On a New Path: 4th of July Spent in the ER, plus Armpits, Stomach & Kidneys.

How's that for a headline, eh?

So through the years, this blog has been many things. First, my video podcast and blog for all things geeky, techy, creative. Then, it was my outlet and documentation place for my 14 day soup cleanse, and you guys were with me every step of the way and even supported time that time that i wrote a poem about soup, not poop. (BTW, going through those posts i'm reminded how EXCELLENT i am at picking hilarious and random pop culture gifs to describe my relationship with food. srsly. i'm going to include the full archive links to those posts because, well because they made me LOL.) Recently, this blog also captured me winning the interwebs when i met George Takei.

Lately I've had some great progress in my life, but also some great setbacks. i have an amazing new job with a mission where i basically get to save the world daily. I have an incredible home that i weekend warrior projects on that make me happy to be doing work with my hands and planning designs and gardening. I have a great partner and family and cherished friends who have become my family, and i have love and laughter in my life daily. But i also just got a kidney infection out of nowhere and spent most of 4th of July in the ER at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. I have lost a friend due to that parting of ways that sometimes has to happen to women in their 30's, and have been struggling to find time to do things that i know are good for me and nurture me. some of those things include:

• working out (blergh).
• writing
• blogging
• photography
• journaling
• eating right (most days i'm great at it, and other nights there's taco bell. WHAT I LOVE THEIR SOFT TACOS AND FAKE NACHO CHEESE).

In an effort to reboot my personal habits, i have come here, because you guys and this place have always been there for me before. I'm going to start writing about things that are less geeky (though there will still always be my love of gadgets, software and technology here!), and more organic, dare i use that buzzword.

for example...

• i just read a shitload of information about how bad antiperspirants are for you, and how we should not put aluminum and other chemicals under our armpits. i do NOT like BO, but i also don't want cancer. I am on the search for a natural deodorant that works. wish me luck on that, but i'll be posting about it here.
• i have this crazy plumeria plant that i bought in hawaii years ago that has this weird symbolic pattern to how it grows based on my relationship with above mentioned former-friend. i would like to document because it's just TOO WEIRD. 
• I am doing some awesome DIY home projects that i'd like to share with you all. for example, i made my own outdoor curtain hanging hardware using steel piping fixtures from Home Depot for like 20 bucks total. #irock
• I am attempting to get back into actually working out and overhauling my eating habits for life. not a diet, not a cleanse, but this time for GOOD. i am going to need all the help i can get with that one.
• i have started a separate site and Etsy store (#HomeMadeRad and #FizzyPopHome) almost a year ago that i haven't actually launched yet. i am making my crafts into home goods and i want to share my tips and tricks with everyone. i just need to actually FINISH that project. I'm so close you guys!

In summation, i have always been a jack of all trades. and i'm ok with that. i want to MASTER more than one of those things, projects, lifestyle changes, and i want to do it where it's most natural and lovely for me: right here on this blog with all of you.

So basically, what i'm saying is stay tuned for more, better, good stuff and a whole new look. I'm almost done with the BITCHIN new wix design for this blog, and will be making the swap hopefully in the next week or so.

Hope to see you around!

Have a great day,

D x

#TBT (ThrowBackTuesday, bitches): The Soup Cleanse Chronicles:

Click on a day to see full recap, tally, GIFs & musings.
-Day 1

-Day 2

-Day 3

-Day 4

-Day 5

-Day 6

-Day 7

-Day 8

-Day 9

-Day 10

-Day 11

-Day 12

-Day 13

-Poop? Nope, it's just Soup (a poem).

-Soup Cleanse prep-work.

The Day We Fight Back Against NSA Surveillance: 3 Ways to Take Action

"The SOPA and PIPA protests were successful because we all took part, as a community. As Aaron Swartz put it, everybody "made themselves the hero of their own story." We can set a date, but we need all of you, the users of the Internet, to make it a movement."

-TheDayWeFightBack.org

3 Ways to Get Involved:

A banner should pop up across the bottom of this page with 2 ways to instantly get involved in fighting back against mass government surveillance. you can either

1. call or 
2. email (or both!) your legislator directly from the pop-up banner. 

You can also go to the official coalition website for more info: TheDayWeFightBack.org

     3. Also, here's a petition you can sign on TakePart.com to demand transparency from the NSA.

Fight back, internet. Fight back.

I finished the Cleanse; Writing the Update Post...but in the Meantime, Here's George Takei and I. What.

so, i've been SLAMMED at work this week with, among other things, preparing to support an amazing documentary we will be airing on October 27th called Bridegroom. (if you are interested, watch the trailer here). as a part of this preparation i got to go to the premiere last night, and i met none other than George Takei, Mr. Sulu himself! Those of you who know my blog before i started writing about my cleanse know what a Trekkie i am. with this photo, i basically win the internet, IMHO:

George Takei and I at the Bridegroom premiere! 

my lunch today-thank you, Farmer's Market+fridge leftovers! Tasty & healthy.

Just wanted to share those two things with you and i promise that tonight i will finish one of the series of cleanse wrap-up and post-cleanse food head-games blogs that i have drafted. trust me, it's a doozy!! hint: i made it 13.5 days out of a 14 day cleanse. it all ended with a chicken apple sausage pretzel roll on sunday night. don't judge!! 

check back soon!!

ONE DAY LEFT! I survived Costco. And List of Side Effects. Day 13: The Skinny on the Cleanse

...to celebrate 2 weeks of cleansing being OVER, bizzles! 1 more day!

so. i have made it nearly 2 weeks. the end is nigh, and i'm so pleased that i stuck with it! sorry this blog is going up a bit late...i needed to do some non-cleanse related today, so i went to Costco with a friend/co-worker who needed to use my card for a party he is throwing (translation=#booze). i have to say that i'm really proud of myself for successfully avoiding my BIGGEST downfall at Costco. no, it's not all the little free food stations (which i avoided as well!). it's the cheese and tortilla aisle. they have these amazing uncooked flour tortillas-totally fresh and you have to refrigerate them-which i will eat like the whole pack of raw. i'm not even kidding. as i toyed with the idea of getting them, in my head was something that Chef Kelly said in one of her recent emails: if it's not in the house, you can't eat it.

and simple is as simple does...i didn't buy it. and guess what? now i can't eat it. (but damn, they are REALLY GOOD tortillas).

i did eat one (ok 3) raspberries because i had to make sure the batch i was buying was sweet. and when they hit my tongue, it was like a bright, fresh, pop rock. only natural. it was SO sweet i couldn't believe it! that's what no sugar will do to you for 2 weeks.

ok so for today's blog, here's a hodge-podge of stuff about the cleanse that i keep meaning to relay to y'all, i'm sure some things will be left out so i will add to Sunday's blog as i remember:

Recap of the daily/weekly structure of the cleanse+Options:

-i won the 2 week cleanse from Pureed Love, but you can also opt for a 1 week version.

-Chef Kelly recommends the 2 week version if you can afford it (i would recommend that one too) because it just feels like you need to allow your body to cycle through it twice in order to feel the fullest benefits. but, even just 1 week will do you wonders. remember that i lost 7.5 lbs by the end of week 1, so there are actually LOTS of benefits!
-you pick your purees and then also solid protein preferences before you begin the cleanse
-you get 5 purees a day for Monday & Tuesday, and then from Weds-Sunday you eliminate your least favorite puree (chef Kelly will ask you about that on Tuesday) and you get a solid meal instead.
-you eat every 2-3 hours. no exceptions.
-you may still have your coffee and tea and occasional glass of champs.
-otherwise, no exceptions. you ONLY eat the food they deliver to you 3x a week. (i had mine delivered to work)

Hodge Podge of Observations on Cleanse Effects on My Body:

Nails:

-my nails are usually really thin and weak. since i've been doing the cleanse, i notice that they have gotten stronger and been growing quickly; something i wasn't expecting and wasn't even looking for. i just happened to notice when i scratched myself on my face by accident the other day like one of those newborn babies. (you know the ones where they put the tiny mittens on their hands when they come home so they don't scratch their faces like i did? yeah just like that.)

Gas:

-i was legit concerned that this cleanse would give me gas, but i have to say that besides a few days towards the end when i started getting the salads/raw fiber protein dishes, it was all pretty calm down south

Bathroom Time:
-i was worried that i'd have upset stomach OR the opposite, complete blockage, but i was VERY regular, if not more regular, than usual. i thought i was going to have to take a laxative tea to help move this along, but i couldn't have been more wrong.

Sleep:
-i had a bit of trouble really sleeping, so i have to admit that i upped my regular sleeping meds a bit. (i'm just naturally really high strung, so i need help sleeping. sometimes i use melatonin, sometimes (most of the time) xanax, and sometimes an herbal alternative (you do the math). since my body was so clean and clear, and because i tend to be a night snacker (not to be confused with the night stalker, who terrorized Los Angeles in the 80's and was a serial killer), i was going to bed earlier to minimize the chances of finding myself wandering wantonly around in the kitchen at midnight each night.
-so it took me a bit to actually get to sleep, and i slept lighter than normal, but felt like i still got a good night's sleep each day, and tended to wake up naturally earlier than normal on my own.

Back Pain:
-miraculously, my severe back pain that is pretty much chronic/constant, the result of a severe herniated disc that i suffered when i was in my early 20's, has been SO MUCH BETTER. i can't explain that one. i haven't been working out at all (just walking the dog that i'm dog-sitting, which is more than i have been doing normally for a while)

Exercise:
-quick note: i can NEVER spell that word right, despite my best efforts. NEVER. maybe if i actually engaged in the action of exercising, it would be easier to spell? hmmm...
-since the cleanse states to not work out or to take it very lightly if you do, i took this as a full, free pass to actually not work out with a very good reason. god bless that part of the guidelines.

Caffeine:
-since i had overall less energy than normal (though when i was awake and alert i was VERY awake and alert-it was refreshing), i tended to drink more coffee than normal. usually i do 1 cup of coffee with vanilla soy creamer in the morning, or a double shot of expresso with soy creamer, and then drink tea all day long. during the last 2 weeks i've done like 2-3 cups of coffee a day, and still tea all day as well. it didn't affect me one way or the other...just helped me feel more normal.

last day tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! till then....

(UPDATED. I Did NOT Have a Taco!) I Had Vodka, You Guys. And I'm a CHEAP DATE! Day 12

---EOD REPORT+FINAL TALLY---

this afternoon, one of my co-workers who is also a friend and whom i love (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, TAMMIE! ;) came over to me and was like "OMG did you SEE what is in the KITCHEN?!" and i was like "no!!!", and "that was on purpose!" whatever it is, I CAN'T EAT IT! and she was like "but you have to support meeeee!! we have to stick together!" and i was like "ok ok ok you are right! you have been supporting me in my cleanse, i will go LOOK at what is in the kitchen with you." i'm strong, right?

so i went in the kitchen and come to find that some mystery meanie awesome person had left EVERYTHING for make your own tacos. i'm talkin' chicken meat (white meat, hand cut), beef (again, chunky beef, hand cut), onions, cilantro, limes, cheese, beans, rice....EVERYTHING. all in these neat little containers. let me tell you something...

I HEART TACOS. especially make-your-own tacos. taco night is infamous in my house, always has been. it's a great way to make a group dinner when friends come over, or great for a mid-week dinner with you and your bestie or lover or partner.

anyways, while my co-worker (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, TAMMIE! :) tasted the beef and we discussed how, if you avoid the tortilla, it's basically a healthy bowl of homemade goodness, (#girleconomics) we surveyed the landscape. and i am so proud of myself...i did not take even ONE BITE of any of the spoils before me. which sort of looked like this:

with that hurdle cleared (her tasting and me avoiding tasting), we were surveying what of the leftovers was suitable bag-it-up-to-take-home goods. again, i feel triumphant in this moment, because i did something that satiated me, yet allowed me to keep my word to myself and my diet. i took a ziplock bag, put a generous amount of cilantro (which i LOVE) and some beautiful lime wedges in it, and put it in the fridge with my LAST 3 DAYS' (WOOT) worth of cleanse food. 

when i got home tonight, i had my dinner (seared scallops and a hearty salad), and then when it was time for my final puree of the day (sweet pea, in case you are curious), i took some cilantro out, put it into the soup bowl, squeezed some fresh lime on top, and BAM! i felt like i had gotten my (free) money's worth of food from work. i didn't feel like i was "missing out" on anything just because i wasn't eating the tacos. 

in fact, i felt proud of myself for coming up with a creative, non-caloric and non-cheating-on-my-cleanse solution to free food being offered up at work (a situation that i know we ALL find hard to resist. we somehow talk ourselves out of whatever our normal eating habits are when there is free food involved...even if that food is not something we are craving, or even if it's something that we don't particularly love. what is up with that? #foodnoise, that's what. that's for another day).

so that's my story of the day. i feel like it was a strong finish to the end of a rather difficult yet successful work week. i feel that things are starting to fall into place for me, and this is just the beginning. i'm excited to blog this weekend about some bigger picture and summary thoughts about this life-altering cleanse, and also about the little nuances of it. i've officially made it 12 days as of today, and that is pretty awesome, if i do say so myself.

FINAL EOD TALLY:

-LBS LOST: 10
-NUMBER OF TACOS EATEN: 0
-NUMBER OF TIMES YOU WILL SEE A DANCING TACO ON MY BLOG: this probably isn't the last.

---MORNING REPORT---

so last night, try as i might to find champs at the Henry Fonda theatre, the closest thing i could find was this:

grey goose and soda with a few limes. what?

but when you are seeing this:

Stereophonics. #RockAndRollBaby.

and haven't eaten all of your soup purees, and the band didn't go on until 10 pm, and you all of a sudden feel REALLY old for the first time, a vodka+soda+3 limes is definitely in order.

and let me tell you, i was a CHEAP DATE!!! i took like 3 sips of my cocktail, and i was instantly buzzed. it was so funny! i had to sip it slowly, and then after i drank it, i was totally buzzed, and then like 2 hrs later i had a headache already. HA! my, how things change.

the concert was great, but man was i tired. it's hard enough on a "school night" to go out these days, and it was even harder given my cleansing state currently. but i made it! the concert was great, and i hit another milestone in being able to avoid the street hot dogs outside the theatre on Hollywood Blvd. at midnight last night.

this morning's weight loss tally is still the same (i reckon the alcohol bloated me up a bit too), and i got my FINAL food delivery today from Chef Kelly. we had a great chat about how she is going to help me understand how to continue this new way of eating on my own after Sunday. i CAN NOT WAIT to go to Trader Joe's and go grocery shopping this sunday! I CAN'T WAIT! i've saved so much money not shopping or going out to eat, it's insane. (i did win this cleanse, remember, so it's been free for me, but it is a good amount of money if you are paying for it. but i think that with 5 organic meals a day for 2 weeks, i'd still be saving money even if i was paying for it. #girleconomics.

so tonight, tomorrow and sunday i will be blogging about all of the details you guys have been asking me about privately. specifics about the food, cleanse, effects, etc. it will give a good overview/wrap up of all of the goods, so help me get through my last 3 days! thanks again for continuing to support me on this journey. cheesy as it sounds, i'm a changed woman. 

Day 11: 10 LBS Lost, Going to a Concert Tonight - #Stereophonics

first off, i'm going to a concert tonight. to see the Stereophonics, one of my favorite bands. if you don't know who they are, please make an effort to find out-they are SO worth it! here's a first step:

what a voice, eh? glorious.

so i'm super excited to go to this concert, however i'm a tad trepidatious. (is that even the correct tense/use of that word?). the reason i'm apprehensive (that's better) is that as i said in a previous post, i've been taking the whole social plans thing easy during this two week cleanse period because it's just better/easier that way. not only because it's easier to be away from temptation or being reminded of what you CAN'T have, and because i get more tired than usual because i'm eating less overall, but also because i think a big part of this cleanse is actually about self-reflection.

the quieting of the food noise in my head has left me with a very stripped-down and raw version of ME. and that's a very fragile state to be in, no matter who you are or how confident you are in general. so it makes sense that along with this period of resetting yourself physically, you also take some quiet time out to reset yourself spiritually and emotionally as well. i mean, that kind of happens on its own anyway. i keep saying that i feel like i just got the BEST therapy, but really it was the cleanse. i highly recommend it. (unless you are REALLY in trouble and actually need real therapy or professional help. go get that instead, in that case. :)

in summation, of course i'm excited to see one of my favorite bands. but i'm nervous at how i'm going to feel standing and cheering and dancing for a few hours (in case you've never heard how i behave at a concert, the high-pitched screaming right by the camera in this video is, in fact, me). and also, what if there's no champagne there, and i order a vodka-soda with some limes...is that cheating on my commitment to my cleanse, considering i said i'd only break the fast for champs?

i'm pretty sure i've used this GIF before. i'm totally ok with it. this GIF is important at all times.

lastly, i have lost TEN POUNDS (LBS), you guys! as of this morning! how cray is that? day 11, ten LBS. i know i know i know it's not about the weight loss, but now i'm on a mission to see if i can lose the 15 LBS that the cleanse website says is the high-end of a typical weight loss for this cleanse. since i've pretty much proven to myself beyond the shadow of a pistachio nut shell that i can do this cleanse, now i want to challenge my body to do it to it's maximum results.

wish me luck tonight!

(UPDATED!) Day 10: Better, Faster, Stronger. Plus, The Ice Storm.

--EOD REPORT--

i had the following delights for lunch and dinner today:

asparagus soup with some of my dinner salmon and veggies mixed in.

salmon with "gingerly" sauce and a hearty salad. 

the salmon was amazing. SO yummy. i put a big chunk of it in my asparagus soup for lunch, then ate the rest for dinner. there was a big salad with some radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. with the salmon, and the delectable gingerly dressing. i have to say i'm not a big fan of salads in general. i love just plain vegetables, and unless it's arugala, i'm not really interested in the leaves. i guess because i've never been super into salad dressing? lettuce to me is just a vehicle for salad dressing. sorry to offend any salad lovers out there. :)

FINAL EOD TALLY:

LBS LOST: 8.5

PUREES CONSUMED: 4

NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE COMMENTED ON ASPARAGUS PEE SMELL: too many. 

--MORNING REPORT--

better, faster, stronger.

sorry i didn't blog last night! like i said in the morning report yesterday, i had a tough day yesterday, mainly due to the Crimson Tide and being on day 2 of just purees, and then of course it got cold last night. (to clarify, i KNOW that y'all out there who don't live in SoCal are laughing at me because i think 60 degrees is cold, and you know what? i'm ok with that. it doesn't affect me. it was cold for HERE, dammit!)

so, i actually passed out early from all of these factors last night. and i woke up today feeling pretty darned good! i was still a bit tired, but that's to be expected, and i lost another .5 LBS. this morning as i was driving into work, on the first cool, rainy, chilly day in a long time, i felt great. i love this weather, and i love feeling like the seasons are actually changing.

not that i complain about our great weather here, but, well, i do complain.

because i need some rain to balance out all the sunshine. actually, i'd like a good amount of rain, because i'm moody like that. (The Ice Storm is one of my favorite books, what do you expect? also, btw's, there is a GREAT movie adaptation of that book starring these amazing people:

kevin kline, joan allen, sigourney weaver, christina ricci, elijah wood... and a 70's swinger sex party. if you have not seen this film, you must. that's all there is.

anyway, i was driving in this cool, moody weather fully aware of the change that i have been undergoing, and i was pleased that the weather around me was changing as well. we all work together, as a system, right? and then, Kanye came on again! this time it was a bit of a throwback- "Stronger" came on, and i just ROCKED OUT to it in the car, and i really felt like i was better, faster, stronger. and i was reminded by -Ye that that which does not kill me only makes me stronger; a metaphor for how things that are challenging are also rewarding once survived. so today, that is my theme. i'm one strong bizzle, and i am working it, baby.

lastly, i got my food delivery this morning and am SO excited to see solid food in there! here's what's on the menu (i told chef kelly how much i love garlic, so she added more to this week's food. SCORE! who knew garlic could make a girl so happy? just don't try to make out with me this week:

10/9

Salmon salad with B~12 crave dressing (lots of garlic for you)

10/10

Garlic shrimp asparagus quinoa with pine nuts

That's it for humpday morning report! make it a good day, people, and remember that Kanye wants you to be better, faster and stronger today. just do it.