100 Push Ups

On Monday I decided that was a thing I wanted to do. So about 9.5 weeks from now, I'll be able to do 100 push ups. How cool is that?

I've made goals in the past related to exercise, working out and improving my physical self. Some have stuck. Some have not. I've got a really good feeling about this one, though. I think it has something to do with my deep-seated desire to have nice looking arms/biceps. I'm sure it's not surprising that ShayCarl had a hand in this idea as well. (My exercise goals always seem to come back to him.) It also probably has to do with the fact that I can't do a full pull up. I figure I should be able to do at least one pull up in case I ever fall off a cliff and have to pull myself back up onto firm ground.

College has been a great time overall for improving myself as a person. A lot of it has happened, I believe, somewhat unintentionally and unnoticeably. That's just what happens when you have awesome roommates and a wonderful group of friends. Some things I've consciously worked on, but I think my favorite improvements have been the ones that really have come progressively over time.

So here's to 100 push ups and all the other lifestyle changes that undoubtedly will come with every new semester.

Speaking of new semesters, winter semester, in some ways, is just around the corner. There are only seven full days of classes left and after that only a few days of exams. I'm stoked to head home to Wisconsin in just two weeks from Saturday. And then I get THREE FULL WEEKS in the lovely Midwest. I almost took an early mini vacation to Iowa this weekend, though. BYU is playing Iowa State in basketball, and my best friend Kate happens to go to school there. I may or may not have checked for flights from Utah to Iowa . . . Had I found something for $250 or under, it's safe to say I very likely would have gone. But alas, the airline ticket gods were not so kind.

What I'm most excited for before heading back home is my apartment's Feliz Navidad Cheertastic Christmas Fiesta. It's going to be half salsa party, half Christmas cookie extravaganza. I think we're even going to make people take awkward family photos in front of our Christmas tree. Basically, it's going to be fantastic.

Have a great end of the semester, my friends.

Last YouTube video I watched: Disney Princess Leia

Shaytember goals!

Remember how I said I was going to take a break from blogging? Here's a little secret: I lie.

The reason I'm here blogging (for the second time today) is because I've yet to record my 3 goals for Shaytember. What is this Shaytember you ask? Watch this video and you'll know all about it. So here are my three goals for the month of September:

1) I will run at least three 5ks, whether that be three actual races or just running on my own the necessary distance. I need amp up my mileage per run if I ever plan on getting to 150 by the end of the semester.

2) I will film one video a week, not only for the month of September but hopefully for the rest of the semester.

3) I will write down 10 things each day that made me happy.

I also have a fourth goal but that one depends on other people, well, really just one other person, so I'm going to keep it to myself. If I succeed, I'll make sure you all hear about it.

What a great month September will be!

I'm still compiling music for my fall playlist as well. This morning I stumbled upon a gem in my iTunes library. I have no idea where the song came from and I had never listened to it before. My songs are on shuffle 99.9% of the time and this morning was no exception. This song came on. It just . . . feels beautiful. Songs often sound beautiful but to feel beautiful? That's rare.

Goals & motivation (I need a little of both)

There's the biggest goal of the semester: 150 miles in 16 weeks. I made a little chart where I can fill in the miles. It's fun to color in little boxes, right? I'm counting on that to motivate me, as well as, of course, ShayCarl. (He seems to be at the root of so many of my goals.)

So basically he's made me believe I can run 150 miles in 16 weeks. Lorraine has too. (Stay tuned for a semester full of running 5ks and probably a half marathon, all thanks to here.) I titled my playlist for this semester "Shaytember/fall 2012" because the songs on it really need to motivate me, in more ways than just running too. This semester, the first of what is technically my senior year, I'm balancing a lot of things: 14 credits spread out between 5 classes; a job in the library I've already come to love; wonderful & hilarious roommates; plenty of loyal & caring friends; going to as many sporting events as posssible; time w/ Jordan split between studying, playing music, watching sports & just enjoying each other's company in general; the desire to make delicious food . . . The list goes on.

Here's to hoping it all turns out okay.

Not too shabby

Last YouTube video I watched: Evolution of Music Live

BEDA ends again

So near the beginning of April I made a list of 10 things that I was excited about for spring semester. I figured since spring semester is underway and that April is ending, I might as well check in a little bit and recount my progress.


1) Zumba class with Becca. This is going swimmingly. It's quite fun and definitely my new favorite type of cardio workout.

2) Gettin' biceps & abs with Lorraine. Lorraine and I have not yet begun this endeavor . . . There's still plenty of time, though.

3) Jordan & Matt coming home. This is basically all I think about in the most excited of ways. It's about two or so weeks away now for Jordan and I can hardly believe it's been two years already. Matt won't be back until June.

4) Camping trips. I haven't done one yet but yesterday a girl who lives in my same building told me a bunch of people are planning one for a weekend very soon! 

5) Imagine Dragons. I mentioned in a different post about how I totally forgot about their concert, which is tomorrow. It's terrible, really. But it will all be okay since hopefully I'll get to see them at Summerfest if I'm lucky!

6) Legitimately learning to play a Julia Nunes song on ukulele and then recording a cover with Becca singing. I've learned all the chords in three different songs of Julia's so I'm well on my way to being able to play them all too.

7) More tennis and racquetball. I haven't yet played tennis but Becca and I have played some racquetball. But I also have played soccer so that makes up for not playing tennis yet.

8) Time to read the next Game of Thrones book. I started Clash of Kings yesterday afternoon as I sat on the front lawn of my friends Trent, Grant and Phil's house.

9) Frisbee. I've not done this at all . . . Sad times, I know. But there's plenty of semester left. Since I have only one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, frisbee would probably be a good thing to do then.

10) Starting my Chacos tanlines.  I figure once I go camping this will get done a little bit. I have been wearing them nearly everyday but I'm not outside all that often because of classes and often needing a computer to do my work. It's going to happen, though.


Well, I don't have class until 4 o'clock. Until then I'm going to watch the Manchester City v. Manchester United match, accompanied by John Green tweeting about it. I don't get to watch nearly enough soccer. I'm obviously supporting Man City since ManU is terrible. Well, not actually terrible at soccer but just terrible in general. I am just waiting for the day when Liverpool gets back to their former glory. (You'll never walk alone.)


Last YouTube video I watched: The Most Awkward Dance Ever

One of those glorious Allstate commercials just came on. You know the ones I'm talking about. Just so you know, BYU grads came up with the concept for those. Magic.

All-nighter

I've never pulled an all-nighter in college. I've stayed up late but never to do homework. It was always doing fun things, which leads me to this explanation:

One of my goals for college is to stay out/up all night with one of my friends, preferably the best friend, just talking. And when I say/write "stay up all night," I mean it. I want us to spend the evening hours talking and snacking and enjoying each other's company and watching The Office. And I want us to keep talking through the wee hours of the morning, at which time the sun will rise and we will be dead tired but completely wired at the same time. So, of course, the only solution is to get breakfast at, like, IHOP.

I don't have many collegiate specific goals. But that's one of them.

I bring it up because I think tonight is the kind of night where that could happen. That is, it could happen if I had one of my best friends with me. (Or maybe some other people.) But the best friends are all out being righteous for another few months.

It'll just have to wait.

Last YouTube video I watched: Shiz Three Year Olds Say