I’m walking on sun… what?

Sunscreen?

Suntan?

Sunburn?!

Almost every summer to date I’ve become massively sunburned at some point. Yes, I’m very fair-skinned and it’s hard to avoid getting some kind of redness without taking proper care of my skin in the sun. This summer I’m trying my best to achieve a relatively nice tan considering how white I am at any given time. With that in mind, I’m going to talk about the products I use.

Let’s start with the product on the far left: Equate SPF 30 Spray-on Sunscreen. You can buy it for $5 bucks off of Wal-Mart’s website. So it’s fairly affordable, and that’s a perk. SPF 30 is a good option as well. It’s low enough to let SOME sun through, but strong enough to keep the skin cancer out. And oh my gosh, the spray-on factor is so convenient! But I won’t be buying it again, and here’s why: It runs out far too quickly. I mean, yeah, 5 bucks for a weeks long use of sunscreen could be worse, but I use sunscreen daily when I go on walks and bike rides. I can’t be running out all willy nilly.

The middle option: Banana Boat Deep Tanning SPF 8 Sunscreen. I love this product. I bought it when I was in southern California and I was searching for a product that would help facilitate healthy tanning. The sales associate, gave me the advice that she had experienced some bad skin burning and irritation with a product I was holding and she recommended the Banana Boat. It’s SPF 8, a lot lower than the spray sunscreen. But even with re-application, I STILL have some left in the bottle. It’s lasting forever. This is my sunscreen of choice this summer. Oh and the price is comparable to the Equate spray. Especially, because of how far this sunscreen goes. And I might add, it smells much better. Makes me want a drink. =)

I use the last product as a supplement to the Banana Boat: Hawaiian Tropics Dark Tanning Oil. If there’s a product that lasts forever, this is it. The first time I used it, I thought I was going to run out the same day. It felt like I was squeezing the whole bottle of oil into my hand. But no, it lasts foreeeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrrrrr. And I mentioned how the Banana Boat smelled, and this ALSO smells delicious. I don’t recommend eating it, but goodness, it smells amazing. =) I don’t remember how much this cost, but because I love it so much, that part is kind of moot. A+ product.

And now the part that you all (may or may not) have been waiting for! How’s my tan, thus far? Well, for being as white as I was to start with, it’s going very good. My swimsuit is kind of skimpy, and my tan lines are extremely crisp. I’m about to head back down to sunny beach land within the week, so I’ll hopefully get some darker results and post some pictures! At any rate, if you’re looking for some optimum product, try these ones out! Or test your own and tell me what you use!

Heat and Smiles

Ok, so the days have become exponentially warmer. Today is only 99 degrees, but the past two days have been 104 and 105 degree heat. This isn’t a problem for me. I certainly don’t find the heat insufferable. HOWEVER. Part of my workout is riding my bike 20 miles every other day, which in 104 degree heat might as well be a walk in the Sahara with only my sweat glands to keep me company. No thanks. Early morning or late nights is what it will have to be from here on out. So I set out at 7:30 AM for my bike ride and yet, by the time I made it home the temperature had already climbed to 82. Good grief.

It’s kind of nice to ride in the morning. There’s fewer people on the trail at the time which is nice, because I’m not forced to dodge and weave amongst soccer moms with strollers. And I don’t have to contend with hoodlum kids on their low-ridaz bikes. Hah! When I rode this morning, I found myself feeling relieved that I was getting it over with early on, instead of having to think “Oh, I still have that bike ride later.”

On top of that, I was feeling a little extra congenial this morning. And there’s a lot to be said for a smile. I pass a lot of people on the trail who are different than I am, and who are in all kinds of shape, and who are all kinds of ages. Today I passed an Indian (not Native American) woman who was walking, and she didn’t look unhappy to start with. But the minute I flashed her a smile as I rode past, she returned it. And others on the trail sharing an acknowledging nod or even the rare “Good morning” (which I admit is mostly rare because I’m blasting some music through my iPod). I found myself in thought for part of the ride, that a simple smile can brighten a day for even an instant. Don’t be a downer.

Did you know that if you type in any date on Wikipedia that it will give you all sorts of information about special events, births, deaths, and holidays that land on that particular day? Well, you can.

And on that note, today is the Catholic Church’s feast day for Marie of Oignies. You can visit her shrine in Belgium. Isn’t that just the most interesting thing you’ve ever heard?

Some goals. And some seaweed.

Today is the 3rd of May and as I lay here looking around my room in thought, I’ve decided that a key to reaching goals is to first assess what my goals are.

For this month, my main goal is to continue P90X. I’ve  done good so far (four days in) but I know that I’ll lose steam. I hope that by tracking my progress, especially through this blog, I will stay on target! On that note, today was Yoga… didn’t do it. I switched to the Plyometrics video instead. I don’t care. I hate yoga; plyometrics is harder anyway. Also this month, my goal is to survive the final weeks of this school year. I’m probably more excited than the students, that summer vacation is imminent.

For the next six months: Same as above with the workout regimen. After 90 days, I want to restart and keep up a noble effort to stay fit and pleased with my health and appearance. My goal is also to have my car loan, visa card, and student loan paid in full. I will be out of debt in six months, or less more than likely. START SAVING! Because…..

For the next year: …. I’m going to move to southern California. I’ve been hesitant to announce this because I was afraid I’d fail and end up looking stupid to all my friends. But the bottom line, is that I want to move my fit and financially-ready self down there and start up in a place that feels like home. If I could live on the beach, I would.

There’s some goals. Let’s get ’em!

“Seaweed?” you ask. Yes.

While it may not be the newest food item on the market, I’ve been reading up on seaweed as a snack item. Here’s what it looks like:

It’s quite tasty. I was skeptical. I thought it might taste like I was biting into the ocean or something. But no, it was delicious and not as salty as you expect and it has a roasty nutty flavor. Quite enjoyable. =) Get it at Trader Joe’s!

What I’d like to find now are some kale chips that I’ve read are pretty healthy for you, also. Kale is a form of cabbage. I know… weird foods. But I wanna try!!

Now check out The Pipettes!

Day 3, and my legs are like noodles.

I’ve restarted the P90X workout again. Today was Day 3, if you haven’t already gathered. Arms and Shoulders with Ab Ripper X. This is probably one of the more enjoyable ones, because I like feeling the burn in my arms. It makes me feel like I’m actually accomplishing something. And there’s a lot of weight lifting (or resistance bands in my case) which gets to be hard after a certain number of reps, but I like that my entire body isn’t wasted by the end of the workout. Yesterday, however, was a completely different story. After walking to Starbucks in the morning, a “to and fro” accumulation of 5 miles, I clicked onto my workout and decided to hit up Day 2…. Plyo X. For those of you who don’t know much about plyometrics, it’s a workout bases on rapid muscle movement incorporating jumps, lunges, and squats. Not to mention, you’re encouraged to land lightly after jumps, like a cat. Normally, this isn’t too much of a problem. I mean, I’ll end up in a sweat and I’ll be exhausted and ready to drink an ocean of freshwater, yeah. But after that 5 miles for coffee, Plyo X kicked my ass. I got through about 2/3 of the video and was done. Just plain done. My legs have been sore all day. I’m walking around like an old man who’s legs have seen better days dancing the Charleston in 1920.

Getting in shape: Yes

Dying in the process: No

But it’s ok! Because tomorrow is Yoga. And I absolutely LOATHE the yoga workout. I will do anything to avoid this day. So my plan is as follows: Do a half hour of Yoga, easy peasy (it’s not easy, though) and then redo the entire Plyo X workout.

Maybe I’ll write more about Yoga tomorrow.

In other news, I’ve been stumbling a lot lately. StumbleUpon is becoming easier to use now that I downloaded the app on my iPhone. Which, by the way, I bet you didn’t know…. I got an iPhone 4!!! This app has made me realize… animals are freaking adorable sometimes. Which in turn prompts me to list my top 4 favorites.

1. Seahorse (hands down it’s not debatable. They are amazing and cute and there are so many varieties I just don’t know what to do with myself!)

2. Owls (Wisdom. blah, but beyond that, I like that they come in all shapes and sizes, and that they remain kind of mysterious being creatures of the night. Don’t agree? I don’t give a hoot. aha aha get it? )

3. Giraffe (Grace. Beauty. Elegance. Enough said.)

4. Penguins (and Puffins actually…. I like them all. Those waddly, cute beaked, swimmin’ birds! And you know what’s cool? They live in all climates, from frozen lands to tropics)

What’s your favorite animal??

Here have a video. I kinda love this song.

I was kidnapped by Disneyland!

So, I’m sure you’re all wondering where I’ve been… or not. But in any case, I’m gonna tell you. It all started when spring break hit. No, I’m not in school, but I have the luck of working for one. That means that I get the luxury of paid holiday and vacation time. Don’t be jealous (ok, be jealous.) The last blog left off with me in Visalia, and then I just got so busy and distracted in Southern California that I neglected my site.

So here’s a catch up blog!

Food-wise, this was a pretty fun trip. Right when I got to Riverside, my friend and I went to Punjab Palace. I know it sounds a  little campy, but the Indian food here is incred! I love it! Don’t ask me what I got. I’ve forgotten. And all the pics of it are on my old phone. But more than Punjab Palace, I wanna tell you about a place I went on my last day of vacation: The Salted Pig. My friends and I had heard good things about it but were still a little skeptical about going. Right when we walked in though, the ambience was pretty nice. It seemed to have this really underground vibe to it. (Not like underground music… really, underground.) For example, it was like a…. beer cellar. I’m not sure how else to put it. It’s really cool. There are chalkboards up all around the dining area listing the beers and I thought that was a nice touch. It’s cool to see something done that you don’t see done all the time. Here’s some pic of what I got!

These were called “Filthy Fries.” French fries, smothered in beer cheese, sauteed garlic cloves and chives. Ok. Delicious. Kind of a mess to eat. Kind of not on my diet. But …. yum!

Spatzle. My main dish. Noodles, onions, bacon, cheese. I also loved this. I would order it again. Hands down.

Two of the days were spent at Disneyland. My life was basically hijacked by the fun and rides. Haha. I don’t care how old I get, Disneyland is fun. I’m never going to be too old to have a great time and revisit my childhood. Not every ride is for little kids anyway. Tower of Terror could quite possibly be my favorite ride of all. I saw World of Color for the first time too. It lived up to it’s hype as something pretty impressive. However, I didn’t find it extremely groundbreaking. I mean, Fantastmic ALSO uses water and projected images to make for a great show. World of Color isn’t identical though, and that’s what makes it fun. There’s fire, water, lights, color, images…. it’s a good time. And thanks to one of my friends who works at the park, I had prime viewing location! I can’t wait for summer to go back. I have an annual pass and plan to make plenty use of it. Yeah, I’m premium.

Two days were spent at the beach. Well, one night… one day. I love the beach. When people ask why I’m relocating my life to So-Cal, one of my first answers is that the beach is in much MUCH closer proximity. There’s something about throwing a towel down and catching some sun. Laying there with a book or my iPod. Or even just listening to the waves. It’s calming and a nice place to think.

Not to mention a great place to check out guys!

Now I’m back home and back to work. Just one more month before summer vacation though. I’ve just acquired two new music gigs also. I’m working on (even later today) a concert called “Sing Out, Louise!” which will be an evening of some of the best of Stephen Sondheim. And starting in June I have an engagement playing for Les Miserables for a local theatre company. So it should be pretty fun! I can’t wait to get started!

So that catches you all up on my life. I’m gonna get going to work on this music. I know the last music video I posted was Florence and the Machine, but here’s one more. My friend Emily showed THIS one to me.

Cosmic Love

Planned Parenthood

Of all the things that happened today, you might be most interested to hear about my visit to Planned Parenthood. First of all, I always feel suspicious of free clinics, as if they are going to find a way to deny me service. However, in this case, they did all they could to help me. There’s only been one instance in which I could ever complain about Planned Parenthood. And that was only because they were denying me service because I was too responsible and came in two months in a row. This time the woman called me up and told me I was over-qualified for the free service because of my income. But then with her assistance, I realized I had put the wrong amount down… “wrong amount.” Anyway, into the room we go and I tell them I missed my period the last three months. Oh my gosh, no I didn’t. I was just there to get tested. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not even having sex. I just prefer being responsible and knowing my status, and keeping that knowledge recent.

So she starts asking me the standard questions. I look over and see a plastic vagina! I said “Oh, that’s what they look like!” She laughed and said no. I said “I don’t think I ever would have seen one otherwise.” She laughed again. I enjoy making people laugh. It breaks the ice and I’m sure working at PP isn’t the most stress-free job ever. She quizzed me on how to avoid HIV and I answered all correct. 100%!! A+

So long story short, I peed in a cup. Which I kinda hate, because I feel like I can never guarantee that I’m actually going to have to pee when they tell me to. But miraculously, I always seem to pull it off. Afterwards, I came in and she took my blood. Ten minutes later, I’m still HIV-negative. Duh.

“HIV-free since 1985” should be my bumper sticker.

I bought more books today. “Around the World in Eighty Days” and “The Castle in Transylvania” both by Jules Verne. That latter is the first book that ever featured Transylvania as a location for characters who may or may not be dead. So I’m kind of excited to read it.

I also spent $85 on products from Origins today. Which!…. I will do another blog about later.

In honor of 80’s night at The Menagerie in Riverside which happens every wednesday, I’m posting an 80’s video. Animotion’s “Obsession.” I actually know the female lead. She’s a great friend and excellent performer.

My car is back!

Today turned out to be one of the best days ever. 7 days and $1,004.00 later my car is back in my arms. Or I guess it’s more correct to say that I’m back in my car. Thank goodness. I am NOT good at depending on other people for rides. It makes me feel less independent and more unable to just go where I want, when I want. But now, my baby’s back on the road with a fixed bumper and two new front tires.

Just in time too! I’m heading down to Southern California on Friday. And there’s definitely some driving involved. Staying at my friend’s house and I’m destined to the beach, Disneyland, WeHo, etc. So yeah, I can’t wait.

Today was a productive day. I ended up with the day off. And the only responsibility I had today was to make a recording for a friend of mine for his Easter service at church. Afterwards, I met up with my friend Bill and we hit up Borders and Me N’ Ed’s Pizza. I needed some new reading material. I mentioned in my last blog that I was in need of Voltaire’s “Candide.” So alongside of that, I bought “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Baroness Orczy. That latter was inspired by the musical soundtrack of its theatrical coutnerpart coming up on my iPod while I was driving. Incidentally, the musical, reminds me of one of my best friends, who incidentally, I’ll be staying with in So-cal.

Now I’m sitting at home watching The Lion King 1 and 1/2 with my sister and excited to use my new hand weight I purchased at Target earlier. It’s only 10 pounds, but I think that should be enough to actually get in a decent arm workout.

Tonight, I’d like to introduce you to some music that I encountered in a runway video that another of my best friend’s had posted on his facebook.

Kazaky is the name of the group’s name and they are a 4 person boy band from the Ukraine.

I’m just gonna post the video and take caution. These men are beyond sexy. Like. Take a cold shower afterwards, hott. Singles available on iTunes!

Today is sunday.

Today is sunday, and  I have almost no idea what to write. With that in mind, here’s goes a blog post.

Last night I went out to see a Fresno State Opera production called “Opera Favorites.” Some of my friends were in it, and they performed scenes from La Boheme, Le Nozze di Figaro, Candide, and others. I especially loved the pieces from Candide. Not only is it one of my favorite theatre pieces, but also one of my favorite pieces of literature. Voltaire blends satire and comedy together into a plot that is gripping and thought provoking. And the way Leonard Bernstein translates that to the stage is miraculous. (Oh, and if someone wants to buy the book for me, that’d be great. I gave mine away.)

Another opera thing, that I’ve been waffling on, is The Sisters of Manzanar. This is being presented by California Opera Association. A company that unprofessionally and unceremoniously cheated me out of half my pay and I have nothing to say in support of this company. In fact, I can say that you should never ever support them by seeing any of their productions ever. Except this one! And the only reason I can conscientiously recommend this, is because ALL of the proceeds are said to go to support the Japanese-American Citizens League and their endeavor to build a monument in memoriam of the Japanese-Americans who were placed in internment camps during World War II. So, since COA gets none of the money, I can support it. Maybe someday they’ll learn not to burn their bridges so quickly.

In my personal life, things have been going quite well. Financially, things are shaping up just how I want them. I still don’t have a car, but in a few days I’ll be back to zooming around these streets. Athletically, things are also shaping up just fine. Literally. I walked 8 miles today. I’m eating right. I ride my bike. I do pull ups, push ups, crunches, etc. I’m on a mission to be fit!

Humanity though, has been causing me some grief. Since when have people stopped having the ability to see things from a friend’s perspective? Life is not a math problem. There’s not always only one possible answer. Respect and consideration when a friend expresses a problem or a hurt feeling, is an appropriate response. Just something on my mind.

 

I only have 4 more days of work left until it’s Spring Break, by the way! Halleloo!

 

Here’s a clip of the finale of Candide. “Make our Garden Grow” (This on features my girl, Kristin Chenoweth)

Death and Taxes and… Japanese cups?

But not necessarily in that order.

Today was pretty all over the place regarding what was on my agenda. The one thing I had been dreading since 9AM was knowing that today… today, I was getting my taxes done. A lot of my friends were excited to do theirs. They kept telling me about the hundreds (over a thousand in one case) dollars they were getting back. I had to suppress my envy at what I wasn’t anticipating for myself at all. In addition to working my main full time job, at the high schools, I have multiple self employed “gigs” that don’t take taxes out. Even my church choir neglected taking out any taxes last year. So I was left with a hefty chunk of untaxed income. FML, right? Well, I don’t care to drag it out so… with my deductions (of which there were a fortuitous amount), I actually came out ahead this tax season! I was almost speechless when my tax preparer told me that I’ll be getting $150.00 back. Makes me regret calling my Uncle Sam a deadbeat earlier today on Twitter. Yay me!

After getting my taxes done I hightailed it over to church choir. It was a slightly different rehearsal today. I got a call yesterday that a member of my church had died. And we were rehearsing for his upcoming funeral on Sunday. Sometimes death is unexpected and in this case, the choir had been focused on Easter music, but tonight we pulled a hard shift to find a song appropriate for this man’s service. It turned out to be an amazing rehearsal and this gentleman deserves every honor that’s coming to him. I don’t know too many people at my church, but I knew Fumio. He was outspoken and candid. At the same time you could tell that he really cared about the people in the church and the community. We’ll definitely miss him in choir.

After choir things kinda picked up for me. The church was having a rummage sale! And being an ethnic specific congregation, there were plenty of Japanese items to be rummaged through. I ended up purchasing quite a bit for myself. A china set, some tea cups, sake glasses, two wooden statues, and more cups. There were so many cups! Luckily I drink a lot of tea so I just thought “Yes, please” and took most of them.  The china set is very fine and I may get it appraised. I’ll have to try and get pictures up in tomorrow’s post.

 

Ok, I thought I had nothing for you in today’s music pick, but then my iTunes shuffled and divine intervention made me remember Little Boots! Ummm…. another on of my top 5 (I really should solidify that list… next post?) Little Boots is a music goddess. I love her. People seem to persist in comparing her to Lady Gaga. I think they are too different to compare. And I love them both. But today isn’t Gaga day. Yet.

 

Glee Club

I always thought the term “Glee Club” was obsolete, until the television program “Glee” made its debut. In my mind Glee Clubs were a thing of the past, something you saw in old yearbooks. Black and white photos of guys with bow ties and girls with 50’s era bump-its. Apparently, I’ve been mistaken. Which is great. You go, Glee Club! But the way I’ve been finding out about these groups across the nation, irritates me.

You see, I work full-time as a pianist. I work more than full time actually, because I have multiple gigs. But for the point of this story, I work at two high schools and accompany the choirs at each. One of the pieces at one of the high school is “Faithfully.” The other school is tackling pieces like “Time Warp” and “Fame.” The latter school is planning on incorporating dance into these numbers. Cute right? And in order to get the students in the spirit of the song, the choir director has played youtube videos of other “glee” clubs doing similar (or identical) songs. I was in class a few times for this, and I consistently think, “What the hell? There’s glee clubs?! That’s cool!”

So why am I irritated?

It’s because this choir is NOT a glee club. It never was a glee club. Never should be a glee club. But right now, it’s parading around in fancy glee club costumery trying to be something it’s not. Kind of like when a young girl paints her face with makeup like she thinks a grown up would do, and just ends up looking foolish. This group is supposed to be the top group at this school and even the district. I guess it just bothers me that I feel like they’ve sold out to what they think the audience wants to see, instead of rehearsing and performing legitimate choir music that they would be more proud of. Both of the schools, and I feel many others unfortunately, have lost sight of what choir is about. They pander to the students and try to incorporate solos as much as possible. And you know what? If it was a glee group that would be great. Oh, and the dancing? It belongs in show choir. Not a chamber group.

Bottom line: “Glee clubs” and “Choir” are different.

For all my “irritation,” I should probably add the qualifying statement, that I really do love my job. Like any career, it has drawbacks. But at the end of the day (and the end of this post) I really do enjoy what I do. Music is my passion. I’m lucky that I’m able to use my passion to earn my bread.

Tonight I’m listening to Duffy. Her music moves me. “Distant Dreamer” is so amazing. It’s definitely top 10.