Archive for random

Shattered

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No, I’m not talking about the Rolling Stones song…

I’m talking about my iPhone. Yesterday morning, I was running across the street with Oscar and it flew out of my pocket.

Luckily, I was able to upgrade and just $400 later (ugh…), I’m back up and running with a new iPhone 6! Woohoo!

apple-iphone 6 - 16gb-space gray-450x350(I totally wanted to take a picture of my ACTUAL new phone but it’s impossible. :-()

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that the weekend was craziness! I attended my 5th NAMM show. NAMM is a ginormous convention that basically every music, gear, and instrument company attends, in addition to a bunch of musicians, engineers, and the like. It’s a super fun time, but you basically spend 3 days on your feet.

This year I tracked it on my phone and between walking around the convention for 3 days, and the countless trips to and from our hotel (which was 1 mile away), I walked 19 MILES this weekend. That is INSANE!!! I couldn’t believe it. My calves are still screaming at me.

It was a great weekend, but I really missed this little guy!

He woke up like this.I call this Gremlin Mode.

Workout

Yesterday, I did a tough leg workout. I’ve been doing full body routines lately, but decided to change it up a little.

Hip Thrusts 185x12 for 3 sets.

I did:

  • Barbell Hip Thrusts: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Seated Band Hip Abductions: 3 sets of 30 reps
  • Prone Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Box Jumps (24 inch box): 2 sets of 10 reps
  • DB Step Ups: 2 sets of 10 reps
  • Burpees. ( I’ve started incorporating 3 sets of 10 burpees with 30 second rests in between at the end of some of my workouts. It’s a good way to “burn out” a bit and end the workout sweating. )

That’s all I’ve got for today. Nothing too exciting, but then again my life isn’t all that exciting.

(Although I did get a haircut and new color that I’m obsessed with!! Don’t mind the giant pimple on my chin.)

Love my new haircut and color. Thanks to Nicole at !!!!!

Question of the Day

Have you ever tracked your steps at a convention? How many steps did you take?

Posted in random, Weekends, Workout tagged with , , , , , , , ,

My New Year’s UN-Resolutions

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It’s interesting to me to look at where I am in life. If you would have asked me 5 years ago what I’d be doing now, I would have had no idea. I’ve always had passions, but while so many people are able to claim “yes, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life!”, I’ve just never been able to do that.
At times I’ve felt like I knew what I wanted to do, but after getting into it, I realize it’s not what I want to do 24/7. I’ve often felt like a failure for not have that one big dream that I want to do all day every day. But at the same time, I’ve built a life that I do love. I actually do like the work that I do, but have found that doing just ONE thing, isn’t for me. I like to do a lot of things. I like to workout, be in the recording studio, write, blog, do administrative work, marketing, going on adventures, travelling, etc. But could I do any one of those things all day every day? Probably not. Does that mean I love them any less? Does that mean I’m not passionate enough? I’ve often asked myself those questions, but have come to the conclusion that NO, that’s not the case. I’m not less passionate about any of those things than someone who chooses to pick one and do it all day every day. I’m just different and my brain requires different activities to be happy.
I really can’t complain. I work with a pretty flexible schedule and get to wear gym clothes to work everyday. I make enough money to live a good life. I have friends and family that love and support me…I really am blessed.
But sometimes I still wonder what that “one thing” is that would make me go “I want to do this! This is it!”
I’m not sure it exists. I think my brain is too all over the place for that. I knew at a young age that I liked more things than there was time for in a day, but thought that over time, I’d find that “thing”. And who knows, maybe I still will someday.
Either way, as everyone around me has been making their New Years Resolutions, I naturally started to think about mine. You might be surprised to know that I couldn’t think of a single one. 
Of course, I have goals. I’m a hard worker and there are things I want in life that I’m willing to work for. But still…
I have no resolutions. When it comes to work, I actually made a promise to myself to stress less and DO less this year. I guess you could call that a resolution of sorts, but it’s one that comes from caring less, not more. I’m not sure if that qualifies. You see, I take on work stress by the horns and typically let it rule me. But this year, I want to stop doing that. I want to leave the stress at the door and enjoy myself more. Take more time off…do new things that I’ve always wanted to do, but never found the time for…
I’m sure you’re also thinking “you don’t have health and fitness goals for 2015????” Well sure I do. But they aren’t goals I’m setting on January 1st. They are goals I continuously strive for and revamp when I feel necessary throughout the year. I don’t need a new year to help me with that.
So at the end of the day, I decided that 2015 is my year of UN-Resolutions.
I’m going to stress less
I’m going to DO less
I’m going to travel more
I’m going to live more

Question of the Day

What are your Unresolutions this year? Things that require LESS effort to make them happen.
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Tuesday Things & a Funny Oscar Video

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Hey guys,

I’m currently at the grand opening of the Reebok FitHUB Studio City this morning. This yoga and breakfast event is hosted by Tara Stiles and Haylie Duff! I’ll have a full review up on the blog next week! In case you’re curious now, you can find other Reebok FitHUB locations here: http://fitness.reebok.com/Reebok-FitHub/Articles/2014-10/New-Reebok-FitHubs/

Tuesday Things (random thoughts from my brain)

1. My new lifting program from Bret Contreras leaves me SO hungry! I am basically doing a full body lifting session 3-4 days per week. I’m loving it so much, but my appetite is through the roof! SO excited to be lifting BIG again and I can’t wait to see how this changes the game for me.

Glute pump goin' on. Heavy squats, Bulgarian squats, 45 degree hyperextensions, banded hip abduction.

2. Kombucha addictions are expensive. I think I need to either pick having a gourmet coffee OR a Kombucha every day, not both. If I just start making my morning coffee at home, I can make room in the budget for this Kombucha addiction, which seems to be ever-growing.

3. Sugar affects me much differently these days. Since I have stayed pretty consistent with staying away from sugar since my No Sugar Added Challenge ended, anytime I do eat sugar, I feel pretty sick. It has made me not want to eat really sugary foods. This is a new thing.

4. I bought a Squat Sponge for when I do hip thrusts. Game changer.  (a.k.a, no more bruised hips!)

$T2eC16J,!zoE9s5nd0o2BR1KZf0MSg~~60_57

5. I watched the movie “Come Back to Me” on Netflix last night. It was kind of your typical thriller with the naive girl who can’t see the obvious, BUT it was actually pretty good. I wouldn’t say it’s GREAT, but it definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Thought I’d share since finding good thriller movies on Netflix can be kind of a needle in a haystack ordeal.

come_back_to_me

6. For your entertainment, watch my dog completely talk back to me. Punk.

 

 

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Exciting News + No Sugar Challenge Update – Day 24

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Hey!!

If you haven’t entered my giveaway of a free race entry to a SoCal Reebok Spartan Race, you can do so here! Ends tonight at midnight!

It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged….sorry about that! Work and life got a little busy this past week…..

Remember the exciting news I couldn’t tell you yet?

Here it is….

Say hi to my boy!!!!!Meet Oscar!!!!!

He is our little pride and joy. Oscar is 8 months old and was a rescue pup from Boxer Rescue L.A.

I’m a totally obnoxious dog mom…..so get ready to see lots of pictures of our sweet guy. 😀

Giveaway

Have you guys entered my Reebok Spartan Race Entry give away???

It ends tonight at midnight and I have to say….not many entries (so better chances of winning!)

Workouts

My workouts have been great lately….and now that I’ve got Oscar…we’re walking and/or running several times a day. He’s a VERY energetic dog (like his momma), so we play a LOT. He’s keeping my cardiovascular health in check, that’s for sure!

Here are my workouts for this week and what I plan to do into the weekend:

Sunday: Back/Biceps (done)

Monday: 20 min. HIIT + lots of walking/running w/ Oscar (done)

Tuesday: Shoulders + walking/running w/ Oscar (done)

Wednesday: Legs + Boxing

Thursday: Chest/Tris/Abs

Friday: Boxing

Saturday: Active Rest

Sunday: Full Body

No Sugar Challenge Update

It’s officially Day 24 of the challenge! We’re extending it about a week, so we’ll end up at about 37 days total.

Cravings: I don’t even think or crave diet soda any more. This is a habit that I’d like to keep dormant after this challenge ends. It’s terrible for me, but I never wanted to quit. Now that I have, I might as well stick with good old water and Kombucha (OBSESSED w/ Trilogy flavor)

kombucha

Feeling: I definitely want some sugar LOL. Fruit is just not doing the trick. I want a cookie. There, I said it. 😀 They have these cookie’s at the coffee shop I go to and for now, all I get to do is stare at them and drool…

redVelvetV2I actually highly recommend checking out this company (Cookie Good) if you’re looking for gifts. They are TONS of fun flavors like Oreo Butterfinger, Bacon & Maple Syrup, Peanut Butter Pretzel, Birthday Cake, and soooo many more. They taste like heaven.

In all reality, this isn’t all that hard, but I do like to enjoy a treat every now and then. Not being able to do that has been kind of sucky, but it’s also fun to challenge myself like this.

Progress: I feel like I lost some fluff at the beginning, but have stayed pretty much the same since. I’m not doing this to lose weight and haven’t changed my eating habits aside from cutting out the added sugar/fake sugar. I am definitely welcoming the almost-abs, and have plans to kick things into gear with a NEW challenge in December. (I love challenges!!)

Day 1

day1

Day 20

DAY20

Hope your hump day is a happy one!! See ya tomorrow!

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What’s a Pummelo?! + No Sugar Challenge Update: Day 14

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Today is busy, busy, busy. Mondays always are, aren’t they? Let’s get right to it.

I was walking through the grocery store Saturday afternoon, and something caught my eye that I had never seen before. It was a pummelo. I’m guessing I’m about 1,000 years late to the party, but I had seriously never seen this before!!! And of course, I needed to get one and see what it was all about.

pummelo1It looks and feels like a grapefruit, but I’ll be honest, I had my doubts…..

pummelo2The closer I got, the more it did seem like a grapefruit. As I peeled it apart, I actually was thinking about how upset I’d be if it ended up tasting just like a grapefruit…

pummelo3The verdict? OMG, It’s delicious!!! Why did nobody ever tell me about these before? It tastes like a grapefruit without the bitterness. It also has a lemony taste to it as well. I’m officially in love and want to eat #allthepummelos. Thanks mom & dad for keeping me in the dark all these years. -_-

No Added Sugar/Fake Sugar Update: Day 14

Almost at the halfway point! I’d love to say it’s getting easier, but it seems much harder lately! Maybe it’s just because there is halloween candy and desserts everywhere I look, but I definitely eyed the shit out of these babies for an ungodly amount of time over the weekend.

cupcakesDon’t worry, I resisted. Not without shedding tears, though.

Feeling: I am hungry ALL the time, all day long. I eat and then I’m hungry again. And the cycle repeats. It’s kinda wild, actually. I think my metabolism is working much better without all the fake sugar I was consuming. I still feel clear-headed too!

Cravings: I don’t actually have any cravings, I just feel like I want a little something more. I for sure wouldn’t mind a donut right about now. 😀

Body: I’m feeling tighter and still, no bloating. It’s actually sad how much time I spent feeling bloated when I was taking in fake sugar and eating foods with added sugar. I truly think giving up the fake sugar has had the biggest impact, but taking both of those away has been truly wonderful in terms of how I feel.

Progress: I’m definitely seeing changes. They are small changes and hard to see on a daily basis, but looking over the past 2 weeks, it’s pretty obvious something is working!

progress13I think Charlie and I are actually going to extend the challenge a few days (we leave for AZ about 5 days after our original end date), so we (okay, really I made this decision) decided to just wait a few more days and then enjoy the holidays right! 😉

That’s all I’ve got today! Have a fabulous afternoon and I’ll see ya tomorrow!

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Stressful, Crazy Week!

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Happy Friday peeps!

This week flew by! I’ll be honest, I was pretty exhausted and grumpy this week. I think it’s a mixture of overtraining, lack of sleep, and some work stress. It’s all good though, overall things aren’t too shabby. Sometimes, I just need to step back a little bit and that’s exactly what I did this week!

Thursday morning I was especially tired. I didn’t sleep well the night before and even my morning coffee didn’t do it for me! I got some work done and then headed home around 12:30pm to eat lunch and just collect myself a bit. This is my “I’m tired and I don’t want to work out face”.

dontwanaworkoutI headed to the gym at around 1:45 to do a leg workout. I did something a little different than usual, and it was fun to change it up.

4 Sets of the following:

-Sumo Deadlift + DB Curtsy Lunge

-Leg Extensions + Supinated Hamstring Curls

-Banded Hip Thrusts

-45* Hypers w/ 25lb Plate

When I finished my workout, I finally tried the new protein powder I told you guys about. The verdict? IT’S AMAZING. If a protein powder is good just mixed with water, IT’S GOOD. Most protein powders that I like and are even good for baking, etc. don’t taste so great on their own. I am completely sold on this stuff. MINIMAL ingredients, sweetened with stevia, and tastes good. Two thumbs up in my book! You can find their products here. (This is not a sponsored post, I just really love the product!)

slapAfterwards, I had a few meetings and also needed to rehearse for a competition I’m demoing on Saturday. The competition is to find Santa Monica’s Best Trainer and two of our personal trainers (Courage & Torri) have been nominated. I just get to be one of the workout dummies for them to train.

10428061_10152329134527540_1196942313145258660_nHere are some of the exercises I’m doing with Torri:

exercisesLOL Don’t worry…I’m not doing this topless. We just have a funny little intro planned and that’s my way of reminding me what to do. 🙂

After rehearsing, and getting a bunch of work done, I headed to a boxing class! Quite the fitness day for me! I better sleep well tonight! I went with my friend Tedi, who’s one of my favorite people to laugh with. We have fun.

metedibox2 metedibox

That’s all I’ve got folks! This weekend is looking to be quite an adventure! I’m sure I’ll be exhausted, but HEY, I’ll sleep when I die. 😀

Question of the Day:

1. What’s your favorite brand of protein powder?

2. What are some things you do to combat stressful & tiresome days/weeks?

 

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Tuesday Ramblings

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How’s everyone doing today?

I’m just sitting at home waiting for the pest control guy. Fun stuff! We’ve had a ridiculous ant problem for the last two weeks and we FINALLY got someone to come out and fix the problem. It’s been quite a nightmare. Let’s just say, I’m a pro ant-annihilator at this point. -_-

In other news, I found a new protein powder that I’m excited to try called SLAP. I actually ended up buying the entire stack of supplements, which is just L-Glutamine, Whey Isolate Protein Powder, and a Coffee Pre-Workout supplement. I was intrigued by the company because of the minimal and clean ingredients in all of their products. The protein powder is sweetened with Stevia (score!) and doesn’t have any artificial ingredients. I haven’t tasted it yet, but I’ll be sure to let you all know how it is!

photo 1photo 2

Workouts for the Week

I’m still super sore from Sunday’s Leg Insanity, but overall I’m feeling really good and still “on” my game!

Here are my workout plans for this week:

Monday: 20 min. HIIT + Chest/Triceps (DONE)

Tuesday: Boxing

Wednesday: Legs + Bouldering (yup! Haven’t done that in a while!)

Thursday: Shoulders/Abs + Boxing

Friday: Full Body

Saturday: Back/Bi’s

Sunday: REST

Finally…I’m thinking about getting a Brazilian blow out. I NEVER feel like/have time to do my hair and it just ends up being kind of a mess. Anyone ever had one? I’ve heard the chemicals can be kind of harsh, so I’m curious. Let me know your experiences!

Questions of the Day:

1. What is your favorite protein powder?

2. Brazilian Blowout advice please!!!

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Ramblings, Workouts, and EXPLODING KOMBUCHA!

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Wowza! What a day.

This morning, I woke up at 5am wide eyed and bushy tailed. Okay, maybe not like that, but I definitely was awake and there wasn’t a chance of falling back asleep. That doesn’t usually happen to me, but it was a good day for that to be the case. I had a ton of work to do and ended up knocking most of it out before noon! Woohoo! Might have to do that more often. (or maybe not…)

 

Okay, I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but I seem to have a Kombucha problem. This is my all time favorite flavor,

S_Trilogy

But EVERY time I open a Kombucha, it explodes everywhere and I spend the first 10 minutes cleaning up and waiting for it to stop fizzing.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?! I see others grab their Kombucha and open it gracefully without a drop spilled…..why am I Kombucha cursed??? (seriously….any ideas?? lol)

Workouts

I did a very different leg workout than I’m used to yesterday and I’m pretty sore from it. I’ve been focusing on heavy weights, low reps for the last few months and decided to completely change it up yesterday. I did high reps, lower weight, and circuit style. It was a fun way to change it up. Here are some of the exercises I did:

KB Goblet Squats w/ Explosive Rotation (yep, I’ll do a video for that one!)

Lying Hamstring Curls

Straight Leg Deadlifts (feet together)

Sumo Squats

Side Lunge/Jump Side Lunge combo

I definitely felt this one and it worked up a good sweat.

Tonight I’m heading to Iron Boxing again. I’m a bit sore from my leg day yesterday, so it could get interesting! I’m also curious to see how my less-than-stellar night of sleep will affect things. Oh well…I’ve got a fun weekend coming up, so I’m sure I’ll have some time to relax!

The Weekend

Tomorrow, Charlie and I are heading to Phoenix to hang with my little brother for his birthday. I’m excited to see him and the rest of the fam. Especially my cute ever-growing nephew. He melts my heart and cracks me up!

Seriously?! Look at him!!!
<3

Questions of the Day:

Do you have any tips for NON-EXPLODING KOMBUCHA?

Do you prefer to do low weight, high reps OR high weight, low reps when you’re working out?

 

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Glutton for Fruit!

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Hey all!

We all made it through Monday. Yeeeehaw!

I’m headed out to film some workouts for the World’s Best Bootcamp. (FYI Enlistment for Platoon 004 went off this past weekend and it was OFF THE HOOK! Totally awesome).

wbbc 4.26

 

I get to do 4 workouts today.

Four.

Twenty Minute.

High Intensity.

Workouts.

So, in case you never hear from me again, it was nice knowing you! G’bye!

HA….kidding. I’ll survive. But I may need to be pushed in a wheelchair tomorrow. Just saying. (Is it okay to say that again? I feel like it got really annoying for a while, but maybe it’s been gone long enough that it’s okay now? Yeah?)

My Obsession with Fruit

photo 3-2

I just thought I’d let everyone know that I’m obsessed with fruit. Grapes, grapefruits, anything that starts with grape, apples, strawberries, mango, blueberries, YOU NAME IT. I think that if my only option was to eat fruit for the rest of my life, I’d be a happy girl.

I know there are people out there that tell you not to eat fruit because of the sugar. Blah-dee-frickin-blah. I eat fruit. I ate fruit when I competed. I won’t give it up. SO THERE!

Anyways….I’m kind of just rambling today. Probably because I’m anticipating workout brain already.

Do you guys get workout brain? I do.

If you ask me something during a workout, 9 times out of 10 you will get a blank stare. The kind of stare that makes one wonder if there is anything upstairs. I assure you there is. Just not while I’m working out.

Workout Plan for the Week: 

Tuesday (today): 4 HIIT Plyometric Workouts (yikes-a-rama)

Wednesday: DUHH…Rest day. (may do some bouldering if I feel up to it)

Thursday: Boxing (depending on how I feel)

Friday: Crossfit

Saturday: Hike or Lift

Sunday: Rest

As long as I get ample rest this week, I should be good.to.go.

Last but not least, this cute thing walked in the gym yesterday. And I basically stopped a conversation with a client and mauled this little guy. The client forgave me. How could anyone resist this?!

Ali!

Ali!

One of these days, Charlie will finally let me get a puppy. A little pressure never hurt, though, so please go harass him.

That’s all I’ve got for today folks! Time to go get my sweat on! Have a fantastic day!!

Do you love fruit?

What’s your favorite?! Come on tell me, tell me! I want to talk about fruit!

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9 Random Things & My First Thought

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Why not 10? Because I guess I’m just not that random this week. 😀

I had a nice trip to Arizona this past weekend and am just now catching up on life……And Dexter.

My First Thought™ movement

GUYS!! I started something new this week. It’s my way of painting a picture of the REALITY of working out…all in good fun.

I call this “My First Thought.” I posted about it here on Facebook.

Basically, you post the first thought that comes to your head after you finish your workout. Before you have a chance to catch your breath.

Today, MFT was “FUCK 15 min. HIIT!!!!!” Sorry for the language, but it’s the truth!!!!

Tag yours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #myfirstthought

Moving on…

I thought I’d mix it up a bit today and tell you 9 random things that have been swirling around in this little brain of mine. Without further adieu…

1. I LOVE DEXTER. I understand, I’m about 8 years late to the party, but this show is AWESOME!! I can’t watch it alone because it scares me haha. Also because Charlie would kill me if I watched it without him.

dexter4

2. Nothing beats an Arizona sunset. I know I live in beautiful Santa Monica and we get some gorgeous skies and weather, but there is something about a painted desert sky. The evenings in Arizona smell different and feel different. It’s hard to describe really, but I do miss them!

3. My hands are a WRECK. Between metformin-online, weight lifting, pull ups, and more, my hands are just completely torn up. Any tips for this? I need the callouses to protect my hands while climbing, but I’m not sure how to keep the callouses smoother???

4. I have a slight obsession with grapes. It is not uncommon for me to buy a bag of grapes and eat most of the bag in one sitting. Grapes are like crack to me. It’s a problem I’m not ready to deal with yet, so save your interventions!!! Charlie may or may not have found a rotten grape under the couch today……wasn’t me!!!

Oh hey there....;-)

Oh hey there….;-)

5. I haven’t done steady state cardio in months (aside from 2 or 3 hikes.) I did 25 minutes walking on the treadmill the other day, but it was slow and I was doing it because I had time to kill and didn’t want to sit. Why did I ever do so much cardio? I’m leaner and I don’t have to do boring workouts. It’s pretty awesome. Not that there’s anything wrong with cardio, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I like the occasional run, but I’d rather throw heavy weights around and climb on walls. 😀

Hello shoulder!

Hello shoulder!

6. I’ve been boxing recently and I am so glad to be back doing it! I used to take a boxing class twice a week for at least a year. Actually, if you read the blog in the beginning, you may even remember that! I loved it SO much, but just didn’t continue it when I moved to Santa Monica. I started a few weeks ago and it feels really good to hit the mitts again!

7. I finally started grinding my own coffee beans. It makes a HUGE difference in the taste! I guess my dad was right all of these years. He has me grinding a special concoction of two different types of beans. It’s magical and makes early mornings much more bearable. I’m also spending less money on my beloved coffee from my favorite coffee shop. I still go! But not 2-3 times per day. :-0

8. This room. I want to decorate my room like this!! I just might make a few trips to Home Goods this weekend…..

Does the dog come with it?!

Does the dog come with it?!

9. The Selfie song!! OMG. It is so annoying…but…i have to admit…..every time that damn song came on this weekend, my little brother and I would start dancing in the car. We also danced to the YMCA in the car, but that’s besides the point….

LOL!!

LOL!! 

Tell me two random things about you!

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