Here we are, day 11 of no gluten AND no dairy (yeah, how's that for a bumski). It hasn't been a bad 11 days, considering chocolate, butter and cheese are all on the list of nope.
LET ME MAKE IT VERY CLEAR: "Going gluten free" is not a surefire way to lose weight and make yourself healthy. Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-a french fries, Coca-Cola, Sour Patch Kids, Fruit roll ups, five guys french fries, and Five Guys hot dogs (without the bun) are ALL Gluten Free and Dairy Free and I have ingested them ALL within the last 11 days. I'm not sorry about it, either. If I wanted to I could be a big fat fatty when this is all over by just eating all of that crap. IT'S AMERICA I CAN DO WHAT I WANT. (I've lost 5 pounds in these 11 days, btw).
But like actually, I do not want to be morbidly obese and even more unhealthy than I already am, so I've been making a legit-ish effort to take advantage of the death sentence dietary restrictions to teach myself how to choose healthier options and cook food that's actually good for me. If I'm gonna take the time to MAKE IT (which is annoying when it's so cold out), I might as well make it good for me.
Here are some recipes we've made in the past 11 days that have been pretty good:
Firecracker Chicken. This one is a recipe me and my dad have made in the past before the GF DF thing. Turns out, a lot of stuff I eat on the reg are pretty much GF/DF, or only need minor substitutions. This one was good as/is.
GF Beef Stew. I ate this two days in a row. My mom made this one, so I don't know where the recipe is.
I've also eaten out a few times successfully! Both of my parents got the flu during this 11 days, so sometimes cooking a full meal just wasn't going to happen beacause it was completely up to me and I'm horrendous at cooking still, also lazy. I found good GF/DF options at Buffalo Wild Wings, Spin Pizza, Jose Peppers, Fortune Wok (the Chinese food place)
I ALSO found out I really like dragonfruit. Not just because it's a really cool shade of pink, either. I got a "smoothie bowl" from this place that was dragonfruit, coconut milk, pineapple, dates, hemp seeds, gluten free granola, and prob other stuff idk they made it for me. But I've had two of them this week (even though they cost 11 dollars) because they're SO GOOD.
Turns out Advil LiquiGels have gluten in them. So THAT'S annoying, because I have that shit basically sewn into all of the hems of my petticoats. Did some research though, and MOTRIN liquigels DO NOT have gluten (shrug emoji), and neither do the regular Advil pills.
Also I spent $30 on vegan chocolate chips because I got desperate. They're "really good" (note: this is coming from a chocoholic who hasn't had real chocolate in 11 days, so use the property of relativity here)
As for my "health," I'm not seeing any significant changes, but also it's only been eleven days. I will say though, both of my parents got the legit, honest-to-god flu in this past week and a half, and I have managed to not catch it. My sleep schedule has evened out (I was waking up at 4 a.m. for a while), and overall I feel pretty deece. BUT ALSO, it's important to note that I currently do not have any responsibilities. So we'll see what happens when I go back to work next week.
Special shout out to Zee, who is doing this with me. It is SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER to do this diet when you have someone to bitch about it with. U da bes, Assy.
Summary: Gluten Free really isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Dairy Free is.
Hi everybody. My name is Katie. I'm 27 years old (as of yesterday) and my two favorite foods on planet earth are grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies.
Here I am to tell you why this has become a problem.
When I was 17 years old I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. In the past few years, the doctors have been able to hone in on my specific case and have decided my official diagnosis is Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD). From what I understand, MCTD is the umbrella under which Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Scleroderma live. MCTD can manifest in all sorts of ways, and mine has decided to be totally chic and unique and show up as Interstitial Lung Disease.
It was a really weird and painful journey to get to the Lung Disease diagnosis. There was a super awesome nine-month period where I couldn't eat anything without puking it up or having it pass directly through me, and nobody could seem to tell me why. I wasted away to nothing (5'10, about 115 lbs). I'll spare you the whole nutso story with all of the details (because privacy is my right as a PATIENT it's called HIPAA LOOK IT UP), but I got so sick that I ended up in the hospital with sepsis and had to stay there for a week. I missed one of my best friend's weddings and it was all very overwhelming. This is when they found the lung disease. I have never smoked a THING in my life. There is nothing I could have done to prevent this from happening. It is just how my autoimmune disease has decided to present itself. My body is attacking its own lungs.
That was June. Since then I've been in "recovery mode," trying to adjust to living with this chronic illness. I had to take 3 months off of work, where I was at the doctor more times than I can count. I'm currently taking about 40 pills a day, and I've been hospitalized one other time since, just because it was "too cold outside" and "my lungs weren't ready to handle it" (are you kidding).
At the risk of sounding totally depressing, but also in the interest of total transparency, it is a struggle to exist. I'm tired eternally, and I carry a monster of a cough with me at all times. (My mom says it is helpful for finding me in a store). My chest always hurts and my heart races. I can barely bathe myself without huffing and puffing to get it all done, and if it's less than 75 degrees I turn purple because my circulation is terrible. I am in a constant state of discomfort and exhaustion. At this point I have lost the ability to articulate what exactly "doesn't feel good," so most of the time I'm confused, frustrated by my inability to communicate and just live in a big old cloudy haze. I try very hard to keep a positive attitude because I know that is essential (and it's also my default state), but you can imagine that sometimes I get a smidge discouraged. There isn't a manual for how to deal or what to expect.
Among all of the incredible specialists I'm seeing to help get all of this under control is a team of Integrative Medicine doctors. I am seeing them to try to remedy a lot of the damage that I did to my body during the 9 months I couldn't eat anything. They have advised that I adopt a gluten-free, dairy-free diet for 90 days, starting January 1.
If you know me at all, the mere suggestion of this to ME is a hilarious joke. I am 27 years old and don't know how to cook for myself, because I've been able to sustain on fast food all this time without getting fat. I also have the palate of a 9 year old. I'm picky as hell, and I love cookies and sweets and pastries and french fries and cheeseburgers and bread. Like I said before, grilled cheese is my favorite food. When I have told my friends that I have to go gluten-free, the reply is usually "LOL GOOD LUCK OMG."
I am annoyed by "health bloggers" I see on Instagram bragging about how delicious their Kale Salads are and how they love vegan chocolate. I used to make fun of these people all the time, and would roll my eyes at all of it. "You're not eating anything with any joy in it. What fun is that?" I know, I know, I'm completely in the wrong here. Being conscious of your health and good to your body is nothing to ridicule, and clearly I need to take a page from these people's books because my health sucks and I'm miserable all the time.
In one of my more melodramatic moments, I believe my quote was "TELLING ME I HAVE TO GO GLUTEN-FREE IS THE SAME AS WHEN THEY TOLD JULIE ANDREWS SHE CAN'T SING ANYMORE. IT WOULD BE LIKE CUTTING OFF USAIN BOLT'S LEGS." (Like I said, I have a flare for the dramatics that is only made worse by the high dosage of steroids I'm now taking daily)
BUT, the doctors think it will make me feel immensely better, not only clearing up all of the malnutrition I'm dealing with, but it could also ease some of the symptoms of my autoimmune disease. They say something like (I'm going to butcher this, but) 3 months is how long it takes for your immune system to reset itself from an irritant, and they suspect that gluten is acting as an irritant to my system. They say if I can make it 3 months without gluten or dairy, my system will clear itself out and I will likely not crave any of those foods anymore and feel immensely better. At this point I'm willing to try anything to make me feel better and allow me to live a (somewhat) normal 27 year-old life.
So from January 1 to March 31, I will be going completely gluten-free (and I THINK dairy-free too? TBA on that one). I've decided to keep a public diary because I'm a skeptic and I need to keep myself accountable. I honestly don't think I can do it. This sounds so silly, but I truly think it's going to be the hardest thing I'll ever do. I know I'm going to be all sorts of ticked when all I want is a bagel for breakfast and I have to eat something stupid that I don't want. I don't WANT to eat healthy. I want to be able to eat lots of trash and carry on with my life. But obviously I know, this is not an option anymore.
I'm going to keep this diary to keep track of how I feel and what I eat. I'm truly hoping to be proven wrong, and at the end of this all the amounts of awful I feel have faded away, and I'm turned into a true believer. In the meantime, it'll be hilarious to watch the pizza lover sweat it out with some stupid flatbread with weird tomatoes on it.
My mom and dad are actual real superheroes, and are going to help me be able to make this happen. We'll spend all of December planning recipes and looking for gluten-free alternatives to my faves. I'll post sporadically between now and Jan 1, and then I HOPE to post my meals and my feelings every day during that three months. (This might be a tall order, but we'll see).
I'm open to suggestions of recipes. Tips, tricks, hints. Any of it. I'm totally unaware and uneducated when it comes to cooking and healthy eating, so if you got wisdom, I got ears. To you, I surrender.
In the meantime, enjoy this picture of me with a chocolate chip cookie. Gosh, this was a good chocolate chip cookie. Sigh.
Okay you guys, I don't really know what to tell you if you haven't discovered Hamilton yet. I'm going to do you a solid and provide you all of the links you need to become as obsessed with it as I am.
BASIC RUNDOWN
Musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. I know, it sounds so weird but just OPEN YOUR MINDS. I've learned so much about American History just from listening to this soundtrack I'm not even kidding you
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also wrote In The Heights and is a genius if you ask me
The entire thing is rapped completely through. It's like Les Miserables, only RAP
All of the characters are played by people of various races.
They do a ticket lottery every day and every once in a while the stars of the show as well as other Broadway stars come to the stage door and give little performances for the crowd while they wait for the lottery. These are called #Ham4Ham
It's becoming a cultural phenomenon and is probably going to win every single Tony Award for which it receives a nomination.
A zillion famous people have been to see it including Beyonce I don't know what else you want from me.
Tickets are nearly impossible to come by for less than $200, and it's basically sold out from now until July.
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN IT:
(One of the cast members takes a selfie of herself with celebrities in the background whenever they come to the show. #StruxSelfie)
Here I am, 1:10 a.m. on a Sunday morning, trying to kill time on the internet because I'm waiting for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target Collection to become available online. This goes down in history as one of the most basic things I have ever done, and I am getting FRUSTRATED because it's very hard for me to stay awake this late and things are NOT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.
Target announced this winter that it was going to launch a partnership line with Lilly Pulitzer. About a month ago, they released a look book with photographs of all of the items that would be available as part of the collection. Some available online only, some available in store. Basic Bitches everywhere were this:
Up until I saw the look book I will admit, I was sort of over Lilly's actual apparel. Yes, I follow her Instagram because she posts beautiful photos of beautiful prints and yes, I wish I could paint that stuff for a living, but her clothes are a. too expensive, and b. something I felt I had outgrown, because I associate "freshmen sorority girl" with a Lilly Pulitzer dress (I bought my Lilly Pulitzer dress when I was a sophomore sorority girl so like, you get it.)
BUT THEN I WENT TO THE LOOK BOOK AND SAW THESE GIRAFFE PANTS YOU GUYS
I NEED EM THEY'RE LITERALLY SO COOL. So I made a plan to hop on over to Target on the release day to buy myself a pair...this is when my dear friend Cara Keeble said WOAH WOAH WOAH PAL, NOT SO FAST. Apparently basic bitches everywhere were in their evil basic lairs plotting their evil basic acquisition of this shit. Also I didn't do good reading to see that the pants were "available online only." Yeah. You heard me. Lilly Pulitzer that you can buy in Target is SO MAINSTREAM FOR ME SO I ONLY GET THE ONLINE ONLY STUFF (lol). So from some further research I learned that the collection would be available online "sometime between 12 and 2 on Sunday Morning," which is why I find myself here, a little after 1. Waiting.
I've been checking the #LillyForTarget hashtag on Twitter, and about an hour ago some people were tweeting that they were able to buy some of the stuff. Apparently Target made a few of the links live (on accident?) and the diehards found them and then started tweeting that they bought their orders. The #LillyForTarget following did this:
Girls (fine, me too) were FRANTIC trying to get online. K Target NOT COOL on your part. So Target got a hold of things and shut the back alley links DOWN and the guy who's the president of mobile for Target is on his personal Twitter account fielding questions. Which, as a person who does community management for a living...THAT IS AWESOME. IT'S 1 AM. HE'S LITERALLY RESPONDING TO EVERYONE.
So now this dude is like the second coming to all these basic bitches. They are literally hanging on his every word. If he told them the world was ending they would follow him into an underground bunker and live in a post apocalyptic cult with him for 15 years. I'm not even kidding.
So now they said "like 90 minutes" about 60 minutes ago so everyone on Twitter is either giving up, drowning in their sorrows because they thought they failed, worshipping this Jason guy or making different puns that deal with Lilly Pulitzer/Target/This Mess/90s Pop Lyrics (i.e., "@target: quit playin games with my cart").
So now I'm awake and I really want to go to bed but I'VE MADE IT THIS FAR so I can't go to bed now. Gotta wait it out. So for any of you that are still out there, awake, with nothing to do, go check out #LillyForTarget on Twitter. You won't be sorry.
Here are some of my favorite tweets from #LillyForTarget while waiting for the online launch (also please note username choices):
Boyfriend is very amused. "You're a weirdo, but you're my weirdo" #LillyforTarget
— 30MG (@20SmthngPrblms) April 19, 2015
@Target thank you for keeping communication lines open. We'll all survive and laugh about it later. #LillyforTarget
— Victoria (@glittertart) April 19, 2015
A boy asked me to come over and I said "sorry I have Lilly things to do in the morning". #LillyforTarget
— Kimberly Gauthier (@prncssk92) April 19, 2015
I'm loving @KristinDavis bugging out about her #LillyforTarget items disappearing from her cart. Stars are just like us, people.
There's a blog post explanation to accompany this. Read it here.
Back again for another year. Gotta give the people what they want.
The Midwest Region:
(1) Kentucky over (16) Whoever wins the play-in game. I'm convinced that this year's Kentucky team is actually the Monstars from Space Jam with newly acquired technology in that Basketball of theirs to make them look like humans instead of cartoons. If I had any sort of common sense (or if any of my bracket contests were for a large amount of money) I would have Kentucky go all the way, but I'd rather watch my bracket go to shit than write K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y in the National Championship slot.
(9) Purdue over (8) Cincinnati. This is more of a "I DON'T choose Cincinnati" thing. Ohio is the worst state in the nation. I never pick Ohio ever. Also for some reason Purdue reminds me of chicken nuggets? Why is that? Whatever. Chicken nuggets are like my favorite food. Purdue it is.
(12) Buffalo over (5) West Virginia. Because my cousins are from Buffalo. Also West Virginia is gross also KU beat them in football once which is hilarious. KU never beats anyone in football. If you lose to KU Football, you deserve to be upset by a 12 seed in the first round.
(4) Maryland over (13) Valparaiso 1. I have no idea where Valparaiso is and I have too many tabs open right now to open a new one to look it up. 2. Maryland has pretty good cheerleading.
(11) Texas over (6) Butler. I think lots of people are going to pick Butler here, and I want to be DIFFERENT, YOU GUYS. I also want to be able to gloat if I was right and everyone else was wrong. Maybe Texas will be my Cinderella story? Actually probably not because I have them losing in the next round. Just felt like I needed to mention Cinderella. Also Texas is home to Whataburger and Whataburger is DELICIOUS. DID I MENTION HOW GREAT CINDERELLA IS!?
(3) Notre Dame over (14) Northeastern. The "Don't Be A Dummy" theory (explained below). Also Northeastern reminds me of a nor'eastern which is a terrible snowstorm. YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT TERRIBLE SNOW STORMS. I DO NOT LIKE THEM. IFSO FACTO, I DO NOT LIKE YOU NORTHEASTERN.
(7) Wichita State over (10) Indiana. When I make this pick I sing this song in my head:
"MY MINNNDDDDS TELLIN ME NOOOOOOO. BUT MY BODY, MY BODY'S TELLIN ME YES!" aka I don't really have a reasoning. Leslie Knope is from Pawnee Indiana and I love her, but I gotta throw a bone to my fellow Kansans. Even though I hate Wichita. Wait. Is it too late to go back and change this one? Oh well, if Indiana wins this it'll be less of a bummer because yeah my bracket will be wrong but at least I'll have received what I wanted. Silver lining. Wichita sucks. So fine Wichita, I pick you, but I'm rooting for Indiana.
(2) Kansas over (15) New Mexico State. I don't think I have to explain this one, but I will anyway. THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS IS LITERALLY THE GREATEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE EVER OF ALL TIME EVER. I'm fired up you guys. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. (In case you were curious, I picked them to win the entire thing. I'm like a member of Olivia Pope and Associates and KU is like Olivia Pope: I would follow her (it) over a cliff. BLIND FAITH, YOU GUYS.)
The West Region
(1) Wisconsin over (16) Costal Carolina. While yes, I do use a lot of nonsense as part of my strategy for creating some of the top scoring brackets of all time, I'm not an idiot. Sometimes I do pick teams that I know are clearly better than their opponents. I always pick all of the #1 seeds to make it past the 1st round. I call this the "don't be a dummy" theory.
(9) Oklahoma State over (8) Oregon. OKLAHOMA STATE HAS PHENOMENAL CHEERELEADING. THAT IS THAT. (Also I loathe Oregon).
(5) Arkansas over (12) Wofford. My roommate and friend for LIFE Huckabay went to Arkansas. I also ALMOST went there so I pick them. Pretty glad I didn't go there though. No offense. Also Wofford sounds kind of like Waffles. Who can even take them seriously?
(13) Harvard over (4) UNC. THIS ONE WAS VERY HARD. I usually always pick Harvard without question because Elle Woods went to Harvard and she's my favorite fictional character of all time (Cinderella close second). I also usually always pick UNC without question because Carolina Blue is like my favorite shade of blue. I picked Harvard because UNC has Roy Williams, who left Kansas to coach at North Carolina. PEOPLE DON'T FORGET.
(11) Ole Miss over (6) Xavier: The Blind Side was a great movie. Sandra Bullock ROCKED in it, and Leigh Anne Tuohy was a Kappa Delta at Ole Miss. HODDY TODDY, Y'ALL.
(3) Baylor over (14) Georgia State. "Don't Be A Dummy." I have them going all the way to the final four, so that Kansas can STOMP ON THEIR FACES and do the hippity skippity all the way to the National Championship : ) TRA. FREAKIN. LA.
(7) VCU over (10) Ohio State. I hereby refer to this matchup as the "Deplora-bowl" because I hate both of these schools with a lot of my being (I'm not going to say "every fiber" because I don't even waste that much energy on them.) VCU gets my vote because VCU beat KU in 2011. That deserves some respect. So there ya go VCU. That's all you're gettin from me.This is like picking the nicest terrorist. Woof. Ohio is the worst state in the nation. Never pick Ohio, unless they're against Kentucky.
(2) Arizona over (15) Texas Southern because I said so. That is reason enough, peasants. Also "Don't Be A Dummy."
The East Region
(1) Villanova over (16) Lafayette. Don't be a Dummy. Also Mary Lewis wanted to go to Villanova, so I'll give them an ounce of love. Also aren't their colors blue and blue?
(9) LSU over (8) NC State. Because Dan the Man went to LSU until he got shot there doing acts of heroism. Points for acts of heroism. Also if Dan likes you then I like you. Basically Danny Lewis is the coolest person I've ever come in contact with, so this one goes out to him.
(5) Northern Iowa over (12) Wyoming. You're telling me I have to pick between Iowa and Wyoming? I DO NOT THINK SO, UNIVERSE. BOTH PLACES SUCK. It doesn't even matter who I picked because I have them losing to Louisville in the next game. (I picked Iowa though. I'm a Bachelor fan.)
(4) Louisville over (13) UC Irvine LOUISVILLE HAS THE BEST CHEERLEADERS IN THE NATION. (11) Whoever wins the play in over (6) Providence. Thought I'd mix it up a bit. I feel like everyone's going to pick Providence so I want to be able to be smug if they don't win. Also, that's how little I care about Providence. Don't even know who the option is and I pick it over Providence.
(3) Oklahoma over (14) Albany. I quite enjoy Oklahoma. I think I could have really liked it had I attended. They have Cane's there. What else do you need? (Do NOT, however, condone the SAE stuff as of late. I have them facing off against Virginia in the next round...LOL battle of the schools with the most Greek scandals!)
(10) Georgia over (7) Michigan State. It snows in Michigan. It doesn't in Georgia. That whole "oh, 2 snowflakes fall out of the sky so all of the sudden we forget how to exist" thing seems like something I could get used to, like the people in Georgia did last year when they had that "blizzard." DUH I PICK GEORGIA. Also Huckabay and I went on a college visit to UGA junior year and it was really fun.
(2) Virginia over (15) Belmont Tina Fey graduated from the University of Virginia, so that logic perpetuated them all the way to the Final 4 for me. UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT Y'ALL. GO WATCH IT.
The South Region
(1) Duke over (16) Whoever wins the play-in game SIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHH. I hate Duke. "Don't Be A Dummy" Theory, but I have them losing in the Sweet 16.
(9) St. John's over (8) San Diego St. To borrow from my dear friend +Kathryn Hoven 's strategy: "When in doubt, choose the Catholics." Also New York > California. Always.
(5) Utah over (12) Stephen F. Austin. I might have been drunk while making my picks? Why do I like Utah over Stephen F. Austin? I don't. It snows in Utah. It doesn't in Texas. I thought "oh well Aunt Patty lives in Utah sometimes and I love Aunt Patty," but Aunt Patty also lives in Texas! Thanking my lucky stars brackets aren't due yet. I'm going back to change this one. I DO WHAT I WANT. Dodged that bullet. (12) Stephen F. Austin over (5) Utah.
(4) Georgetown over (13) Eastern Washington. Because Georgetown reminds me of Olivia Pope and I think she rocks. Didn't Mellie go to Georgetown? I don't think so, but this gives me a platform to tell you people that Mellie is the best character on Scandal. I have Georgetown defeating Duke to go to the Elite 8. Somebody had to be called upon to defeat Duke. It was Georgetown's time to shine. Also Georgetown reminds me of George Washington and that hilarious meme article that +Kerry Benn and I found earlier this year. Except I guess shouldn't Eastern Washington remind me of George Washington? Too bad. It doesn't.
(6) SMU over (11) UCLA Because I picked all the other 11 seeds.
(3) Iowa State over (14) UAB. Even though I NEVER EVER EVER want to see another Iowa State fan as long as I live, I still give them this vote. They beat KU in the Big 12 Tournament Championship. So, respect, but NEVER COME BACK TO KANSAS CITY THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS SO ANNOYING. WHO COMES TO KC AND SPENDS THEIR ENTIRE WEEKEND IN THE POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT? (I have them going to the National Championship and losing to KU in one of my brackets with my college friends. HOW'S THAT FEEL, CYCLONES?!?!?!?!)
(10) Davidson over (7) Iowa. I happen to know Tyler Kalinoski, the Player of the year and star of Davidson. He's one of Dan's pals from high school. I want him to do well during his senior year! Also I can't pick THREE Iowa schools. Iowa sucks, you guys.
(2) Gonzaga over (15) North Dakota St. Can you imagine how cold it gets in North Dakota? No thanks.
Here I am with an update from our second cheerleading competition in a row out of four in a row in the month of February. My mom told me I needed to be really careful and take care of myself so I didn't get worn down by this MARATHON OF CHEERLEADING COMPETITIONS. Too little too late is what I say, because I didn't even make it past the first one. I got diagnosed with the flu last Thursday, meaning I wasn't going to be able to go to Council Bluffs with Fame on Friday. :'(
There was no way I was going to just sit around at home and wait to see what happened with my kids, so I found a way to Council Bluffs late after I was feeling better. I kind of got lucky, because they had a run in with some bed bugs and about a zillion hotel changes before I got there. I was able to conveniently skip all of that.
Day 1 Fame looked pretty good. They had zero deductions, but they didn't look as solid as they did last week in OKC. We think the mayhem with the hotels from Friday kind of spooked them a little, and according to them "the music was really quiet." We POUNCED on this accusation and told them they were going to need to learn to generate their own energy on the floor because when we get to Dallas they won't be surrounded by the entire gym (like they were in OKC.) They ended day 1 with a 96.1 and in 1st place by about 3 points. We were kind of bummed about the score, but the competition was scoring low in general. So relatively speaking, it was decently accurate. (The Frosties got kind of screwed. Scored SO LOW for NO REASON.)
The judging was kind of crazy at this event. It was really unclear compared to the others we have been to, and a lot of our teams had been scoring uncharacteristically low. We didn't really know what to tell Fame as far as their standings for the Summit bid were concerned. We just told them they needed to practice generating their own energy and preparing for their upcoming trips to NCA. They went out on Day 2 and had a better performance than they did day 1. Still zero deductions. That's 5 zero-deduction performances in a row!
We had really no idea where we were in the running for a Summit Bid going into awards, so we told Fame not to get their hopes up. Much to our surprise, they announced that the Summit Bid was going to the winner of the Large Junior Level 3 Division. THAT'S US! WE'RE GOING TO THE SUMMIT!
The girls were SO EXCITED. They keep asking us all of these questions about the Summit and Disney and getting shirts and extra practices. We just keep telling them to slow their rolls. We have NCA to worry about!.
This coming weekend is Jamfest in Kansas City, and then NCA in Dallas the weekend after that. We're working really hard on perfection and performance value. Watch out Dallas, we're coming for you!
It was a CRAZY weekend in Oklahoma City. ASC is the competition to which KC Cheer brings all of its teams, so we had 12 teams performing. That makes for two 12-hour days. Not kidding. It was EXHAUSTING.
Fame was in a division with not one, but TWO Woodlands Elite Teams. Woodlands Elite is a very prestigious gym from the Houston area, and we knew they were going to be in for a challenge. We drilled the girls all week long about cleanliness on the floor and good technique. We knew a clean routine was going to be what won the title, because these Texas teams have a LOT of difficulty.
Fame and Fierce 5 went back to back on both days, so the energy in the practice room was electric. It was awesome to watch them cheer for one another, and the Fierce 5 kids pumped the Fame kids up backstage. They were READY TO TAKE THE FLOOR!
Fame hit another zero deduction routine on Saturday (2 in a row!) and looked really good. Clearly that pep talk worked from Fierce 5. Can we get one of those every time? Hehe. They ended the day in 1st place by a small margin, because Woodlands Elite Captains had a deduction. Their raw score on day 1 was 96.7, the highest to date. Captains' raw score was higher than Fame's without their deduction, so we knew it was going to be close.
On Sunday we had another great day in the practice room and another really high-energy performance. Sunday's performance had zero deductions and was the best I have seen from them so far. We were so excited to watch them do so well! Fame ended up winning first place by .1. The girls were ecstatic to prove they were able to hold their own against two huge Texas teams. They ended Sunday with an even higher score, 97.1. This was really exciting news for Zonko and I, because we know they need to be scoring that high for any chance at a Summit Bid or an NCA title.
We'll see Woodlands Elite Captains again at NCA. We're pretty sure they're going to be in our division. It will be fun to go head to head with them again. I'm a little biased, but I think Fame will come out on top! :)
Fame traveled to St. Louis this weekend to compete in the NCA Midwest Classic in St. Louis, Missouri. It was a competition with a Summit bid available, with one Summit bid going to each level. They would have to score higher than any level 3 team to win the bid.
They went out day one and hit a near perfect routine with only a small tumbling deduction (accidents happen!) They were in first place by a long shot in the Large Junior 3 division, but they were sort of down there for the bid.
On Sunday they went out and hit their first deduction free routine! I was so excited for them! In the end it wasn't enough for the bid, but they still won National Champions by a long shot. Had they not had the deduction on day 1, they might have been able to clinch the bid. Everything happens for a reason though, so who knows.
It was awesome to show the girls they were capable of a zero-deduction routine. They were so excited that they had made us proud!
Okay it's to read 12 books. One per month. I'm all about doing a really attainable New Year's Resolution. I just want to publish it here to up the accountability.
I'm currently reading Eleanor and Parkby Rainbow Rowell. It's a story of two high school kids who fall in love in the 1980s. I'm only a few pages in, but I think there are aspects of domestic abuse in the story. I am already very interested to find out what happens.
I also think we're going to give the blog a makeover. You'll know if we did or not when you come to read it and it looks different. That's how you'll know we did it.
Also, if you have any suggestions of great books (besides Secret Life of Bees. I know Mom. That's next.) please feel free to share!
During the Holiday season, we give the kids like 10 days off. They don't have to practice and get to enjoy the time with their families (and I have time to hightail it to Hawaii!).
We DID, however, have a chance to do some team bonding over the break. Music Theater Kansas City is an organization that involves high school kids in Musical Theater. My best friend Annie Brown was very involved with it in high school, as were a few of my Rock Chalk Revue friends. Annie called me in July and told me that they were planning on doing Bring it On: The Musical and asked if I knew of any cheerleaders that would be interested in helping out (duh. I do). So I gave her Kristi Whitney's phone number, and the next thing I knew KC Cheer was signed up to be part of the production.
Bring it On, for those who don't know, is about rival cheerleading teams competing against each other. In the musical, KC Cheer kids played the parts of the cheerleading teams. Any time there was stunting or tumbling in the show, it was being done by our kids.
Fame went to a team dinner on the Plaza and then to the Saturday night showing. It was SPECTACULAR! The cheerleading was so good, and the actual actors in the show were MARVELOUS. They were so talented. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire production, and am glad some of our kids got to be involved. I would have DIED to be able to do this back when I was cheering!
In the words of Taylor Renft: " only you could write something like this and manage to get away with it and get like 100 likes"
1. Started my first ever job in January. G chat is a beautiful thing y'all (add me if you have it too duh.)
2. Had a fun nationals season coaching Force, KC Cheer's senior level 2 team. We competed in Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Nashville. We got to teach the girls a lot about how to go confidently through the practice room, and how to fix mistakes on the floor. It was an awesome first year coaching experience.
3. Took advantage of the fact that I had 5th year friends in Lawrence. 23 year olds in the Boom Boom Room happened. No shame.
4. Spent an awesome weekend watching awesome cheerleading in Dallas at NCA All-Star nationals with Mom and Clarkson. Excited to carry on that tradition.
5. My first Rock Chalk Revue as an alum. Don't worry everyone, +Taylor Renft was still on Ad Board so I still pretty much got to do whatever I wanted ( also, there was plenty of Gin & Syrup with Nate, Sam and the whole Ad board crew. Don't you worry.)
6. WENT TO THE CHEERLEADING WORLDS AND WATCHED FIERCE 5 WIN 4th PLACE. Also got to sit on a baseball field and watch my sport happen in one of the coolest atmospheres of all time. The highlight of 2014. Such extreme happiness and pride as an alumnus of the program and of this amazing team. Also watching all of Harrison Whitney's dreams come true his senior year was COOL AF.
9. Started a new cheerleading season as the Coach of Fame. KC Cheer's Junior level 3 team. I ADORE these girls. They are so hardworking and a joy to see twice a week. It's cool to teach them about teamwork and working hard and getting through stupid teenage girl crap. I love them all and want to hug them always. Did I mention they're machines? Can't wait to kick ass all over America during 2015!
10. Celebrated the engagement of two of my very dearest friends! Annie Lemark and Chelsea Coday I can't wait for your big day! (Which is the same day. But wait, they're not marrying each other..for the record. They're getting married separately. On the same day. Could see how that would be confusing to others. THE MAIN TAKEAWAY IS TWO OF MY FAVORITES ARE GOING OT BE BEAUTIFUL BRIDES!)
11. Cried crocodile tears as I said goodbye to some of my nearest and dearest as they moved out of Kansas to start their real lives. Good news is, I now always have a bed in Dallas and LA. : )
12. Had a BLAST BLAST BLAST watching Bobby O'Connell get married. Another highlight of 2014.
13. Started my job at Meers! Yay!
14. Took the coolest trip of all time to NYC with +Jesse Hoffman and +Lauren Vanlandingham. We saw The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and sat FRONT ROW and HIGH FIVED JIMMY AND WERE ON TV. That same day we saw Cinderella the Musical. It was a day made for Klew. We also saw A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Aladdin, went to some famous bars, hung out with +Kerry Benn and Kyle Grace and Shannon Morgan at their new place in TriBeCa. One of my favorite weekends of 2014.
15. Went to Chicago with +Kathryn Hoven, Sarah Vanlandingham and +Lauren Vanlandingham to see Nate Watson and One Direction. It was awesome. No shame. #23at1D
16. Had an AWESOME TIME at KU Homecoming. The first one where pretty much all of my grade was graduated and back. It was a great weekend. I can't wait for next year.
17. Had the flu for a month. Not kidding. A month. Zillion degree fever, in the hospital, can't move, mom brushing my hair for me-type sick. This was the low.
18. Enjoyed "watching" the Royals World Series run. By "watching" I mean sleeping through all of the games because of the aforementioned flu. But seriously. It was a cool time to be in Kansas City.
19. Said goodbye to stupid 23 and had a fantastic 24th birthday filled with Cake, my fam, bagels, grilled cheese, pizza, and Broadway. Am I really that easily pleased? Who cares. I ate everything in sight on my birthday in New York City and couldn't be happier about it.
20. Started to enjoy watching Fame kick ass in the first half of the competition season. They win everything by a LANDSLIDE. Can't wait to watch it continue with Victoria Zonko as we get into the big nationals! Also we had the CUTEST CHRISTMAS PARTY EVER, thanks to the awesome Fame parents! We feel so loved!
22. Celebrated Christmas with the fam in Hawaii, where I'm sitting typing this. We've been drinkin chi-chis, hanging out by the pool, riding helicopters, and just all out having the T of our L. We are one lucky group of idiots. Excited to ring in 2015 being this Tan.
2014 seems to have been a year of supporting my friends and watching them do awesome stuff. I'm super lucky to have lots of amazing people in my life who do amazing things. I also took some awesome trips and had some BIG laughs. Lots of tears of sadness...but even more tears of JOY. Overall, no complaints 2014. No complaints.
BRING ON 2015 (AND HOPEFULLY MY NCA JACKET!! ) TIME TO GET TO WORK YOU GUYS.
Woo woo woo! Our first two-day competition is in the books! This weekend we were in Kansas City for America's Best Nationals. Fame had a pretty deep division, up agains 6 other Junior level 3. Teams. I'm writing this retroactively so I don't really remember all of the good juicy details, but I can tell you they won first place again!
After the first day they had .25 in deductions, but the high score of ALL of the level 3 teams. They were even beating Flawless, our SENIOR level 3 team (they had a legality issue, but still). Zonko and I were very proud of them.
Day 2 they had some issues. There was a pyramid stunt that went wrong and they had to fight to keep it in the air. Zonko and I thought it was going to be a TON of deductions, but we were actually able to argue a lot of them down! Instead of 1.25 in deductions they only had .75! We were pretty pleased with that. We didn't think they were going to win with that many issues, but they still came out on top. They didn't end up winning Grand Champions, but we think they were probably 2nd or 3rd in line for the award!
We definitely have some work to do to get ready for the big out of town nationals, but Fame has some great momentum right now. Also our National Champion Jackets are sparkly : )
