This year, there will be more:

• running;
• writing;
• dissertation;
• yoga;
• reading;
• girl friends;
• cooking;
• Guanajuato;
• dancing;
• and getting all dolled up (con makeup también).

1. Went to an NHL game (Red Wings vs Kings)
2. Woke up early to watch a presidential inauguration (okay, this was the first inauguration I watched)
3. Got a speeding ticket
4. Joined a gym
5. Cooked a pot of beans
6. Saw Fabulosos Cadillacs live
7. Took a daytrip to a winery with my mom and sister
8. Won at the Black Jack tables in Las Vegas
9. Got my first pair of Nikes (Cortez!)
10. Played Brain Age on Nintendo DS
11. Watched (most of) The Wire (’nuff said)
12. Had catfish made by Alan’s mom
13. Took a yoga class
14. Learned why a 4-6-3 double play is called that
15. Ran a 5K (and lots, lots more)
16. Got a porcelain crown
17. Went to the Hollywood Bowl for a classical music concert (twice!)
18. Celebrated my birthday at Disneyland
19. Went kayaking in Lake Casitas
20. Went to a Yankee game at Yankee Stadium
21. Spent an afternoon alone in Central Park (see photo)
22. Ate sweet potato fries
23. Saw the Dodgers hit a walk-off hit in the playoffs
24. Had a glazed donut at Bob’s Donuts in San Francisco
25. Was published in the NY Times blog
26. Went to a NBA game (Pacers vs Clippers)
27. Became friends with Jordan
28. Made albóndiga soup (my mom approved!)
29. Went to the opera (The Barber of Seville)
30. Fit in to Lori’s pants
31. Lost [redacted] pounds

Yes, I’m still in school
I had a set deadline for making solid progress academically. I missed it. I’m actually okay with it because I have made progress thanks to my writing group. In my head, my dissertation sounds great, it even sounds great when I explain it to people. A friend joked, “I’d actually read that, not just skim it.”

Baseball is over, but I still pay attention to my LA teams
I went to my first NBA game on Saturday night. I watched the Clippers beat the Indiana Pacers. Not very exciting, right? Not for me. The game was a match up of two late ’90s UCLA standouts and current/former crushes Baron Davis (owner of my second favorite beard) and Earl Watson. Alan joked that what was an insignificant game to most was my dream match up.

Airborne
I still travel a lot. These days, my trips are much less taxing. After spending a good chunk of Friday either on a plane (listening to an interview with Jason Reitman), on the way to/from an airport, or in the airport, I returned to a chilly LA. That evening, I started my mini-George Clooney movie weekend with Up In the Air. The next day, I watched The Men Who Stare at Goats. I recommend both films.

Let’s go shopping (my sister had this board game… oh gender roles)
I thought I’d like shopping more now that clothes fits. I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at clothes online, but just don’t like being in stores, trying to find my size (or figure out my size as it changes a lot these days), trying on clothes, etc. I also simply dislike a lot of current trends. I completely understand why celebrities have stylists. I’d find it a lot easier to dress myself if someone just told me what to wear (and bought it for me too). [Hint, hint.]

Back to tumbling, many, many years later
I’m posting photos, songs, videos, links and other bits at my tumblr blog, 31 and other mini obsessions. See what I like. (I was inspired by Sean’s tumblr blog Sean Loves This.)

In the middle of the summer, I attended a birthday party for my cousin’s daughter. It was the first time in a while I had seen a lot of my cousins and tíos/tías. They noticed the weight loss and complimented me, asked questions and made some off-color jokes (“are you anorexic?”). As I’ve mentioned before, I’m ambivalent about the comments. It’s nice to see that others recognize my efforts, but I’m still uncomfortable the attention to my body when the comments come from men or are mentioned loudly in a group.

One comment still resonates a few months later.

As I was making the rounds and saying goodbye to my family, my uncle pulled me close.

“You look great, mija. But no more… don’t lose anymore.”

I didn’t say anything as I did the quick calculations of how much I still needed to reach my goal, or even be within the healthy weight range for my height.

“Um, thanks tío,” I said softly and then continued on to say goodbye to my other tíos and cousins.

A few months later, my uncles words still ring in my head, especially as I’m getting closer to the number I arbitrarily set for my goal weight and I’m not sure how I’ll feel once I’m there. I’m also tired of having to buy new clothes, especially with the cooler temperatures.

Maybe I should set a different goal: being able to share clothes with my sister. (My mom already passed down a bunch of skirts.)

Progress photos after the jump.
(more…)

Ahoy mates! Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Things like this make me giddy. Perhaps that’s why I’m the second result for Chicana nerd (or geek).

(Click for larger version.)

Rio does it again.

I love that my friends and family take pictures when they find the elusive 31. My cousin, Vanny, took this photo at the San Diego Zoo.

Today’s karaoke scorecard: Me Voy (Julieta Venegas), Hopelessly Devoted to You (Olivia Newton John, Grease), Tú, Solo Tu (Selena version), Tragos Amargo (Ramón Ayala), I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie), and First of the Gang to Die (Morrissey). [I picked songs to fit the sad song theme. Also, I'm already making a list of songs I need to sing next time I do karaoke.]

The boyfriend shares a birthday with Tiffany. I share one with Debbie Gibson. We were meant to be…

Cindy is is equal parts Marcha de Zacatecas and Camino de Guanajuato.

(more…)

I love sweets, but I don’t crave them. I don’t sit around and think, “I need a brownie right now!” I only want a brownie at the moment Lori pulls them out of the oven. Otherwise, I’m okay.

Donuts are my exception. And even then, I’m only tempted when in proximity to a shop. I always want to stop, but rarely do (even before starting WW).

So, imagine how I felt when I got to work a few days ago to find a box of donuts and muffins on my desk. Although I’d miss the going away mini-party for a co-worker, I hadn’t missed the goodies.

Yeah. Uh oh.

My supervisor saw me eying the box.

“Please, have one!” she said cheerily.

I nodded, but didn’t grab one of the two remaining glazed donuts (my 2nd favorite behind cinnamon crumb). I sat down, logged in to my computer and began making some calls. I ignored the box until my co-worker came by an hour later.

“I know you’re trying to eat healthy, want me to move this?”

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

He moved it to the next desk out of my line of vision.

All was fine until I started to feel hungry at 3:30, a few hours after my lunch. I went back to the box, ready to give in.

All the glazed donuts were gone. I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.

I’m not much of a pro football fan. I live in LA. We don’t have a team. Yet I can’t escape it. All around me, friends are giddy with the start of preseason play. Today, I heard virtual jaws drop on Twitter, Facebook and blogs as news broke that the Philadelphia Eagles signed Michael Vick.

Most of the reaction I’ve read so far was from people who are glad Vick is getting a second chance. They readily admit that running a dog fighting ring is deplorable and he deserved to spend 23 months in prison. Now that he’s served his time, they say, he should be able to get on with his life. The football fans like blackink and GD at PostBourgie discuss what Vick will add to the Eagles’ offense. (By the way, PB is up for a well-deserved blog award, support them!)

Of course many are upset and openly express their belief that the Eagles made a bad decision. They won’t support the team. Their new favorite team is whoever is playing the Eagles, etc.

Understandable. I like dogs too. I don’t want to see them mistreated, beaten, shocked and forced to fight ’til the death. I covered my eyes during the dog fighting scenes in Amores Perros too.

While I’m not cheering on the Eagles and Vick, I’m not mad.

I’m more confused about those who can be up in arms over Vick, but did little when it came to Luis Ramirez.
(more…)