Today I did not die

Sounds pretty dramatic, I know.  Today was day one for Crossfit, and I survived.  But man do I feel it!  My muscles aren't sore (yet), but I just feel so heavy and tired! But- I am so glad I went.  Thank goodness Jes decided to go as well, or I might have wimped out seeing how I was sick with a stomach virus on Saturday. 

I only had to do half the time (10 minutes), and that's a good thing or I might really be in the hospital right now!  Just kidding, (or maybe not.)


I know this sounds funny- but I literally had anxiety dreams last about going today.  In one dream everyone was mad at me for being the FNG and they were planning on working out for 3 hours.  3 hours!  In other dreams I was just nervous and embarrassed at my out of shape self.  Can you tell I was nervous about going?  I literally felt like crying when I got there today.  I am such a dork!


But it ended up ok and I wasn't too embarrassed.  Everyone was very supportive and that really helps.  I think if it was a group of un-supportive people I wouldn't go back.  Shoot- I KNOW I wouldn't go back!


I can't go back until Thursday, so that's two days to recover- we'll see how it goes next time!


I leave you with my "before" picture.  Sorry- I am not willing to get into a bathing suit- and you should thank me for that really.

"Before" picture- can't say when the "after" picture will be.  And *ahem*, never mind the messy kitchen!

Ja mata ne!

Food Fun Friday- The Great Chip Adventure!

Happy Friday everyone!  I just love Friday.  I don't have to work, and Friday is the day I go to eat Hot Caesar Salad with my ladies.  If you haven't tried it- trust me it is delish.  The lettuce isn't hot- only the toppings- which consists of (you actually fill out a ticket to say if you want all or some of the following items): green peppers, mushrooms, onions, bacon, garlic, chicken and/or shrimp.  They stir fry it up and toss it with lettuce, croutons, and dressing.  Sooo good!  I even got fellow blogger Jes from Bleu Dress and Dress Blues to join our group every Friday.  The company is even better than the food- I so enjoy chatting with my girls every Friday.  When I am having one of those weeks- I have something to look forward to.

Today I don't have a restaurant review- but I thought I would show some of my favorite  chips.  I am on a low carb diet- so of course I am dreaming of  chips- ha!  Seriously though- Japan has some pretty awesome chips- in all different flavors, shapes and colors.

Yesterday I cheated on my diet with these lovely curry flavored chips.  Japanese curry rice is a favorite of mine- so imagine my excitement when I found these lovely chips at a convenience store.  I meant to only sample one and then pass it off to the children.  But the children didn't eat them all- so I finished them off myself. *blush*

I originally titled my post "potato" chip edition- but not all of these chips are potato chips.  I have found all sorts of chips- corm chips, vegetable chips and even chips made from bread (thinner than bagel chips and therefore qualify as a real chip in my opinion.)

These can be found anywhere and everywhere in Japan.  They have mastered the art of snacking!

The sliced bread chips.  They were thin and crispy- and quite tasty with the strawberry flavoring added.

The guy on the left is actually a box of creme filled cookies- they are quite tasty and I pick them up whenever I see a new flavor.  The bag in the middle is lime and chili- very good!  And the bag on the right is the front side of the bag of bread chips.

Wasabi chips on the left.  On the right- butter and honey chips.  Very unusal flavor for a potato chips- but these are my favorite.  Unfortunately our dog Brownie found them quite tasty as well and stole the bag off the counter while I was out of the house. *sad face*

Ok- obviously the stuff in the bag on the left are not "chips"- but the little dried fishies are considered "snack food".  I haven't been brave enough to try- but I sent them to my in-laws with the Christmas presents the year before last.  The bag on the right I think is also a fish falvored chips- apparently it goes well with beer!

I thought I had more pictures than I do!  I will have to take more.  Stay tuned to Part II of The Great Chip Adventure!

Cults, Cameras, Cantankerous Posts, and InCarceration

Hello!  As you can see, I love me some alliteration.  Life seems to be going in all sorts of directions, luckily it has mostly been good!  I am a wee bit superstitious so I won't make predictions and say if this is going to be a good year- because that had bombed on me the last two years.  I just plan on taking it day by day.  You know- "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

I have had some luck this year, which has surprised the heck out of me.  I won a $200 gift certificate to New Sanno, I won a Coach wristlet bag, I won a lamp, and I have won a brand new PS3.  We used the gift certificate the weekend before last and had a great time, I'll try to post some pictures soon.  Because of the PS3, Hubby and I have a new TV in our bedroom.  You see, we ALREADY owned a PS3, so we needed a TV for the bedroom.  But it's ok, I can now watch movies in my room, that makes me a little happy.  Anyhoo- I have tried that luck out at Bingo, so far nothing- but I haven't given up yet.

What does that have to do with my blog title?  Well- nothing, sorry.  I know you are curious as to what I means by cults?  Well, I decided to drink the "Kool-aid".  Next week I start CrossFit.  And I have to say I am terrified!  I just know I am going to look like the biggest wimp and be the most out of shape person to ever grace their presence!  Several of my friends have been on me since last summer to join.  Out of one side of their mouth they would say how wonderful it is, and out of the other side, they would talk about how they were dry-heaving during a work-out, or how they were falling down stairs because they were so sore. I kept meeting more and more people that were on the CrossFit wagon and I was convinced they were in a cult and refused over and over to join (even though a part of me was saying "do it do it!") Another friend of mine joined in January, and she already looks fantastic!  That had me sold, so I set the date for March.  Wish me luck.  If I don't ever post again, it will be because I died.

Cameras!  or I should say camera.  If you have been an avid reader of my blog (isn't everyone one? *giggle*)  , you will know I have been dreaming and dreaming of a DSLR.  Last weekend I finally got one!!  I felt really guilty asking Hubby if he would mind buying one with our tax return funds, but he was all for it.  I even ended up buying the pricier model.  I LOVE IT!!  Now I just need to learn how to use it.  Obviously I can "use" it, since it has the wonderful automatic mode for non-knowers like me- but I have been reading about apertures and shutter speeds and want it all to make sense!  I ordered what I think will be the most beautiful camera bag from Epiphanie.  It was pricey, but seeing how I have NO camera bag, I went for it.  I ordered the grey, since I can't afford to buy another one should I get tired of pink or turquoise.

Isn't it beautiful?  It even will fit a MacBook in it.  I don't have one, but it's good to know...

Cantankerous posts...  I am referring to Facebook.  I know, one year ago I gave up Facebook (but that mostly because I was hooked on Farmville).  But it seems that Facebook is the way we all communicate these days and how I keep in touch with my friends.  It gives me a certain amount of pleasure to laugh at funny posts or pictures, and to hear good news.  There is also sad news from time to time- I found out a guy I went to high school with had passed away just before his 39th birthday.  Seeing how we are military- Facebook has improved my life in that I am able to reconnect with long lost friends- that is a good thing in  my book.  But there is also a down side, and I need to just learn to move on.  Some people insist on posting every single aggravation in their life!  Every. one.  I feel like screaming at all the "FML" posts.  I am not going to say that what the person in question is experiencing is "not that bad" (although I do feel that way at times)- but is it really necessary to post it ALL?  I have been guilty of the bitching and whining on FB, I do admit that (and now I reserve that for my blog post- ha!)  But I came to the realization that it serves little purpose- unless it is something friends can help with- thereby making it a "productive" rant.  Now- some people are just funny when they rant- that doesn't bother me.  A little snarkiness and sarcasm go a long way, I always say.  (No, I really don't say that- but it works for some people.)  Have you read Snarky in the Suburbs http://snarkyinthesuburbs.com/?   She has a Facebook page as well- I double heart love her!  She IS snarky, but it works for her.  My complaint is about the ones that get all worked up the minute life doesn't work the way they want it to.  Ok- I digress....

InCarceration - no I am not going to jail.  But a guy I went to elementary school with IS in jail.  He was a very  very popular guy on campus and quite the ladies man, back in the say.  We "went out" for maybe two weeks in the 6th grade, before he dumped me for someone else.  I was devastated, but I got over it.  I think he went to my junior high as well, but fell into a bad crowd and I didn't see much of him after 7th grade.  In high school I found out he had been sent to jail for manslaughter.  He shot at someone's feet with a gun and the bullet ricocheted off the ground and ended up killing that person.  At least that is what I heard.  Anyway- one of the girls that went to same school "found" him.  She had thought he was dead (I was pretty sure he was in jail.)  Come to find out, prisoners can get onto Facebook!  He is serving a life sentence for manslaughter, but can still get on the internet.  I mentioned that fact to a fellow Navy-wife friend and her reply was "Oh- that's nice. Our husbands can't get on Facebook on the ship- but prisoners can!"  She has a point, ladies and gentlemen.  Not only did my fellow classmate "find" this guy- but she even suggested through Facebook that I be "friends" with him.  She must have sent the same suggestion to him, because he sent me a friend request.  I doubt he even remembers me, I really do.  Morbid curiosity took control and I did peek at his page (it is not private).  I even considered "friending" him.  Some of my old classmates did, but not a lot.  I don't have anything to say to him, so I am not going to do it ("friend" him on FB).  I feel a little mean, like there is a slight chance I am hurting his feelings.  But he IS in PRISON!  What would YOU do?

I will wrap this up with a picture of my dog Brownie- taken with my new camera (Canon Rebel T2i).

She is getting all grey on her chin!  I love her to pieces, even though she has taken to eating food off the counter whenever we leave the house (bread, cake, butter, crackers....)

Cheers!

Food Fun Friday- at long last!

Gasp!  A post from me, the as of late reclusive blogger??  I was just looking for inspiration!  (and I will keep telling myself that too).

Last Friday I joined Hubby on a night out with his fellow co-workers.  So imagine riding the bus and train to Yokohama with 11 sailors.  We weren't exactly what you would call "inconspicuous".  Lucky for me, two other wives showed up.

Where did we go?  We went to Chinatown in Yohohama.
 To eat Chinese food, right?
Wrong!

We went to a place called Travesso Grill.  They serve Brazilian BBQ.  So yeah- we went to Chinatown in Yokohama, Japan, to eat Brazilian food.  Makes PERFECT sense!!

http://www.mizunobubrooks.com/en/travesso-en.htm


I have to say, it was worth the trip.  It is all-you-can-eat, so come with a very hungry and empty tummy.  You start with the buffet- which offers all sorts of fruits and vegetables, salads, beans, even tortillas chips.  My favorite was the pumpkin salad.  I can't begin to tell you what was in it, I think it was squash, and not actually pumpkin.  They have English labels on everything- but I think there are a few mistranslations.

I picked up a wide assortment of things to try out- salad, mushrooms, heart palms, squid, squash, tomato with basil, chips and salsa...

The fried banana was really good.  But due to the unfortunate proximity of the ketchup to the fried bananas- I didn't realize that it was indeed ketchup (I thought it was a sweet sauce to go with the bananas).  I do not recommend eating fried bananas with ketchup. Just trust me on this one, ok?

After we had settled with some num nums and our drinks (we paid for the all you can drink along with all you can eat)- the men with the meat came.  They have meat on long metal stakes and come to your table and slice it and serve it to you.  They started off with sausage and chicken legs.  While they were good, I would skip it next time.  Seriously- what follows will make you wish you had more room.

They bring out what must be 7 or 8 different kinds and cuts of meat.  There is pork, beef, and lamb.  It is all delicious!  Hubby was in man-heaven.  You know- he is the meat and potatoes kind of guy and this restaurant was a dream come true for him.  At one point he told me it was "so good that he felt like crying."  This is a man who doesn't cry.  It was the funniest thing I have ever seen!

Look how his eyes sparkle- he is waiting for his meat to be cut!

one of our waiters.  I think he has chicken hearts.  THAT I did not try!

a Caipirinha- Brazilian for "holy sh##!"  Seriously- it is a Brazilian "mojito".
It has Brazilian rum- but it tastes more like tequila (read- ta-kill-ya).
Make sure you stir and stir, before you take that first sip.
 Pretty tasty after you get over the slap in the face it gives you on the first sip.

We had two hours to eat, last call for drinks was 30 minutes before that time was up.  The restaurant does not disappoint- they keep the meat coming!  I had to send them away after a while- I seriously felt like I would bust a seam if I ate any more.

feeling "fat and happy"

The best part of the night, besides the food, had to do with two giant rib bones.  One of the guys asked the wait staff if he could take them home for his dog.  After a lot of hand language and broken English and Japanese- it was determined that the restaurant has a strict policy about NOT taking food home (because it is all you can eat).  That makes sense, but they wouldn't even allow the bones, already stripped of any meat, to leave with the customers.

So what do they do?  One of the guys grabs one of the bones for his dog and proceeds to roll it up in a napkin- just as one of the waiters is bringing drinks to the table.  The other guy follows suit and they hide the bones in their jackets.  My friend Michele laughed so hard at this I thought we were going to have some sort of intervention.  On the way out everyone joked that they (the wait staff) were coming after us- looking for bones.  It doesn't sound so funny typing it out- but trust me- "you just had to be there", it was funny.

What about dessert?  Well first off they have grilled pineapple they bring out- sprinkled with cinnamon.  So good.  And then next to the buffet table they have all sorts of desserts- mini cheesecakes with different fruit toppings, creme brule,  lychee (not to be confused as "chocolate covered strawberries as one of the guys did), chocolate-mocha cake, and even an ice cream machine.  I didn't think I could eat any dessert- but I did!

The restaurant is a bit pricey, so I wouldn't recommend bringing your kids, unless you know they will eat their fill. Also, if you have people in your party who want to drink, then everyone has to pay for the all-you-can-drink (2,000 Yen), regardless if everyone is drinking alcohol or not.  I chalk that up to too many people sharing drinks with those who didn't pay to drink- sad face.

I am sure we will be returning to this place, I don't see Hubby staying away too long!