Oh, and we didn't know what cab number it was. Learn from my mistake and pay attention to these things! After a few days of calling cab companies and seeing if anything showed up, I bit the bullet and filed a loss claim to get a new phone. Thank god for phone insurance. Well that's that. Lesson learned. This phone is not leaving my sight.

Now that I have a phone again I can get back to using it for what it's really used for: taking pictures of my cat. And blogging about things other than losing my phone...

Cold Tuna Pasta Salad

2012-08-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Lately it's been hot hot hot here in good ole So. Cal. I can be a pretty miserable person when I get too hot, so therefore I try to avoid getting even hotter. Trust me, it's for everybody's benefit. What that really means is don't expect me to turn on the oven or cook anything that makes this apartment anymore of a sweat-box than it already is. This means a lot more cold, refreshing meals and lots of fruit. One of my go-to recipes is one my mama used to make on hot days, a tasty (and cold!) tuna pasta salad. It's a better dinner than living off fruit, and it still isn't too heavy. Bonus: Super easy to make.

Cold Tuna Pasta Salad(makes 6-8 servings)

12-16 oz. favorite type of pasta (shells or elbow macaroni)
5 oz. can solid white tuna
Medium can sweet peas (~8.5 oz)
Medium can sliced olives (~3.8 oz)
4 tbsp. (or more) mayonnaise *I'm not a huge mayonnaise fan, so I only used 4 tbsps. but you can easily add more
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box. Drain and let cool.
Mix in mayonnaise and tuna (drained).
Drain olives and peas and mix into pasta.
Sprinkle on salt and pepper
Store in fridge and serve cold.

Hint: Make it the day or night before so it can sit in the fridge for a while.

Walking and Running on Emotions

2012-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

The past week my emotions have been all over the place. I received some bad news last Monday and it has since thrown me for a loop. I allowed myself some time to be sad and angry. I allowed myself to sit inside to eat Thai food and ice cream and watch nothing but the Olympics (okay, I'm still watching nothing but the Olympics...). After three or four days of feeling depressed and sorry for myself, I made my sorry self get up and do something as simple as take a walk outside. I still wasn't in the mood to actually run or workout, but just being outside in the sunshine definitely brightened my mood and made me feel a little better.

Today, I finally got my act together and went for a run. I'm starting to get back on track emotionally and I knew that a nice run would only make me feel even better. Plus, the views on this run are to die for.

Life still isn't perfect and things are still a little messy, but I just need to remind myself how good it feels to get out there and run and provide a temporary escape.

Out-of-Towner

2012-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

The travels continue...

On Friday, at the ungodly 4am, Shaun and I woke up to head to the airport. Back to SF again, but this time to visit his family and, of course, attend a Giants-Dodgers baseball game.

We enjoyed family dinner and friends on Friday night and headed to AT&T park on Saturday. I was the only Dodgers fan in our group of 6, but my boys made me proud and we won 10-0! We actually SWEPT the series!

Add in some Olympics watching, great company, and good food and it turned out to be just the escape I needed this weekend.

Now I'm at the airport and my flights delayed. Boo. At least I have my coffee...

Can't wait to see my cat and have the bed to myself for a few days (Shaun's staying up north for a little longer) ;) I'm a total bed hog and, apparently, a crazy cat lady. Don't judge...

The Most Beautiful Run...

2012-07-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

...was also the hardest!!!

My coworker convinced me to go on a run with him. He said it was 6 miles, along Torrey Pines and Black's Beach. The first 2.5 miles were part paved road and part trail that led down hill to the beach. What my coworker failed to mention was how long we were going to have to run in the actual beach for...Yeah, it was about 2 miles. For a girl that never runs on the sand/beach, that part was killer. The sand literally zapped me of all my energy. I had to stop and stretch out my calves on a rock because there was major crampage. I managed to survive the sand and beach, but then there was what seemed like a million stairs that led back UP the cliffs. Oye. You're practically for forced to walk these stairs, but even that hurt. I hobbled up and made it to the top, still having another 1.5ish miles to run to the finish. I let myself stop and stretch because my legs were sooo tight I thought they might snap. That 5-10 minutes of stretching was the best thing I could have done because now that I was back on the pavement I was able to power it to the end at a pretty decent pace. What kept me going this whole run, even when I wanted to give up, were the amazzzing views. Cliffs, beach, and blue skies, what more could you ask for? As hard as it was, I may have to go back there.

Lesson learned: don't underestimate how hard it can be to run on a surface you're unfamiliar with.

San Francisco, I Love You.

2012-07-25T22:58:00.002-07:00

Last week I hopped on a jet plane and flew my booty up to San Francisco for a conference as part of my internship. My blogging absence was in part due to slaving over my poster that I was presenting at the conference. It was great to catch up with some school friends who are also doing internships and meeting people from other programs. Of course I was there to listen to speakers and take part in the poster sessions, but I still managed to enjoy myself and take in the sights.

My first day was a long one. I arrived at the airport, took BART into the city and checked into our beautiful hotel, the Marriott Marquis, where, conveniently, the conference was too. Grabbed a quick lunch from a nearby mall food court with some friends and headed back to listen to some speakers. We took a much needed break before dinner to enjoy the view from the hotel's top floor view bar. It also happened to be happy hour...

Dinner was put on by the conference and then we took it easy that night because we had posters to present the next day. A few drinks and some catchphrase and we called it a night.

Woke up bright and early the next day for bfast, more speakers, and preppin' for the poster session. The poster sessions went well and it was nice to see all the research done by other interns as well as present mine.

The conference ended and we headed back up to the bar before taking the trolley down to Fisherman's Wharf to have dinners at Scoma's. Scoma's was sososo good! I highly recommend their clam chowder and lobster ravioli if you're in the area. Next stop, Ghirardelli Square for some good ole ice cream. Sadly, my phone died and I have a limited amount of pictures because I didn't have my camera on me.

When we got back to the hotel we hung out with some newly made conference friends. We'll leave it at: drinks, robe party, not getting to be until 4am.

I'm so glad we decided to stay an extra day after the conference had ended so we could explore more of the city. A little shopping and quick bite downtown before arriving at the Palace of Fine Arts and the Exploratorium. Being the science nerds that we are, we LOVED it!

...and that pretty much sums it up. Work hard, play hard. Definitely my motto for my time in SF.

Oh, and SF, see you again in a few days when I'm back there with Shaun and his fam for a epic Dodger's vs. Giant's game!

Somebody Press the Pause Button

2012-07-22T18:28:00.001-07:00

Note: I definitely started this post before going to my conference in SF from the 16th-18th, but that has come an gone and I'm finally updating...

Life recently has been go, go, go! Between work, personal obligations, and quick trips I've been exhausted and my workout-life has stalled. I see the light at the end of the tunnel though. Thank God.

Since last post, I've...

Enjoyed the 4th

A nice mid-week work break. Don't worry, we actually got to see a fireworks show that lasted more than 25 seconds because we were in OB. (check out what happened here in San Diego at the Big Bay ~~Boom~~ Bust).

A Night in LA

After work on Friday I hustled it up to LA. The next day my friend Jessie and I were heading up to SLO, so staying at her place was the perfect way to break up the trip. It also happened to be our friends' birthday/going away party on Friday night, so that may have helped in my decision. The celebration was at The Edison, a swanky bar/lounge which is the home of the old Edison powerplant and many old artifacts make up the decor. Awesome place, with live entertainment, that I must go back to!

Back SLOme

Jessie and I woke up early and headed up the coast to San Luis Obispo (SLO), the town of our alma mater Cal Poly, a place we called home the better portion of 4-5 years. We were visiting Tori and Sam, past roomies and friends, who still live in SLO but will be moving soon. Jenny made her way to town too and we had a "last hurrah" of sorts. Everything I love about this town in the span of 24 hours: wine tasting, downtown shopping, downtown bars, good eats. It was a super quick trip but it's always great to go back to one of my favorite places.

(L to R: Me, Jenny, Tori, Sam, Jessie)

Baby Shower

After an exhausting week of work and getting ready for my conference, I was head out of town for the weekend (again!). This time it was for a college girlfriend's baby shower. This is my first close friend to have a baby (and she was the first to get married), so she's letting us all learn through her ;) The shower was safari-themed and it was adorable. I am by no means ready for a baby, but seeing all the miniature clothing and accessories warmed my cold heart. Future goal: baby stylist. I lie. But, I am so excited for my friend Allie and can't wait until she welcomes baby Luke into this world.

Then it was back to San Diego for a few hours of packing and sleep and catching my flight to San Francisco! Full deets on the SF trip soon!

Happy Birthday, America!

2012-07-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

I'm breaking my blogging absence to wish you a

happy4th of July!!!

circa summer 2010

You can bet I'll be sporting some red, white, and blue today and wearing my American pride on my sleeve. Or my nails.

Although today isn't the summeriest of days, I'll be celebrating on the beach (like most San Diegans). Friends, Beach, Beer, Food, & Fireworks.

Now that's my recipe for a great 4th of July!

How are you celebrating America's 236th Birthday?

Workout Inspiration

2012-06-27T08:14:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the hardest part of a workout, for me, is just getting started. Whether it be getting out of bed in the morning for an early morning class or finding the energy and strength to get moving after a day of work, the first step seems to be hardest. I have to constantly remind myself how much better I'll feel afterwards and, to be honest, I usually feel at my best when I'm sweating up a storm.

Here are some pictures that inspire me an get me motivated to get my workout done.

source

This weeks workouts:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 5 mile run

Wednesday: Spin class

Thurday: Speed work out 6x400s (planned)

Friday: Easy 3 miles (planned)

Saturday: BodyPump (new release!) + run (planned)

Sunday: Longer run...7 miles? (planned)

Weekend Review: All is Fair

2012-06-18T22:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend included a Friday night bonfire and Ocean Beach, but more importantly the San Diego Fair at Del Mar! This is the fair of fairs in my opinion.

Fairs are a time to leave your diets at home and savor some fried goodness. Shaun and I ate and drank, explored the crafts and unique vendors (plus all that As Seen On TV silliness), played some games (which I won!), saw the animals, and took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. We also bought a "season pass" fair ticket which basically means we go twice and it pays for itself, so we'll definitely be back again soon and hopefully see a fun (and free) concert of two!

Oh, P.S. I'm terrified of ferris wheels, BUT I always try to muster the courage to go on. This experience was actually much better than my last time and I didn't cry. The amazing ocean view may have been the reason. That, and my caring bf.

Other notable events this weekend included meeting a friend at Cups Cupcakery in La Jolla (like last weekend...it's becoming a tradition!) and getting some new workout clothes thanks to TJ Maxx and Marshalls!

Here's a Bonus: Katniss likes to jump, climb and sit on my shoulder on the daily, but she has now discovered she can get even high when I have a towel on my head. Enjoy.

Me in my post-shower glory with a Katniss on my head

Happy Father's Day

2012-06-17T11:07:00.001-07:00

I love looking at old pictures of the family, they capture something that digital cameras seem to lack. Here's one of my dad and I since I can't be home with them celebrating on this Father's Day.

Yes, I was quite the chubby baby.

Five for Friday

2012-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

1. My cousin's adorable Etsy shop. We Love Shop. All proceeds go towards her and her husband with their future plans to adopt. The shop is fairly empty right now because they're in the process of moving, but check back from time to time. She visited last weekend and brought me adorable heart-shaped button earrings and a natural eyeshadow she named after me, Jennifer's a Scientist!

2. Have you heard of Oscar Pistorius? He's a South African track athlete who is trying to qualify for the Olympic team. Oh yeah, he's also a double-amputee. I look forward to reading more about his journey and wishing him the best of luck.

source

3. Summer = watermelon. I really need to make this watermelon, feta, and mint salad ASAP!

4. I received my first pair of ProCompression socks in the mail yesterday (Thanks to a sweet deal from SarahOUaL!) I've worn them around the house already after an intense spin class and I'm already in love. Can't wait to put them on after a long run and let them aide in my recovery :)

5. I decided to see what this whole Twitter thing is about. I know. I know. I'm late to the party.

By TwitterButtons.com

Bonus: On Wednesday morning this is what my alarm looked like.

~~I decided to~~ My friend talked me into taking a "suicide" spin class aka a 6 am spin class. It felt great to get my workout done that early and I was in a surprisingly great mood all day. My legs were feeling it though...I am NOT one of those people who can do spin and still run on the same day. I need 24 hours to recover. That's when you know a class pushed you hard. I'll try to stick to this spin class at this godforsaken hour once or twice a week.

Enjoy your weekend! Any fun plans?

Bits & Pieces

2012-06-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a little picture preview of some of the stuff I've been up to:

1. Broiled grapefruit with brown sugar

2. Bonfire from when I went camping with my kickball league two weekends back

3. Katniss being Katniss

4. Beaded friendship bracelets (here)

5. Pizza and Beer at Blind Lady Ale House

6. Beer and hockey/basketball playoffs at The High Dive

7. Exploring Hillcrest

8. My cousin Cat came to town for a visit

9. La Jolla adventures

10. Mini cupcakes from Cups Organic Cupcakes in La Jolla

11. Tilapia and baked brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar

12. Current obsession: ginger beer

13. An afternoon in Old Town

14. Hotel in Old Town

15. Quick workout from Self magazine

16. Watching the LA Kings win the Stanley Cup!!!