Tick tock, sweat, switch up the fingers.

You remember the whole exercising thing I'm attempting? It's working out! Pun intended! Yeah! See how my endorphins are affecting my enthusiastic blogging and exclamation point usage?! Yeah!

I've been getting up every morning at 5:45 to get to the gym by 6, where I use the elliptical for about 45 minutes. I haven't attempted the Spin/Yoga class again because it simply isn't offered at the right time for me - I need to be working out by 6am, and it starts at 6:30. Tonight I'm also branching out: I'm taking a zumba dance class! It came highly recommended from you readers, so I'm going to try it!

In related news, I've found it necessary to create a playlist for my elliptical-ing. I'm going to share it below with the note that I prefer revving rock songs to work out to - driving drum beats! And synth is always a plus! In case you'd like to check out any of these sweet workout tracks, I've linked each song to their Amazon mp3. It's also my first ever attempt at creating such a playlist (remember I never really worked out before?), so I assume my playlists will be honed to perfection in the future.

Warmup:

01 Doves - There Goes the Fear (this song is super long at 6:56 so I usually cut it off when I'm done warming up. My favourite warming up songs are what I call "walking" or "marching" songs - like you can picture yourself strutting down the street to it. Another example: The Killers - "All These Things That I've Done." You know, to build up instead of start out straight running. I'm strange.)

Workout:

02 No Doubt - Don't Let Me Down
03 Motion City Soundtrack - Disappear (remember how I said this song is like being chased? That's a great feeling for a workout, right?)
04 The Ting Tings - Great DJ (my current favourite to work out to - so easy to go along to the beat!)
05 Sherwood - Best in Me
06 Damone - Out of My Way
07 Blink 182 - Easy Target (sample lyric: "Better run! run! run! run! run!")
08 Against Me! - Thrash Unreal
09 Motion City Soundtrack - Pulp Fiction
10 +44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating
11 No Doubt - Excuse Me Mr.

Cooldown:

12 Superdrag - Drag Me Closer to You (just mildly slower than the others above!)
13 The Kooks - She Moves in Her Own Way (way slower tempo but I step off the elliptical almost skipping to the locker room.)

What songs do you work out to? All suggestions welcome!

He said I like it with a big wide grin.

I've decided to do another Friday Playlist! It's been an extremely busy week at work (it's the end of our fiscal calendar year), so I haven't had much time to devote to ye olde writing. What I've been enjoying -

Ryan Adams - These Girls
No Doubt - Sunday Morning
Rancid - Dope Sick Girl
The Donnas - Outta My Mind
Kings of Leon - Knocked Up
Damone - Out Here All Night
Regina Spektor - Consequence of Sounds
Metric - Poster of a Girl
Johnny Cash - Get Rhythm
Butch Walker - Going Back/Going Home

It's short but SWEET.

Tonight, though it's pouring rain outside, Erica, Jesse, Perry, Katie, Adam, Jim, Sean and I are heading to the first game at the Mets' new Citi Field - because they're playing THE RED SOX. I bought a red poncho during lunch for the festivities!

BASEBALL RETURNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was a good man and now he's gone.

I've decided to do as my friend Liz does on Fridays, and provide a Friday Playlist. I was walking into work this morning and a series of extremely walkable music came on. You know what I mean? Like, The Killers "All These Things That I've Done" is the quintessential walking song to me, mainly because of its march-like drum beat. Not all of these have that kind of drum beat, but they have the face-up, leg-moving, maybe-you'll-smile flow. As if you've got a Sorkin/Schlamme camera set-up in front of you on a cart. (Okay, that was a mighty dorky reference - kudos if you get it.) I've rounded out the rest of the songs at work - it's Friday! Also, today's my two year anniversary of working in this place. Not too shabby!

Friday Playlist

M. Ward - Requiem (I'm kind of obssessed with this song at the moment)
Brandi Carlisle - The Story
Bright Eyes - Road to Joy
Coconut Records - West Coast
Dandy Warhols - We Used to Be Friends
The Format - Inches and Failing
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Foo Fighters - Hey, Johnny Park!
No Doubt - Excuse Me Mr.
The Gaslight Anthem - Meet Me By the River's Edge
Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
Ray Lamontagne - You Are the Best Thing

What are you listening to today? Anything I should be looking into? Besides Lily Allen & M. Ward's new albums, I haven't gotten into anything new. And you know I'm always on the lookout.

Finally - it's the WEEKEND!

And since Jesse left yesterday for the Midwest, I was writing him an e-mail this morning before work (during my Cheerios!) and little Keanu wanted to say hi, too. We miss him!