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Me Myself & Riggins

Tag Archives: birthday

Proof I’m Old

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by wendynewell in Uncategorized

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Tags

bar method, birthday, old, Old Town Pasadena, parking, Pasadena

photo 1 (32)3-5 times a week I drive into old Pasadena, park in one of the public parking garages and walk to the Bar Method Studio for class.  I have timed it perfectly so I’m parked there for less than 90 minutes, which means my car’s stay in the lot is free.   Every time I enter the garage I look at the cost for parking and shake my head.  Not because of the cost but because of my memory of the cost.

Years ago if you would have asked me how much it cost to park at one of the public garages in old town Pasadena my answer would have been $5.  If there were a couple people in the car the cost was $2.50 each.  4 people, $1.25 each.  Unless, of course, you didn’t make the driver pay since he/she was already paying for gas.  Wherever the many came from it was going to have to equal $5.  If this is true then tell me how I’m managing to get out of there for free now?  Well …. because it is a $5 flat rate after 10:00 PM.  Apparently that is all the cost information I required at the time.  That  means, at one point of my life, I only went to Pasadena after 10:00 PM.   Now if I’m not brushing my teeth at that time it’s because I’ve already been asleep for a good 1/2 an hour.

That’s how I know I’m old.

(Please enjoy a few pics from my 40th birthday celebration … more proof I’m old.)

(Wanna know how to make those classy headbands in those pics?  Check out this blog post.)

photo 2 (33)

 

 

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No Pain No Gain

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by wendynewell in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

bar method, birthday

CaptureSometimes I have evil thoughts that prove I’m a bad person.  Let me share one of those such thoughts with you.

Last year I turned 39.  For the month leading up to my birthday I vowed to do 39 acts of kindness.  I loved doing it and it made me feel good about myself at a time when I had no job and was turning 39, which is no picnic.

This year I turn 40.  I don’t know who those people are that demand they are happy they are turning 40 and that their 30s are behind them.  I hate those people.  They have to be lying right?  Well either their pants are on fire or they need a swift kick in the bum.  Either way I’m not a fan of them.  Personally I am NOT looking forward to the end of March and my milestone birthday.  If you asked a 13-year-old Wendy where she would be at 40 single, no kids, no job and close to nowhere to live would not be what she would say.  I dare say she would call such a person a “loser.”  Who can blame her … she is 13 and has no idea the bumpy road ahead of her.

Since I’m in pain over this upcoming day I’m not really in the mood to relaunch my month of good deeds.  Instead I would like to cause pain in others.  If I had the money you know how I’d spend my birthday?  Forcing my friends to do the one thing I am proud of.  Bar Method!  Bar Method as an exercise is not easy.  If someone tells you it is then they are doing it wrong.  I happily drive to Pasadena and walk up the stairs to the studio 3-5 days a week.  All so I can have an hour to myself to de-stress and stay strong.  As you know I’ve been doing it for years and, although it may not be obvious to look at me, I’ve improved DRAMATICALLY during that time and it was not easy.  I worked very hard at it and frankly I want my friends to understand how hard that work is!  I realize that is selfish and I shouldn’t care but I’m almost 40 so back off.

I’d LOVE to have a private class and make all my friends (men and women) come join me for the hour.  Let’s just assume that all my friends would show up and it wouldn’t just be me and MAYBE a couple other folks (Leslie, Tricia & Giovanna I’m looking at you) having a private lesson in tucking (key pelvis move in Bar Method).  MAN I’d love to see some of my male friends grunt their way through thigh (the most torturous portion of class).  It would just make my heart soar.  If I could afford such a magical hour here is the set list I would like:

  • Plank after leg lifts – w/ option to bend leg and point foot up
  • Shoulder raises (vs. arm walks)
  • Bicep curl (anything as long as it isn’t in wide second position because that kills me)
  • Push ups (hold at the end)
  • Reverse push ups (hold at the end)
  • Leg lifts in parallel
  • Thigh! (1 – chair w/ ball 2 – legs together with ball 3 – parallel w/o ball just to give them a chance)
  • Butt! Pretzel at the barre.  I actually like standing seat the best since I can feel it target my tush but it’s too easy to cheat at that.
  • Curl! Arm dancing (as long as I can do it a few more times between now and then to perfect my form … that is a freakin’ hard ab work out), high curl, straight leg clam

Any Bar teacher would look at that set and cringe but I don’t care.  It’s the exercises I like paired with the ones I’m good at!  It’s the Wendy Show Off Set!  For those that don’t know Bar Method lingo let me translate:

  • Core ouch
  • Shoulder ouch
  • Bicep ouch
  • Tricep ouch
  • That muscle in the back of the bottom half of your leg ouch
  • Quad crazy ouch
  • Butt crazy ouch
  • Ab crazy ouch

Then after class I want to go get drinks at a bar bar!  The next day I can glow in my ability to walk and sit down as my Facebook feed is flooded with my friends agony over the smallest movement due to muscle ache.

See … isn’t that evil.  For my 40th I want pain.

 

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A Statement Piece – How-To

30 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by wendynewell in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

birthday, birthday crown, craft, flower headbands, flowers, headbands, how-to, statement piece

A few weeks back my friend Dee Dee sent me to this website – HERE.  Along with the suggestion that we get on that fast!  Just a week or so later my friend Esther received this for her birthday:

photo (11)

It was a sign!  It was really two signs, that I needed to get the glue gun out and make some flower headbands!  I just needed a reason … then I remembered the perfect occasion.  Our friend Tricia’s birthday party was this past weekend.  A few of us couldn’t attend the actual gathering so went Hollywood bar hopping with her instead.  The ladies involved and the location was the perfect storm for gigantic flower headbands!

photo 1A little about me.  I live for “statement pieces.”  When I had a much more exciting life and went out more I would wrap myself in ribbons or a hat or a giant flower or …..   I love it!  What is the point of going out if people aren’t going to stare at you.  That’s my philosophy!

Off to Michael’s I went.  The flowers that were used for my friend Esther’s Frieda Kahlo inspired headband were super fancy roses.  I found them … they were $10 EACH.  I don’t care how pretty the flower is I’m not spending ten bucks on it!  Luckily for me the fall flowers were on sale and it was easy to find a few bundles that were well priced and pretty.  For the birthday girl I went a little fancier and got a softer color.  Me?  I’m not a soft color type of gal!  I want primary colors and I want them to be bold!

photo 5After a quick stop at Rite Aid (or something similar) to grab a bundle of basic headbands I headed back to my house to get the glue gun turned on.  Then I watched the premiere episode of Grey’s Anatomy that I had recorded earlier in the week.  That gave my glue gun approximately 1 1/2 hours to heat up to a temperature that could have the gun second as a spot welder.  I have the old fashion glue gun that spits out molten lava and causes me to scream FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK on a fairly constant basis while using it.  The instructions on the site say to pull off the photo 4flower head from the stem and cut of the little stem that is left.  Don’t do that.  That little stem is what holds everything together.  Do pull off the flower head and just leave it at that.  Then grab your hot glue gun (aka tool of torture) and glob it on the flower.  I had to hold the flower in place, above my head, up to the ceiling fan to get it to set faster.  It is a little bit of a pain in the bum but not horrible.  Just keep piling giant flowers on your headband until you are satisfied.

Oh I forgot …. I covered the headbands with photo 2 (1)a strip of ribbon first.  I figured it would be prettier and would give the flowers something to stick too.  I had purchased a combo pack of headbands so each were a little different.  The ribbon helped unify them plus gave the super skinny headbands more real estate to work with.

After all were made I looked in awe at my creations.  They are BEAUTIFUL and were a big hit.  I was asked by folks more than once that evening where photo 3they could purchase one for themselves or their girlfriend/wife.  Yes they are big.  Yes they are bright.  Yes they are perfection!  Totally worth the multiple burns on my fingers and toe (yes I got hot glue on my toe) and the giant chunk of skin missing from my ring finger (if you get hot glue on you don’t pull it off … I repeat … don’t pull it off).  I’m sure it won’t be the last time you see pictures of me with giant flowers adorning my head like a mysterious fairy crown!

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Birthday Boy!

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by wendynewell in Riggins

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bear, birthday, dogs, Jax, Laurel Canyon dog park, Riggins

image (9)Saturday was a big day for us.  Before going to my friend’s wedding I had to celebrate Riggins birthday!  On the 22nd of this month Riggins turned 8.  Such a sweet and loving boy!

Jax, Bear, Riggins, and I got up and headed off for the Laurel Canyon dog park.  It’s a giant park that gives the dogs lots of room to run around.  The three of them investigated their surroundings then Riggins found a nice cool spot in the shade while Jax and Bear headed off to chase critters and other dogs.  The two sibblings would take constant breaks from their activities to go check on Riggins and join in the relaxing shade.

image (11)All were pooped when we got home so I thought it was the PERFECT time for birthday pictures.  Bear refused to wear a birthday hat.  Apparently she isn’t forced to be the subject of ridiculous pictures constantly like Riggins is.  Jax was a little more accommodating, but not much.  Riggins knew what was up and bravely sat still while I placed a coned hat on his head and started snapping away.  He wasn’t happy about it, as you can see, but he was willing to go along.  By the time I tried to take pictures of him and me Riggins was done and refused to do more than lie on the floor.  As a reward everyone got some extra treats!

This is the first time Riggins has celebrated image (14)his birthday with other dogs vs. just humans.  I’m not sure if he liked having to share in the attention and treats although it made for great pictures!  My folks gave him presents which he opened on Sunday.  Once opened, I had to quickly hide them as Jax felt he should get treats too and warning growls filled my living room!  Jax and Bear went home yesterday so this morning I brought out Riggins treats for him to play with.

Happy Birthday sweetie Riggins.  You are the bestest!

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