Workin' on my fitness...

Franklin Family YMCA

I was totally rocking my New Year's resolution to get back in shape... until I started job interviews, traveling, and moving to a new state.  Happily, I only gained a few of the pounds back, but I definitely noticed a huge change in muscle tone compared to when I was working out regularly.  Not cool!

One of the first things I did when I moved to Franklin was join the YMCA.  What I really love about it is that my membership grants me access to all of the Middle Tennessee YMCAs, so I can go to classes wherever whenever, nearer to work or nearer to home, shower after Nashville 5Ks, etc.  Plus, I can walk across the street to the Y from my apartment complex!

It's been blazing hot, even though I work out in the morning before work, so I haven't been running as much.  Instead, I've actually started SWIMMING in the lap pool inside the Y.  (There are outdoor lanes too!)  I'm not a natural swimmer.  I mean, I like the water... but I'm not fast or strong at it.  In fact, the first day I swam, I could only manage 10 laps (500 yards) but I'm adding laps every time I swim.  I'm hoping to build up the ability to swim about 30 laps, at which point I might be able to do some cool interval workouts.  I haven't swam laps in over a decade, but it feels so good to be in the water.

I'm also really enjoying the classes that the Y offers... I tried a Zumba class, but I really like the Les Mills Bodypump class.  Les Mills Bodypump is a group barbell class, which is an hour of working different muscle groups.  I really felt like building muscle would help me in terms of fitness, and Bodypump is great.  Between swimming and Bodypump, I was sore in muscles I didn't know existed.  I like having both strength and cardio in my workout routine; I do Bodypump 2-3 times per week.

I've still got a long way to go, but I can't complain when I have such a great workout facility on my doorstep!

http://www.facebook.com/BODYPUMP

Beer, Roller Derby, and Fondue... WINNING.

My man Duke Silver is in town!  Woohoo!

We have had so much fun spending time in both Franklin and Nashville, helping him get to know my new digs.  We saw Pixar's latest movie, Brave (we both LOVE Pixar!) and spent all day Saturday in Nashville.

I drove Duke through The Gulch, 12South, Music Row, and down Broadway to give him a little overview of the city.  I think he liked it!  I love the neon on Broadway.  We had a great, light lunch in the Gulch at Urban Flats, then shopped around a little bit before a visit to Yazoo Brewery.

Duke loves beer, but especially loves the art of brewing.  We've done home brews before, so I wanted something beer-related on the agenda for his visit.  Yazoo does brewery tours on Saturdays, and they do a great sampler in the taproom to get to know the beers.  I loved the Hefeweizen!  I'm not even a beer enthusiast, but I could drink that regularly.  They even stock Yazoo at my local Publix, which is great.  (Currently you can get Yazoo in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.)

Then we headed to catch some roller derby bouts by the Nashville Rollergirls!  Yup, I knocked another item off my Before I'm 30 list.  It was less flashy than I imagined (darn movies and books) but still excited.  Lots of falls and pushing, and I figured out the rules pretty quickly.  Woohoo!

We ended the night with a fantastic fondue dinner at The Melting Pot.  I mean, amazing!!!  I love their blackberry sage lemonade, anything with cheddar cheese, and the flaming turtle chocolate dessert fondue.  I'd found a coupon in a recent circular, and we both loved the meal.  They even take a free photo of you!  Cheesy, but a great way to cap off the night.

Can't wait to have more adventures with Duke while he's here.

Magic Mike

Yes, I went to see Magic Mike.  My friend JK came into town, and we went giggling into the theater, ready to drool over Channing Tatum in all his shirtlessness.  And even though most of the theater was filled with women, I actually felt like the movie was seedy and gritty enough to appeal to men in the audience too... and it had some cred in being directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Truthfully?  It was just okay.  I mean, I could watch Channing Tatum dance around all day... and Matthew McConaughey was just incredibly and convincingly sleazy.

This movie reminded me of another star-studded scandalously-themed movie... Boogie Nights.  I think both Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum are great leading men in the films.  Both movies are kind of dark and more about the pitfalls and dangers of the respective industries.

P.S.  Could someone please make a YouTube video that just cuts together all of Channing's solo dances?  Thank you.