Kirsten's Bikini Contest '09

I know that it snowed here in the SL,UT just yesterday and I may be jumping the gun here a bit, but bathing suit season is just around the corner. Last season’s tops are still very much wearable, yet I feel it is necessary to get a new top for this season. There will be plenty of pool parties and boating trips this summer to rotate through the myriad of bathing suits, right? I have narrowed it down and I now need a little assistance picking the winner. I would like to present you all with the 3 finalists in the Kirsten’s bikini contest ’09:

Contestant 1

Kind of old school 80’s looking which I love, but it is Roxy and I have an allergy to anything Roxy. Maybe I could somehow take the logo off?

Contestant 2

Cool pattern and colors, but not a lot of black which is the color of my bottoms. I like to have the versatility.

Contestant 3

Tie dye is always kind of fun, but I am not entirely sold on the white background. Let’s face it, white is usually a bad call for anything that will get wet.

Ok boys and girls, show me a little love and vote! I am very indecisive and I need some assistance to make up my mind.

Namaste

Ever since I got back from New Orleans I have been on this health kick. Something about all the beignets, bread pudding, BBQ and junk food made me feel all sorts of nasty inside. I won’t tell you how many Reese’s peanut butter cups I consumed while we were sitting around in a hotel room, but I will tell you it is probably more than one person should eat in a month. When I returned to the beehive state I was determined to detoxify and start living a healthier life.

My new healthy life needed to include working out of course. The gym was great, but it just wasn’t really doing it for me so I started considering other options. I have a friend who has done Bikram yoga since high school and loves it so I talked to her about that. She of course sang its praises so after lots of internet research and mental preparation I enrolled in classes. For those of you who do not know, Bikram yoga is a 90 minute yoga class that includes 26 postures and is done in a room that is heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity (sometimes more, sometimes less…usually more). Last Wednesday was my first class and I am totally addicted!! I have to admit that after that first class I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go on. I had sweat more than I ever had in my life, every muscle in my body ached, and during the class I thought I was going to die approximately 3 times. When the instructor said, “It is normal to feel light headed and nauseous at this point”, I wondered what I was doing there. Determined to not give up (and because I had already paid for a 10 days) I went back the next day and found it was a million times easier. Here I sit, one week later and I am already feeling the benefits of my practice. It has helped me physically to get a good work out, but the breathing and relaxation involved has really helped me emotionally as well; I feel much less stressed, I sleep better, and I have more energy. Bikram yoga is amazing and I never want to stop!

The diet portion of my healthy life is also going well. I am proud to say that I have been pretty successful in my limited Diet Coke consumption. I have only had it twice since I decided to limit my intake. I have also been trying to eat a lot better and that included giving up my beloved sour patch kids. It has been almost 3 weeks since their sour and then sweet goodness has touched my lips. So far, I am feeling a lot better about my diet and the feelings of bloated grossness are few and far between.

Bathing suit season is just around the corner and I shall be in tip top shape for its arrival!

Balancing help, or total rip off?

Years ago I was introduced to this contraption called an indo board by these shady snow boarders. Let me just quickly paint this picture for you: my friend takes me to a house in Sugar House where in the living room is a large group of snow boarder/pot head/bums. There is a couple making out in a love sac, a dude playing the guitar, another gent playing the bongo drums, someone “rapping” along, and finally, a fellow on an indo board. For those of you unfamiliar with indo boards, it is basically a piece of wood fashioned into a board which is placed upon a cylinder and used to practice balance. Supposedly it is really good for your abs too because the balancing works those core muscles.

The other day I remembered the magical indo board and decided to look into buying one. I figure while I am sitting around watching TV I could pull out my indo board and work on my balance. Turns out they are ridiculously overpriced! We are talking $99.95 for what is essentially a wood plank and a PVC pipe. What the heck?! I have decided to channel my inner shop student to make myself an indo board. Add a little grip tape to the board and some duct tape to the pipe and Bob’s your Uncle, you have an indo board. Considering the fact that I once cut my finger open while slicing an avocado, I’ll probably have Uncle Rhemus help me so I don’t loose a finger all together. Wish me luck!

D.C., my love.

I have made a decision; a life altering one. I have decided to cut back on my diet coke intake. My addiction (previously just considered a love) is getting a little out of hand. I have decided that reducing the amount of caffine and chemicals that I pump into my body is probably a good idea.

Hey now, let’s not get crazy! I am not cutting it out entirely. I am just limiting myself so that I don’t drink it every single day and so I don’t depend on its refreshingly cool taste. As of now my plan is to allow myself diet coke upon one of four occasions:
1.Social gatherings.
2.Sporting Events.
3.When eating fast food (because the alternative orange-flavored crap is nasty).
4.If I am having an extra bad day and need a pick me up.

I feel a bit like an alcoholic setting parameters for my drinking. I feel good about this and maybe, just maybe (but not likely) someday I will cut it out entirely

Gang signs.

After a week of wearing Utah attire I am home from New Orleans. I was beginning to feel like I was in a gang from flashing the ‘U’ and yelling “Go Utes!” to every other Utah fan I passed on the streets of New Orleans. My feet are pretty excited about being able to rest and sleeping in my own bed last night was a thing of beauty. Every ache and pain was well worth it to see the Utes prove to the nation that we are #1!
I can’t even begin to put into words how amazing that game was and how it shut those Bama fans right up. There was probably a 4-1 ratio of Bama to Utes, but we were loud and proud and made the Superdome echo with chants of Utah pride. It was just so awesome to see this tiny section of Utah red making enough noise to fill that whole stadium while their crimson tide just sat there with little action.
For the most part, the Bama fans were nice enough. Wishing us good luck on the streets or being their simple hillbilly selves, but we had the rudest Bama fans sitting behind us. Seriously, these guys were the biggest a-holes I have encountered in ages. I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for standing up through the game and raising my arms in the air to sing the fight song. Their team lost. They can get over it.
I did start collecting pictures of white trash Bama fans early on in the trip, and I will share those with you now:

Sweet ponytail duuuude.


This was at the Superdome...this is how he chose to represent his team...


This dude was my fav. We actually chased him down to get this picture and told him we thought his "roll tide" was really clever and cool and just had to get a picture.


You know that fleece they sell at fabric stores with your team's logo on it? Yeah, well this guy made a blazer out of it.


You can't see too well, but this woman had a female mullet-like ponytail. She was classy.


This was up at the paraphanelia shop the day after the game.

More pictures are to follow. Pictures involving the actual game, Big easy sight seeing, and the wonder that is me.

Fist to the Face Friday.

I know I started my fist to the face Fridays 2 weeks ago and then forgot last week's, but in my defense I was busy having a post-Christmas nap day and I could not be interrupted to go to my parent's house to use their interweb. Be proud though because I am writing this blog from my hotel in New Orleans while I wait to go watch the Utes. That is dedication and I feel it makes up for last week's lameness.

Since I am here for the Sugar bowl, it should come as no surprise that I choose to punch all the 'Bama fan's in the face this week. I would like to take my fist and make their noses spew the crimson tide!!

Here is a perfect example:

How gross is this lady? She gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "roll tide".

GO UTES!!!