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{Fun} Birthday Quiz & Perfect Weekend

I saw this survey on debbie’s blog a few days ago and I couldn’t resist.

The Birthday Quiz

A. Age: 26 as of yesterday.
B. Bed size: Queen.
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the litter box. (Thanks hon, for relieving me of this duty 9 times out of 10! Love you much.)
D. Dogs: None. (2 cats!)
E. Essential start to your day: Stumptown coffee with milk and stevia; toast with butter; alone time.
F. Favorite color: Purple.
G. Gold or Silver: Platinum.
H. Height: 5’10”
I. Instruments you play: Piano (but not lately) and I sing soprano in 2 choirs (sop 1 in one choir, sop 2 in the other).
J. Job title: Software engineer. (I’m a web developer at a marketing company.)
K. Kids: Someday… soon?
L. Live: NYC – UES.
M. Mother’s name: Same as mine! Different nickname though.
N. Nicknames: Maggie, Meg, Magpie, Mags.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None that I know of. When I was born I guess.
P. Pet peeves: chewing with your mouth open. Having to repeat myself because you weren’t listening. These are the general yous, not you the reader specifically 😉
Q. Quote from a movie: “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.” — Dumbledore (in the HP movie)
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: 2 – a younger brother (3 years younger) and a younger sister (6.5 years younger).
T. Time you wake up: Generally sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 am. Later if I had a late night.
U. Underwear: Uniqlo.
V. Vegetable you hate: Hrm… none? I used to hate baby corn but I love it now. I don’t really like mushy peas, does that count?
W. What makes you run late: Sometimes I start cleaning and I get distracted and I end up looking at the time and I should have left for work 30 minutes ago. Or getting back in bed in the morning to snuggle with Bobby before I go.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: At the dentist (many times – a little less than yearly I think) and at the chiropractor once.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Everything? Hehe – I kid, I kid. I made a pretty good broccoli soup last week, and I have been making some yummy gazpacho this summer. I make good eggs with goat cheese and I also make killer roasted veggies.
Z. Zoo animal: I don’t believe in zoos.

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I had a great birthday weekend. Friday night I took Friday Night Flow at Pure with my Ashtanga teacher (I haven’t been to ashtanga in a while). Then I met up with Bobby and we grabbed a quick dinner at Kobeyaki – think Chipotle but for Japanese food. I got the shrimp teriyaki on brown rice and a seaweed salad on the side. (B got the chicken teriyaki and a beer.)

We later hit up Rockwood (a live music place with a bar) and saw the Delta Saints – I’d never heard of them but they were awesome. They are from Nashville, TN. I listened to their stuff online when we got back but they were much better live, so if you ever have a chance to see them definitely go. They are incredibly talented. The singer’s voice is great, the guitarist is great, the bassist too, the drummer, and there is another guy who plays a bunch of random instruments including harmonica – he was awesome too.

Saturday I went to hot yoga in the morning, sat at a bank doing stuff for my co-op (I’m on the board), and my mom came into town for the day. We got a delicious lunch at Pret a Manger – love this place. My mom told them it was my birthday (embarrassing! kind of) and they gave me a cookie. I got the turkey-basil-hummus wrap and a decaf.

We went out to Brooklyn where we met up with Bobby’s cousins (from Japan). Walked around a bit, then came back to the city. That evening was pretty chill.

Then this morning we went to Le Pain Quotidien with my mom (I got a soft-boiled egg and bread) before she headed back to NJ. B and I went to central park and tossed a frisbee around and I did some yoga in the park. We walked around before coming home. It’s a gorgeous day in NYC today. Crisp and cool (not too cool), not humid, sunny – the perfect weather. We stopped at Williams Sonoma and got a few kitchen items, and grabbed dogs at Grey’s Papaya before heading back to our apartment.

Now that I’m home, honestly I want to take a nap! But I think I will do some food prep for the week and maybe do some reading.

All in all a lovely weekend. It is SO nice to have almost nothing planned for once. I have got to stop booking up my free time. I am very content to meander with my husband and just enjoy not having anything specific to do.

What did you do this weekend? Do you overbook yourself? What are your answers to the quiz?

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Viva La Yoga & Fun NJ Weekend

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I did have a very nice day. I was surprised mid-afternoon Thursday by an ice cream cake:

Apparently my coworkers asked Bobby what kind of cake to get, and he said, “if it’s chocolate, dark chocolate; she doesn’t like normal cake, ice cream is better; something with whipped cream.” It is almost scary how well my husband knows me 😉 And my coworkers are the best.

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I’m not going to keep being cryptic so here is my big news – I’m starting yoga teacher training this coming weekend and it’s going to go for the next 12 weeks (I have 2 weekends off). I’m not quitting my day job or anything, but I have been wanting to do this for a while and I’m so glad I’m getting the chance to now. (Back in California I did 2 weekend sessions of teacher training but did not complete the 200 hour training.) I can’t wait to share my yoga journey here for the next three months.

***

Since I’m going to be incredibly busy for the rest of the year, Bobby and I came down to NJ this weekend to spend time with my family and high school friends. We had an awesome time. Bobby and I helped out at the Quaker flea market yesterday (Saturday) by cooking hot dogs and hamburgers and taking down a bridge. I got a few goodies as well – some $.50 cent pillow shams, a dish, some fudge, handmade soap, an adorable laundry basket (whites and darks! but I will use it as his and hers because I don’t separate my colors – do you?), a lazy susan, some cool trays for food, and a bath set (lotions,etc…) … all for under $20 I believe.

***

I actually have a bunch of weekend link love links for you but I’ll post them tomorrow. In the meantime, I want to share three songs I am loving. For the first – I don’t usually like Diddy all the much, but I really like this song (mainly because of Skylar Grey’s voice – she’s not either of the girls in the video though).

Here is a Skylar Grey song:

And here is an Adele song that Bobby got me hooked on a few days ago. This girl is majorly talented, and her voice is like pure honey.

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It’s My Party, and I’ll Adho Mukha Vrksasana If I Want To

I have some absolutely HUGE news to share but it will have to wait a little bit. But I just wanted to totally get your hopes up and then make you wait. I’m kidding; I’m really excited about this thing but I just don’t want to jinx it before it happens.

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It *is* actually my birthday tomorrow (almost today! – Thursday). So that is exciting. I just got home from a deliciously yummy yoga class at Yoga Vida. I’m working on my handstand (still near the wall) and it’s really coming along. I can usually hold it for at least 5 seconds a couple times each day now. And my arms are getting stronger. I cannot believe what I difference I see in my practice when I take a class almost every day.

Not me. Source.

Yoga Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) Tips:

  • Start in downward facing dog, facing a wall. Hands should be about 1 foot away from the wall. Then step your feet in a foot closer than they would be in a regular DFD, so you have a shorter stance.
  • Stretch one leg up, and then practice just kicking up one leg repeatedly so you kind of hover over your hands, and see if you can make it up to a handstand.
  • Tummy strong, weight over your shoulders.
  • Center of gravity should be between your shoulders, not in your lower back! Don’t let your back arch too much.
  • The counter pose is child’s pose, so make sure to take child’s pose after you practice your headstand. It’s also nice to massage the wrists.

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But gosh sometimes I feel old. What have I done with my life? What do I have to show for it? I have a wonderful husband and two fats cats.

Have I done anything memorable? Meaningful? Important? Well that is why I hope that thing I mentioned above that I can’t quite say actually happens. I just want to do something with my life that means something to me, and makes me happy.

Here is my post from last year. And here from 2009 (this one has a recipe). In 2008 I logged my food. Things have most certainly changed over the years. This is now my second birthday being married. My first birthday in our new place. My second birthday at my job (the longest I’ve had a job, almost 2 years). My fourth birthday out of college (wtf?).

I think that is enough introspection.

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Did anyone else buy the Living Social deal the other day? I think you know which one I’m talking about. I hope you didn’t miss it. I unsubscribed from those things long, long ago but someone linked me to this week’s and I couldn’t resist. (Okay, okay, it was for Whole Foods! Jeez.)

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Katie says: Chopstick Covered Katie

Hi everyone! I am still doing blog maintenance and stuff, so you get to hear from one of the sweetest ladies in blogland. And she totally understands my chopstick obsession. Take it away, Katie!

(And HI to reader Lauren who I met last night!! Thanks for saying hi.)

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Hi chocolate chips!

My name is Katie, and I write a blog called Chocolate-Covered Katie.

The recipes on my blog are for “healthy” (yet still delicious) versions of traditionally “bad-for-you” foods.

Such as the above healthy choco-Banana sundae

Basically, I eat in accordance with the Chocolate-Covered Diet philosophy, and I’ve never been happier :) .

But today, I’m not going to talk about chocolate. (*Gasp*) Nope, the lovely Maggie (Isn’t she gorgeous?!) has asked me to talk about something else: chopsticks! She and I share an interest in eating with chopsticks, because we both have a connection to Japan (mine being that I lived there for four years, and hers being that Bobby is half Japanese). I actually learned to eat with chopsticks before a fork. So even though I now can use a fork, I still prefer chopsticks, not only for conventional Asian dishes, but also for…

Decadent high-protein chocolate cake

Slurpy mushroom spaghetti

Bluebberry Breakfast Pizzert in a bowl

And even…

The breakfast feast: Chocolate chip cookie dough oatmeal

Ok, scratch that last one.

Some things are better eaten with a spoon!

In honor of Maggie and Bobby, I challenge you—this week—to try eating something unconventional with chopsticks!

Be creative and have fun! Are you up  for it?? I know these guys are. :)

And remember:

Life is better when it’s chocolate-covered!

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Thanks again Katie 🙂 And happy early birthday! September is the best birthday month (mine is September too – maybe we are the same age!). I hope you enjoy some cake with chopsticks (healthy cake of course). I definitely will.

Do you know how to eat with chopsticks? What is your favorite thing to eat with them?

I think my favorite thing is… a stir-fry. Predictable, but delicious. (Here’s another.)

P.S. If you are ever interested in doing a guest post for Say Yes to Salad, please contact me and let me know your idea! I am always accepting submissions 🙂