Blogging and Blogs

If you're one of the few people who check my blog periodically, you probably notice that I don't really blog that much, and that may have deterred you from checking more regularly. But for some reason August has been a banner month for me.  I don't know why. I guess I've felt I had the time to write something (or finish old posts), and that I've had something to say. I've gotten away from needing to have an elaborate or funny story to tell...though I do have an old story that I've been asked to share, and will.  I've also always thought my posts needed to be long but they don't.  Freedom from these self-imposed restrictions has got me blogging a little bit more.

Anyway, I was talking with Maya yesterday and she said she was looking for some good blogs to read...we're both taking a break from Facebook until September, so I guess you could say we have a little more time on our hands for other internet pursuits.  I asked her about how she finds blogs and said that was part of the problem, searching for them.  I don't really follow blogs and those that I do browse are usually by people I know, but I looked at my blogger dashboard and realized that I did actually decide to follow one random blog a few months ago.

Stuff by Nicole by Nicole Alesi

Nicole is an illustrator and when I sent my 30th birthday evite via pingg, I chose one of her designs because I felt it totally captured my vibe and spirit.  Here is a picture of the girl who was on the e-card. It's retro me!  Purple dress...cake...yes!

I think her stuff is cool.  It's modern, but she also has a retro vibe and I love that the people in her illustrations are diverse. Her blog features pieces and series that she's working on and highlights new items in her store on etsy.  Check her out!  And if anyone wants to commission her to do a triptych of Shayla illustrations, please feel free. Don't forget, I've got a new place with lots of empty walls. :)

Reasons Why I Go to the Gym...***

As many of you know, I'm a gym-goer.  Sure I workout a bit in my house because I got a Wii fit, but typically five days of the week before work I hit the treadmills and pump iron at New York Sports Club.  Going to the gym is part of my routine and for the most part I go to stay fit and for general well-being. 

But I'll admit, at times my motivation for staying fit has shifted. I saw one of the Bourne movies and Matt Damon was running.  I think he was running across the beach and I thought, "Yeah, I should be able to run like that in case someone was after me."  Why I would think someone would be after me or that I should have the physical capabilities of trained assassin didn't factor in to my reasoning, I just thought I should be able to run.  Well, even though I have been working out consistently, I still can't run for too long and kind of hate jogging.  But when I'm short on time and need to dash through Grand Central or across 125th in order to catch my train...I can do it!

But I've learned that my going to the gym is all about being strong enough and having enough endurance to do random stuff...like walk from Pier 1 Store to Union Square subway station through the station and down the stairs to the 6 train to up the stairs through Grand Central to get on the New Haven Line train to Mount Vernon with a heavy mirrored dining room table base.  Or to walk across 125th in the rain with a 5x7 wool rug. As you can tell, in both instances I was carrying two items that are needed for my (still primarily empty) home.

So being able to do a 5K, a pull up, push ups and all that stuff is great, but being about to save some dough on cabs and movers because I'm fit (and frugal) enough is even better.

***I started this post in May and am just finishing in August. ahahahaha