zucchini linguini

first off, i have been such a slacker with updating this blog! if you haven't been tuning into my boxing blog, well, that's been all that i've been doing lately. boxing. sleep. boxing. work. sleep. boxing.

i did escape for a quick weekend to NYC this past weekend. i visited my brother, sister-in-law, and best friend along with another girlfriend that flew out with me from san francisco. most of the group is vegetarian, so we hit a lot of great veggie friendly restaurants in manhattan. i've been wanting to try zucchini linguini for a long time and this dish was fab, served with pesto and cold, it was my first "raw" entree, besides sushi, that i've ordered knowing that the cook would not be cooking anything. we had other raw and vegan dishes at the blossom cafe, which i would highly recommend.

gummy!

it's been over 17 months, but i finally have met li.'s handsome guy gummy today! i met mi., yo., li. and gummy for a beautiful hike and a yummy brunch, which included raspberry and chocolate pancakes that were very yum! i love these girls and gummy! i can't wait to meet the newest babe in the pack, too.

the fresh air and hearty meal will surely help me get to sleep tonight. tomorrow is my first day of boxing boot camp, which i have made a separate blog documenting my experience so that if boxing is not your thing, you can avoid it, but it will be up and running for the next 6 weeks: http://kloboxing.blogspot.com/

ash wednesday

i woke up on wednesday with this little gift on my chin from tuesday night's sparring session. it looks like the priest missed my forehead and got my chin instead.

peep show

my friend anne saw this and thought of me. probably because she saw me wearing my new t-shirt the other day.
it couldn't have been because i've recently discovered my erotic creature through my crawl with soft melodic duets . . .

ring my bell

this is about to turn into a heavily boxing swayed blog. there may be surprises, so stay tuned.

tonight was the first night that i got my bell rung.

we've hit the body, and hit the head in my daytime boxing conditioning classes, but with boxing boot camp around the corner i decided to go to my first one hour sparring class tonight. i went to one hour of boxing conditioning and then a one hour sparring class. i've never been so sweaty in my life. two hours of boxing highs and lows.

i embarked on the real deal, getting hit smack in the head by someone's fist. headgear, mouthguard, groin (aka uterus) protector, chest guard for the girls (they are called turtles), and gloves. i'm waiting for my uterus protector and turtles to arrive later this week from everlast.com.

i was paired up with gloria, a fierce woman that fought in the most recent fight night. we started in the ring and both of us went all out. i must have been hit 15 times in the head, despite keeping my hands up to protect my face. i think i walked right into her punch several times. i didn't even notice the body shots my bell was getting rung so much.

i have to learn how to duck after my jab asap. and move my head like a predator. the poor second girl in class that i sparred with, esther, who wore glamorous burgandy lipstick for her fight at the last fight night, got hit hard a couple of times. i guess the rule is that you don't really hit esther. the trainer yelled at me to "tone it down! hit soft!" i thought i did. i got yelled at again "don't hit so hard kimberly! don't hit her!" whaaaa? ah, okay, in the ring with gloria you get your bell rung, on the floor with lipstick esther you shadow spar. got it.

yang

onto my yang: pole dancing:

definition: S Factor is an aerobic striptease class and pole dancing workout developed by Sheila Kelley as a unique alternative to your regular fitness and exercise routine.


unlike a festivus pole,

the standard dance pole typically consists of a hollow steel or brass pole with circular cross section, running from floor to ceiling. affixing at the ceiling gives more stability, but is not always realized, especially at night clubs with higher ceilings or at transportable devices. in the united states, the diameter is usually around 5 cm (2 inches), allowing it to be gripped comfortably with one hand. in asia, the diameter is usually slightly smaller at 45 mm or less.


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my favorite trick: the body spiral
future goals: the flying body spiral
tricks to avoid: leg splay with plie (makes my knee buckle and a garter on my knee brace is not attractive)
current level: 4
favorite song to dance to: the sickness by disturbed

yin

The dual concepts of yin and yang (or heaven and earth) describe two primal opposing but complementary principles or cosmic forces said to be found in all non-static objects and processes in the universe.

let me start with my yin, which is
boxing:

President Theodore Roosevelt, wrote: "I regard boxing professional and amateur, as a vigorous, healthful sport that develops courage, keenness of mind, quickness of eye, and a combativeness that fits every boy who engages in it for the daily tasks that confront him."

"It is not half so brutalizing or demoralizing as many forms of big business, and certain legal work that is often carried on to help such business."

"I have often thought that if we had more boys' clubs where the art was taught, we would have fewer adolescent criminals, the street-corner type of hoodlum, and would breed a better class of young American citizens - the future voters. Boxing develops elements of character that are difficult to obtain in other sports: fairness, a spirit of give-and-take, courage, and alertness."

" It is only the bully who wants to give and avoid the taking. If boxing were taught in every public and secondary school and in college, this nation would soon find it rid of the bullies and would develop in our youth a spirit of manhood, a spirit that teaches fairness to our fellow men. We would be rid of street corner rowdies and cowards and make our boys a better, sturdier, and healthier lot."

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i start boxing boot camp in T minus 12 days. boot camp is:
- 6 weeks
- 5 days per week
- 6 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.
- you can only miss one day, otherwise you are out
- two hardcore, true boxing type, Irish dude trainers that swear like sailors
- the first week is lovingly called "pussy week"
- it ends in a FIGHT NIGHT!

I am very excited, but mostly scared. It's all good.

2 out of 7

lust and gluttony. i have perfected these 2 deadly sins, just in the last 48 hours. however i think 2 new sins should be added to the mix. cancer and exhusbands. how can 2 things that bring so much pain not be on a list somewhere? well i'm starting the list, and they're at the top.

onto lust . . . my lust is 2-fold. i lust boxing, not just love, but i lust it. i also lust over my trainer. my friend e calls my lust at the boxing gym foreplay. she's right. sister s has suggested that i use an updated "do you like me, check yes or no" version of a lust note.

then there's gluttony. champagne on a nice san francisco day, followed by this little slice of heaven described in 2 words: s'mores nachos

happy feet

i love my new cupcake wellies that have been keeping me dry and happy on gray, rainy days in san francisco. at $20 from target, what could make a person happier?
these puppies could possibly make me happier, but over 11 times the cost of my wellies, i'll be making deposits to my piggy bank for a long while. i am in love though. maybe more than my valentines crush.

viking jello shake and bake

raspberry oatmeal bars
peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies
coconut macaroons (pre-chocolate)
rainy days in san francisco means lot's of free time inside and what better hobby than to bake, bake and bake! i made raspberry oatmeal bars and macaroons for my friend johnny's birthday on saturday night, and decided to bake some more cookies and macaroons on sunday. everything turned out great thanks to using unsalted butter in the cookies, parchment paper, and applesauce in place of some of the butter. i am hoping to figure out more tricks of the trade as i become a better baker.

i also slipped in a batch of jello shots, which i served on a sword, for the viking themed birthday party.

back on the horse

two years ago i began my road to recovery via knee surgery (x5) after injuring my knee snowboarding. eighteen months of rehab later, the surgery had been a success and i finally had a healthy knee.
fast forward to the end of 2007, my acl had stretched (aka failed) and i have newly torn cartilage. despite the disappointment, my doctor gave me the go ahead to press on for the next 6 months, using my knee brace as my acl in what my friend C likes to call "the livin' it up liver transplant theory." it's based on, if you need a new liver and you are next on the list to receive one, you drink your face off in the meantime, since you are getting a new liver and all. i will eventually have to have another knee surgery for the cartilage, so might as well go balls out in the meantime, right?
this past weekend i got back on the horse and clicked into my bindings. my brother, sister-in-law, and friends were in tahoe skiing which gave me the perfect reason to give snowboarding another try. it must have been that competitiveness with my older brother that runs so deeply which was part of my goal. there was no way i was going to chicken out, or at the very least i was going to put on all of the gear, get myself to the top of the mountain and chicken out.
i did it. i snowboarded all day saturday. my quads, calves, knees, hips, feet, ankles, neck, lower back, and wrists ached at little, thankfully not all at the same time.
saturday night as i was going to sleep, getting ready for day 2 of snowboarding i thought about ways to remedy my aching muscles. i thought about how sore i was going to be the next morning. i also thought of the great review i had read for a nearby spa.
i did it. i got a massage, relaxed in the steamroom and sauna, ate my favorite fish tacos for lunch, browsed the candy apples at the rocky mountain chocolate factory, settled in for a big bucket of popcorn at the movies smiling the whole time watching step up 2, and had a beer with my friend C overlooking lake tahoe.
youth tells us to get back on the horse that bucks you off. being 30 gives us the tiny amount of wisdom needed to feel accomplished after sitting on the saddle, going for a short ride, and retiring from riding completely so we can instead enjoy relaxing back at the saloon. only one beer though, i don't want to put the liver transplant theory to use again anytime soon.

be my valentine

i wonder if this is subtle enough to keep my secret crush undercover?

demo derby

i dropped my car off at the body shop today to get the repairs done from last week's accident. holy demolition derby! there were banged up cars everywhere, a warehouse type building full of prius', golfs, camry's . . . it was interesting to walk around and see how various types of cars held up in an accident, and which cars i wouldn't have wanted to be in at the time of impact. i'm grateful that the poor deer didn't end up in my passenger seat as my copilot.
on a different note, i get my tattoo completed tomorrow. i'm still trying to decide if i should add 5 or 6 more triangles on the lower part of the tat, who would of thought that this is the hardest decision of the whole project, how to keep my polynesian design from looking like that warehouse mess i saw today, but with triangles and shapes.

brownie points

i am not sure how the food bloggers take such beautiful photos of their food, because my kitchen never looks that clean after i bake and i've never taken a digital photography class on food lighting. this is my best shot at a brownie bake off that i held tonight, comparing two recipes in search of the world's best brownie.
i had time to do a dress rehearsal for the brownies that i plan on baking for my new crush for this upcoming valentine's day. i'm not sure that he knows that he's my valentine, but he will after these brownie points.
maybe things will unfold as described in the "fight to him, kiss to him" poetry from this scene in million dollar baby.

self-pity time management

i played tourist today in my own city by heading down to golden gate park for a hike and bike ride in the 60 degree sunshine. i started at stow lake and hiked up strawberry hill for a gorgeous view of the city, including the transamerica building, golden gate bridge and pacific ocean. after dodging all of the brownie troops out getting their wilderness badge, and passing the turtles on the lake, i selected a bright blue cruiser bike that took me to ocean beach and back. i think it's the "active" and "relax" aspect that i love in a cruiser.

i slid into the gates of the japanese tea garden just in time to enjoy a pot of green tea and to eat my fortune cookie. i strolled around the gardens after my tea and just as i was about to go down some steps to my favorite part of the garden, i noticed a woman in a wheelchair and looked around for the ramp, letting her down to the koi pond. there wasn't a ramp and no possible way for her to get down to the water, or stone zen garden, or cherry blossom looking tree that was so colorful. i thought how much that sucks, and felt how lucky i am to be able to walk and enjoy a day like this.

i've been complaining a little in the last week about having to undergo another knee surgery, getting doctor's opinions, weighing my options, being fearful about snowboarding next weekend, wondering if i should snowboard, feeling sick of the knee brace that i wear to boxing already. in that moment i decided, "i will never complain about my knee or my physical abilities again." to say "never complain" is a big promise to uphold with myself, but i will certainly try to think of that moment in the tea garden before spending any length of time feeling sorry for myself.

speaking of time management, i laughed at this article while waiting for my bus ride home. coincidence maybe.

Go-Getter Eliminates Two Steps From Grieving Process

phys ed

i wasn't sure if it was possible to find a boxing gym that i love more than eddie and the guys down at undisputed boxing gym in san carlos. how would i find someone that balances old and new school hip hop and rap, with heavy bags and hand wraps, as well as eddie? i set out to find out in a boxing gym exploration in my new city.
ed at titanium boxing gym in san francisco has been kicking my ass since last tuesday, and i am realizing that you can have two loves in your life. ed gave a good first impression, wearing his bandana and greeting me the first day. no waivers to be signed, just get in the ring and show me your left hook kinda attitude. yes, that's right, i finally have set foot in the ring! and taking shots to the body! ed promised real bodyshots late this week, and not the kind that i took in college. he told us to get a mouthpiece and be prepared to wear headgear, and even groin gear for the lady, we are beginners afterall. in a million dollar baby sort of way, i didn't ask any questions.
there's only 2 other dudes, max, in my midday boxing conditioning class so being the only chick, ed watches out for me but no special treatment from him or ernie, who is also great. ernie is also a no-nonsense, "you rest when you die," sorta trainer.
p.e. always was my favorite class

oh deer

deja vu or intuition? people describe it for me all of the time through my work, the seconds or minute that they think about something bad happening, like a car accident, and then WHAM! it happens.
i was driving home tonight (actually early this morning) after a hellish night at work, and a pretty sucky day in general, when this thought came across my mind at 2:55 a.m. . . . "i wonder if there are a lot of deer out at this hour. i think deer are nocturnal. i'm nocturnal. maybe i should add that to my match.com profile because it's interesting. nah, that's silly, no guy would want to date a nocturnal chick. i'd better pay close attention for deer on the road." about 30 seconds later, as if it was all new to me, a deer, right in front of my car running. i slammed on the brakes but of course it was too late. oh deer.
i called the highway patrol because i was worried about my deer friend, as well as other motorists coming upon an unsuspecting injured (maybe it was just a stinger?!?) animal. i pulled over, my car was a bit bent out of shape. i cried for 30 seconds, waited. i cried for a few minutes, waited.
two highway patrol officers pull up, ask me if i am okay. i ask about the deer. they said, "it's on the roadway, we have to go back and pull it off." i gulp and ask, "is the deer deceased?" they respond, "we think so." oh deer god! go back and check to make sure it's not suffering!
i had to tell the tow truck driver, the insurance claims phone person, the toyota roadside assistance person and the sheriff's officer that pulled off to checkin with me in that next 45 minutes that the deer, was deceased. oh deer. i'm so sorry about the accident. may you rest in peace.

kiva

my good friend ellen reminded me of kiva.org today an how cool microeconomics can be. when i checked them out about 4-5 months ago after reading about them in bill clinton's book, "giving,", they had such an overwhelming response from lenders that they couldn't keep up at that time with enough entreprenuers. i'm happy to see that they've been able to catch up and that they have a large list of entrepreneurs benefiting from the generosity of others around the globe Ma. Reyes is the entrepreneur that i've selected to give a loan to. she lives in tampico, mexico and sells sandwiches and tacos from a food stand. she is married and has six children.
i personally selected Ma. Reyes because:
- she appears to be a hard working woman that has a family to support
- she believes in herself to make a successful business
- she is a cook of one of the most wonderful foods on earth, the taco
- i have some money to spare, and i'd hope that someone would do the same for me if i was in her shoes

it's also super cool that kiva offers gift certificates, so you know what you're getting from me for your birthday this year! you can watch your loan help someone grow their business, quite simply, better than a chia pet by about 100 fold!

mama's blue booty got back

nike calls them the "perfect pant." now imagine a pair just as in this photo, but instead of the blue stripe at the top the entire pant is blue, electric blue. this ross find stays at the bottom of my workout apparel drawer as i'm not usually feeling electric enough to wear them.

i hopped out of bed this morning and threw on my pair of blue workout pants since all of my other workout clothes were in the dirty laundry. i run out the door and get to my bus stop, set my bag down at the bus stop and i'm rumaging through it looking for my phone when i hear this man scream "wooooo wheeeee! lookin' good there mama!" i just have time to whip around and give him a glare as he drove by, realizing that he didn't even know what my face looked like. whatever. i get on the bus, and as i'm nearing my stop, i get up preemptively, sit back down, wait a minute. get up again to get off of the bus at the next stop and this woman, about the same age as me, dressed fashionably funky stands up, taps me on the shoulder and says "excuse me, i know this is going to sound weird, but you have a nice butt." not understanding correctly i said "whaaaa?" and she says "you have a nice butt." several people seated around hear this. i have time for a "thank you" and i dart off the bus, running down the street to my gym with a big smile on my face. i guess that buffalo butt that runs in (my)mama's family never looked so perfect.

good grief

this has happened many times through my work. i am talking with someone about their life and they say "my brother died and i can't believe he's gone. it happened just before christmas." shocked and sympathetic, i respond "oh i am so sorry. how terrible! just a few weeks ago, that is really difficult." the person almost always responds "oh no, he died 8 years ago (or 14 years ago, or the longest i think i've heard is 24 years ago) right before christmas."

i am reminded time and time again how long lasting grief can be. how even when it's dormant it can still effect your day-to-day. it pops up at the wackiest of times, even years later, when your subconscious is triggered by an anniversary date, a movie, a song, a smell.

with all of my recent changes, especially moving out of my apartment that i shared with my exhusband, a place that held so much significance in the way of firsts, making a home, starting a new life together, only for the marriage to be over a short three years later, it's been surprisingly difficult. i thought that this would leave me feeling refreshed, happy, renewed, to be moving out of the place that i shared with him. and i do feel some of that, but grief and saddness is what overshadows it for now.




losing a childhood friend and classmate last month also threw more into my subconscious grief vault. i've thought about shane, and his wife, family and close friends daily. i've cried, i went through the initial shock, but here it is, the grief that remains.



"The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief -
But the pain of grief
Is only a shadow
When compared with the pain
Of never risking love.”
- Hilary Stanton Zunin

anti-housewarming

Q: what's better than inviting your friends over to your new pad, showing off a bit, and drinking the wonderful bottles of wine that they so generously bring? A: dressing up in tacky sweaters, drinking all of the liquor leftover at your old place, and selling all of your crap to your friends in an everything-must-go auction
saturday night was my moveout sale, besides the 1 cent grab bag room (or 5 items for 6 cents) friends grabbed up my higher end items, including this old fashioned popcorn popper
there were some pretty high bids, especially for the vintage condoms
i did have a special treat for the winner of the sweater contest. frugal tupperware, worth almost . . . nothing!

congo

An organization that I support, Women for Women International, was recently featured in a 60 minutes story about the war in the Congo. Anderson Cooper is the journalist in the 12 minute video. It is graphic at times, with Anderson Cooper interviewing victims of war, but I feel like it is important enough to share.
Since I began my involvement with Women for Women about 2 years ago, I have been matched with three different "sisters." My current sister is about to graduate from the program and I am sending her my farewell letter and congratulations. I have a photo of her, and she has shared with me her ability to purchase a goat, and this goat is her family's livelihood. When I look at this photo above, I wonder, is that her?
It has been eye opening to say the least, and even though I'm a bleeding heart Social Worker, I have looked into this program with skepticism, but I can honestly say that it appears to be very much legitimate and real. (Oprah and Anderson approved!) I've learned a lot from these women's experiences, about their children, about what brings them joy and how they are able to support their families.
I read in the newspaper yesterday that the leader of one of the most brutal militia groups in the Congo signed a new peace agreement, along with many other leaders, after 2 weeks of discussions. I can only hope that peace prevails.

trifecta

3 is my lucky number. i'm not sure how all of this adds up:

costa rica surf camp + meeting christina (founder of poletential)+ discussions about strong women in the world and their poletential (insert sister j. and modmix) = party with fellow surfer + her pole studio + modmix martini in hand!

the trifecta of good fortune and a good time!

slim pickins

many married friends have recently expressed their joy in living vicariously through me. life is good indeed, with many single-again firsts and do overs. i'm settled into my new pad in the city and had some time to go online man shopping. i will gladly accept offers from those same friends to really take my place on these date/date offers.

i've included four pics for bachelor #1. sister S. had this to say: "So THAT'S what they do in the back room down at Tina's Nail Spa Salon."





i normally would not go out with a guy that has a photo of himself with a female, but this adult prom-like photo is a classy snapshot. even if it is his former girlfriend, they are obviously not together anymore. could it have been that sailboat tie?

i'm not so sure about a 30 something dude that adds "licious" to the end of his name and has a bare chested photo. eye candy indeed, other than that, this is what sister J. had to say: is he in a boy band? "tell me why-eee...ain't nothin' but a heartache...tell me why-ee....ain't nothin' but a big mistake...."