busy, busy, busy

looking forward to an action-packed weekend full of rehearsals for monday's gig, sorting through last year's reciepts, putting in some real mileage on a treadmill, piano practice, Korean food, rewrites and my presence as a (surprise!) present at someone's birthday gathering.

somewhere in there, i'm going to sit in and sing, tune in and speak up, and tune up and maybe even turn it up for a change.

until then, tonight is blackgrrl's night out. yay.

thinking of a master plan

in keeping up with my inner svengali as i transition to on camera work, i thought it would be a good idea to challenge myself physically by running 100 miles this month. it seemed innocuous enough - only 25 miles a week! - and therein lies the rub, because apparently i can't stay on a treadmill for longer than 30 minutes without hitting a wall and i can't run a mile in less than 10 minutes. at least, that's where i am now.

so i've decided to start right where i am now, basically. i'm walking/running/crawling my way to 3 to 4 miles a day. if there's time and energy, i may do this in the morning and again in the evening, so i can effectively double my mileage.

i don't like running, by the way. there is no runner's high for me, no personal best, no thrill, none of it. i don't have the patience or the coordination skillset for classes that have me bouncing around like an exhausted cheerleader. at this point, running is simply the cheapest most efficient way to burn calories. and according to this article, my body is built for it. to quote the boss, we were born to run.

with boxing, my endurance is virtually nil. i can feel myself getting stronger, but at this point, i can barely keep my arms up throughout the entire class - probably because of all of those push ups that my trainer spontaneously demands.

...and yes, you can track my daily progress on twitter.

the next show!

The QE Top 10

here's what's floating my boat these days - in no particular order, of course.

1. a family friend sent an amaryllis as a christmas present and it's exploding on my kitchen table in the most vivid shade of red i've ever seen. such brilliance in such an ordinary place. the paperwhites did well this winter, too. from now on, i want something blooming around me whenever it gets cold.
   
2. bleinheim ginger ale is well over 100 years old, straight outta hamer, south carolina and simply the absolute best ginger ale on the planet, bar none - and nobody knows it.
3. boxing, boxing, boxing, boxing, boxing - and all the things that i have to do to get better at it. like jumping rope.
   
4. army/navy snowpants really saved my rump this winter. mine are waterproof, fake fur lined, zip up the sides and velcro at the ankles and waist. all that for $20. i'm not the most glamorous one on the block when i wear these - but i am the toastiest!
   
5. mexican hot chocolate, with ancho and chipotle chiles. i make it better than anyone but if i had to run out and get a cup, vosges in soho does an excellent version.
6. afternoon high tea at duane park. *sigh*
7. the saxophone summit - and yes, i just missed it at the schomburg a few weeks ago...
   
8. i know, i know - kiehl's argan dry oil sounds oxymoronic. the truth is, it's incredible. and addictive. and expensive. and totally worth it.
9. dim sum at red egg - that peruvian-chinese spot on centre street. happy hour there is very happy! maybe not the happiest place on earth - that's disneyland, right? - but definitely the happiest place below 14th street.
   
10. ...and last but not least, bon appetit magazine - because basically, it's my porn. and so is this.