Help myself

After my long-for-me bike ride, I had lunch and lazied around. We watched "Your Highness," which my cousin rented on redbox last night. It was rather funny, a good middle of the day movie. I save serious movies for nighttime. Actually, I save all movies for nighttime.

I'll probably watch "Sicko" tonight since we have it on hand and it needs to be returned soon.

(image from Michael Moore)

I finished reading browsing The Nine Rooms of Happiness. For a self-help book, it's pretty interesting, but I must say, I'm a little over self-help books. Nothing has really given me the AHA! moment.

(image from Self)

I promised myself that I'd knock out four books per month and try to read a mix. Last month I read Room, a short history on Orange County, The Joy Luck Club, and finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. This month may include Devil in the White City, Firefly Lane or The Help, and a history on the Middle East.

October goals (starting Monday of course)

One of my September goals was to go to more yoga. Yeah, that didn't happen. Not even once a week much less twice. So instead, my October goal is to go once a week and bike one day.

• Practice yoga once a week
• Eat fruit instead of pastries. Once, I used to eat great and have one treat on Saturday mornings.
• Buy CTEL books
• Get 7+ hours of sleep per night
• Read 4 books
• Get home earlier
• Ride bike once a week, on rest days preferably
• Juice again!
  

I'm glad the whole job-finding thing is out of the picture now. :) Though, I may have another job in a couple of weeks selling active wear. Not sure how excited I am and/or whether I want to take the job.

Monday, October 3
brunch - Shakeology
morning snack - spinach, 1/3 canned chicken, mango salsa
afternoon snack - beet, carrot, & apple juice
dinner - Fage 0%
late snack - apple
workout - 9AM TurboKick, 6:30 hip hop
to dos - work
read - Devil in the White City

Tuesday, October 4
brunch - Shakeology
morning snack - spinach, 1/3 canned chicken, mango salsa
afternoon snack - green juice
dinner - Fage 0%
late snack - apple
workout - 8:30 24SET, 4:30 BodyPump, 5:30 TKB
to dos - work
read - Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

Wednesday, October 5
brunch - pumpkin pie breakfast cookie
afternoon snack - spinach, 1/3 canned chicken, mango salsa
dinner - Fage 0%
late snack - apple
workout - yoga
to dos - work
read - Firefly Lane

Thursday, October 6
brunch - Siggi peach
morning snack - broccoli, chicken
afternoon snack - Caramel Apple bar, 1/2 serving sweet potato tortilla rounds
dinner - broc, Miracle Noodles, 2 egg whites, spicy black bean dip, pineapple salsa
late snack - apple, PB, Puffins
workout - 15 mins elliptical, 8 BodyPump
to dos - work, cancel water
read - Firefly Lane

Friday, October 7
brunch - Blogilates protein crepe, 1/2 banana
afternoon snack - N/A
dinner - broccoli, chicken, Miracle Noodles
late snack - apple
workout - yoga!
to dos - work
read - Firefly Lane

Saturday, October 8
brunch - Shakeology
afternoon snack - spinach, 1/3 canned chicken, mango salsa
dinner -
late snack - apple
workout - 8:30 BodyPump, 9:30 TurboKick
read - Firefly Lane

Sunday, October 9
brunch - cinnamon fruit filled omelet
afternoon snack - spinach, 1/3 canned chicken, mango salsa
dinner -
late snack - apple
workout - bike ride
read - Firefly Lane

Riding to the south side

Yesterday ended up being an off day. I went to get my family dim sum at our favorite place, Ten Ten Seafood in Artesia. BEST PINEAPPLE BUNS EVER!

I tried to make up for it today with Zumba in the AM, but I got there at 8:30, which was too late apparently for a 9AM class. Not only was the class full, there was a long waiting list. As I struggled to adjust the upright bike and ride a couple of minutes, I decided that I wanted to go on my long-awaited adventure: biking on the Pacific Coast.

I started by getting dropped off on Main Street Huntington Beach and proceeded to find the bike trail on the north side of the pier's parking lot. I rode the trail south all the way to the Newport Beach Pier where I got off my bike and walked for a very short time.

Scenes (and scents) from the beach

• Man on a unicycle
• Man stationed in the parking lot with his keyboard, singing not so great
• Family's RV parked path-side with rugs on the concrete
• Woman watching TV in front of her RV?!
  
• Smell of marijuana as I passed a path-side house in Newport
• Surfers with dirty, sandy feet
• Reclining bikes?
• Fishermen on the Santa Ana River
• Dog peeing in the sand :(
• Joggers and bicyclists sharing the road, lots of them
• Very large man on a small bicycle
• Fishy smell of the ocean over in Newport

The fishiness and remembering the peeing dog as well as the fact that I was sticky and oily because I hadn't washed my hair yet made me race home. Kind of.

I rode back to the Huntington Beach Pier and then to Trader Joe's and then Sprouts where my mom picked me up. I was okay physically, but a tad hungry. I started my ride at 9:15AM or so and finished up at 12:30!

Breakfast was Shakeology mixed in a food container because I couldn't find my shaker. Lunch ended up being a cooling 1/2 cup of Fage 0% yogurt with a tablespoon of warmed Creamy Reese's PB and a serving of original Puffins!

It was a nice, relaxing ride and I hope to do it more often. Next time, I may want to head more south into Balboa and Crystal Cove.

Crystal Cove, in particular, was popular in high school and I never went. I drove by it last weekend and thought it was gorgeous. Maybe I can run if my knees permit since I do have to start training for a 5K at some point. Yes, just a measly little 5K over here. :)

Till then, some Theraflu - working in schools again - and "Your Highness," which my cousin picked from the redbox last night.

(image from Movie Cultists)