The Inner Child

Last night, I went to the Disney-themed show they have on campus. Students run the show, the acts are selected from student-auditions, and it's always one of the best (and certainly funnest) show on campus.

I was performing in the show with the "My A Capella" group this past Fall, and it was fun to enjoy the show from the audience this time.

I arrived at the show 10 minutes early, and as I walked in, one of the girls running the show was looking for help: the auditorium's digital projector wasn't working, so the promo-video they had planned to show was a no-go. They needed some music to fill the current void of silence. Enter my iPhone. It has Pandora, so I quickly queued up the Disney Kids station (why I didn't already have it saved in my stations, I don't know). They plugged that baby into the sound system, and I provided the intro music for the show. Okay, so really it was Pandora, but I helped.

I'm not sure what it is about Disney music that makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe it's all the memories I have attached to those songs. My awesome mother never left us wanting for Disney music. From the Sing-along videos, to the Disney favorite songbook, to the Disney favorite tapes, to the actual Disney movies themselves, our house always had some form of good ol' Disney fun well within our grasp. I cherish the memory of my Mom playing "name that tune" with songs from the Disney favorites songbook. We would bid on how many notes we could guess the title in. I equally cherish the memory of me and my sister dancing and singing along to the original Parent Trap song "Let's Get Together" complete with brooms as our pretend guitars.

Last night's show got me to remember some of those things. I was smiling and cheering through the whole show. Memories from my childhood were revitalized, along with memories from my more recent childhood. I absolutely LOVE the movie Tangled! So if you find yourself feeling old, stressed, weighed down, or just too "growed-up", remember that Disney never left. You can set the grown-up world aside for a bit and bring out your inner-child. That's okay.

Another Mix of Thought

I'd truly be an ungrateful son if I didn't mention my Mom. She's awesome. If you know her, you most certainly agree with me.
Life challenges the very best of us with all it can, and I think that my Mom, through all of life's challenges, has remained standing steadfast in the path that she knows is right. She's got the noblest heart of anyone I've known, big enough to love anyone, forgive anything, and understand. She's a keeper, and I think I'll keep her.
I love her humor, I love her insight into the fun details of life. I love her way of making life pleasant for her family, even through the most unpleasant times.
Mom, I love you.

Now, here's a funny thing: I went to call home for Mother's Day. I got the following recording: "You have reached a non-working number."
This has got to be a joke, I thought. First off, anyone who knows my family know that "non-working" is a phrase as foreign as "bored". And yet, here was this recorded voice telling me that the number I've had since I was born was no longer working. I called my Mom's cell number and got the lady of the house. She confirmed that, while the family was still in working order, the phone number had, in truth, been let go. I think a more accurate term in the recording would be "dead" in place of "non-working".

So the family is officially wireless. How thoroughly modern we are.

Okay, so next, I'm beaming. I am honestly grinning as I type. Why, you ask? I'm pretty thrilled about how I feel. I don't want you to get sick of me rubbing my fitness triumph in your face through a computer screen, it's just good for me to share my success in this way to keep fueling my motivation. Since I've been in Rexburg, I've lost 12 lbs. If I keep going, I'll be a new person the next time I see most of you.

Now that I shared that, I feel comfortable sharing this next part about food.
I finally went to Great Harvest. I've heard from so many people how great this place is. Verdict: IT REALLY IS! It's my new favorite eatery in Rexburg. I get the Turkey Pesto (no cheese). It's awesome! If you haven't been to Great Harvest, and you get the chance, do it!

Sometimes I do dumb things. It's all too true. My most recent was trying frozen yogurt. I know it's gonna give me an allergic reaction, but sometimes I just try again, you know? Just in case. They were handing out tubs of frozen yogurt at a talent-board retreat dinner on Friday night. And I did partake. See? Dumb.
Even as I ate, my mouth was telling me "this burns". The rest of the night, I was itchy. All over. And I was congested all through the night and into the morning.
Will I ever try it again? Yes, definitely. Will it be soon? Absolutely not! I have to forget what it feels like before I try the same dumb thing again.
The sad part about this: I may never know what it's like to have a Pinkberry. Please tell me that someone is thinking "Wait, what's a Pinkberry?" It will make my day.

I've got a new addiction. It is Michael Buble radio on Pandora. I can stream Pandora on my phone, so I take my phone into the bathroom with me and start out my day with a shower and a song. It really is the perfect way to start a day.

This semester is very demanding in terms of efforts, but not too strenuous as far as mental challenges go. I'm really loving classes, loving being with friends, loving the way I feel, really loving life. I really miss the people and warmth of Arizona, but life here is treating me pretty darn well. Couldn't you all just come visit? We could do lunch at Great Harvest! Just a thought.

Fakers

I am saddened. I keep getting spam comments on my blog posts. In fact, I get more spam than I get actual comments from readers. I have 21 official "followers" on this blog, and I only know about 8 of them. I love keeping this blog. It's the best journal I've ever had and it's fun to reflect back on. I also love sharing the details of my life with my friends and family. But at the same time, I feel used. Spammers are using my journal to try and sell their wares. What should I do? I hesitate setting my blog to private; that seems to complicate things for some of my less-than-computer-guru friends. Any suggestions?

Fit and Well

I am not wriing this to brag. My aim is to motivate and inspire.

I've been consistent with my diet and fitness goals: more consistent than at any other time in my life.
Here are the initial results:

I feel incredible. I feel energetic, cognitive, balanced, happy, and ...well, well.
I have lost a considerable amount of extra flab. I look in the mirror, and I see an improved, leaner version of myself.
I began to notice that I actually have a skeletal frame where the fluff had covered it.
I'm never as hungry as I used to be, I sleep soundly and wake up consistently prior to 8am without an alarm.
My body is loving being cared for. Do you have any idea what it would be like to feel like a child again?
That's as best as I can describe what I feel. I feel alive, refreshed, and completely ecstatic at the results I'm getting.

I keep asking myself, why have I waited so long to make these changes?
The truth is, I didn't have the motivation.
Once I found it, things really took off and I find myself forming new habits of living that are amazingly rewarding and fulfilling.
I am went and tried on a shirt at the mall. It was only 8 dollars on clearance, but I was not really counting on it fitting.
Then I tried it on. And it fit me like a dream! It was a great feeling to look in the mirror and be genuinely satisfied
with what I saw.

And the neatest part is that I get to look forward to things only getting better as I maintain discipline in taking care of my body. I made it through the Easter holiday not feeling the least bit sorry that I wouldn't partake of any sweets.

In all sincerity, nothing NOTHING tastes as good as being healthy feels.
The key is motivation and willingness to adjust.
The rewards are real. I'm not going to post pictures or list how much I've lost just yet.
Let me just say, you can do it! Find the motivation, make some changes, and live!

Back to the Barren North

I am officially all moved in. Rexburg is, as I had expected, windy, cloudy, and cold.
I am missing the weather and people of Arizona so much I could almost cry.

Yet, the view from this point is more promising than the gloomy scene I've painted. Weather aside, things are good. I really love my new apartment, I'm looking forward to friends getting back into town, and Spring really is on the way.

So. What's up, Rexburg, you bittersweet old town?

Savoring

My days in Arizona are numbered. This makes me sad. The break I've had has really been positive and refreshing.

My friends invited me to go camping in Payson this weekend. When they said "camping" they actually meant "a weekend getaway to a resort on a golf course".

Once I saw the place, I could easily overlook their deception. I was absolutely blown away. This is easily one of the nicest homes I have ever seen.

Here's a little sample of the interior, compliments of Verizon Wireless and the new iPhone.

The living room:

The kitchen and dining room:


My personal favorite, the THEATER ROOM complete with leather recliners, tiered seating, mood lighting, a theater-style popcorn popper, projector, and surround sound.


Some features not featured in the photo tour:
-a hot tub on the deck
-a pool table and ping-pong table
-antique oak wood flooring upstairs salvaged from an old courthouse in Arkansas
-impact sensitive lighting: the lights come on when they sense your footsteps.
-purified water in all the faucets

I could go on, but I think that paints the picture for ya.
There was a winter storm warning in effect, and storm it did. We woke up to this:

I was almost thrilled, but I still haven't gotten to the point that I like snow again yet. I'm still in love with the desert heat and sunshine and was hoping to get my fill prior to my return to Idaho. It was really pretty, I have to admit.
I felt like we should all slip into fur coats and head down the lane to have tea with Mr. Tumnus.

So now that I've got that all blogged, let me speak of other things.

For those that actually follow my blog, I finally got around to adding pictures to my Vegas post. Scroll down and check it out if you want.

In my last post, I mentioned some of the changes I've made in order to be more healthy. Well, I've really stuck with it and this camping trip was no exception.
For Friday dinner, we headed to the store to buy our own choice of food.
While others were busy buying steaks to grill, I was buying the simple ingredients for lettuce wraps and protein shakes for breakfast.

I felt a little like a joy-kill snob-boy. Everyone else was having the deluxe steak dinner and I was sticking to my lean protein wrapped in leafy greens. Oh well. I really want to stick with what I'm doing. It's paying off.
Let me say this: I haven't lost a lot of weight, but I am changing shape and feeling good. I hate being controlled by the scale and fretting about a number. It's not a positive motivation for me. When I'm gaining muscle and losing fat, that doesn't show on the scale. The real reward for me is feeling healthy and energetic and being able to run 3 miles non-stop without feeling like I'm going to puke and/or cough up my right lung.
On a similar note, my P90X order was canceled for some reason. I'm actually glad because rather than spending the $90 plus tax and shipping, I have a friend who was good enough to duplicate her discs for me (thanks Perla). I'm really excited to be able to get going on the program on my own with access to my own DVDs.

I am really not liking the lurking feeling of anticipation of my departure. My heart has gotten firmly set on staying here. I almost want to defer a semester of school and stick around. Almost. My better judgment tells me to stay. Freudian slip! I meant go!!!

And so without further adieu, let's make these last few days in the Grand Canyon State as Grand as Can be.

Lately

Lately, I haven't blogged a whole lot. You know this, but it needs to be stated to lead into my next thought. I've been having a great time staying busy with other things that I want to do. When you're given 4 months off school, you really should maximize it's usefulness and not squander it on things like blogging. There's some wisdom for you.

Lately, I've been busting my butt trying to develop good habits for staying fit. I'm happy to report that it is paying off.
I want to share my goals with you because it will help me keep motivated if I tell you.

But first, why the sudden urge to reform? That's a very good question and I'm glad you asked it. It started with looking at my Vegas pictures.

Now I don't think I look humongous, but I know I can do better. That really was my wake-up call.

I had spent the first few weeks in Queen Creek working with my brother, eating fast food 2-3 times a day and consuming more Coca Cola than I normally would in an average year (and loving every minute of it, I might add).
That, my dear children, is called "gluttony" and too much of it makes you feel like total ca-ca.

I was also inspired by the efforts of my Uncle Tom who we visited out in California. He's really good at sticking to his diet and it is paying off.

I think back to a day when I was (yet again) being screened to donate plasma. The first thing they do is check your weight.
I'd been very consistent with my exercise routine and eating pretty healthy.
I stepped on the scale and something magical happened: the computer noticed my significant weight loss.
I then had to give them a reason for the weight loss.
I was proud to say "diet & exercise". The worker beamed at me as if to say "You go, Glen Coco!"

I loved that sense of accomplishment, but I loved even more my feeling of wellness. Life is too short to go through it feeling like your body is a sack of garbage.

Lesson: no food on earth tastes as good as being healthy feels.
My friend Perla disagrees, but I stand by this saying.

Here's what I'm doing:
No soda EVER.
No fried food. I was going to say "no fast food" but I want to be realistic. Just exercise control. There are a lot of good options on today's menus (value salad?). Just make smart choices and control your portions.
Avoid the sweets like they're Satan's candy. I think portions are a biggy here too. I've been turning to frozen grapes whenever I get the craving for sweets, and I'm totally hooked.

Eat smaller meals and snack throughout the day.
One of my newfound favorites is lettuce wraps.
I use the green leafy lettuce, some chicken or turkey for lean protien, wrap it up and dip it in a side of dressing.
I add a side of celery sticks and usually finish with a handful of frozen grapes or some other fruit.
I would've never thought it, but I LOVE this meal!

So I combine those dietary goals with a fitness plan (which changes from week to week, as long as I stay active) and that's it!

I've got the P90X videos coming in the mail. I've been doing the workouts with my friend Perla and they totally ROCK!
My favorite is the Yoga. Yes, it's true. I'm really amazed at the improved definition in my muscles, hence my decision to buy the program.

So Tony Horton is my new trainer.

Not to be confused with Tony Perkis.

Or Tim Hortons, the Canadian Donut Emporium.


I'm sticking to it! I'll have to adapt my plan to my school schedule when I reach that point, but I'm feeling really confident about sticking with it since I already have an awesome head-start. Wish me luck!