smashmp

I'll admit, I rarely slept more than 4 hours a night, but I met so many great people that I actually still keep in touch with 2 years later. Grad school flew by for me. Got my Master's in Public Relations and Advertising from DePaul. I wish I'd chosen another school; I played it safe but I loved it anyway. Don't be afraid to go somewhere new. That's my one regret.

WOOT! Congratulations! I remember freaking the hell out for months before I took the GRE. Grad school is awesome! You're awesome!

Lol, I shouldn't have made such a sweeping generalization about tanks, you're not all bad! I run into some pretty awful DPS...I mean awwwwwful. I'm almost ashamed of playing my hunters because they're so generally loathed for being trigger/bow/unecessary pet aggro-happy. I'll add you and keep you posted on my healer!

This is my Bailey, aka Miniyote because she legit looks like a chihuahua crossed with a coyote. Rescued her about 2 years ago from a local humane society that brought her up from a high-kill shelter somewhere in Missouri. She likes to watch me lift...she'll sit on the bench and watch me go up and down as I do my deadlifts. She's also an expert-level cuddler.

Precisely why I'm like "eh, I'll stick with what I know I'm good at," but it just gets boring at that point. As for LFR, that actually sounds like a good strategy. If nothing else, I've got a select few friends that might be up for a few runs; it's good to know at least one tank that isn't a raging jerk.

Currently taking a break from A Song of Ice and Fire (I've just barely started A Dance with Dragons). Last week, I went to a secondhand bookshop and found a book of tales by H.P. Lovecraft. I've never been much into horror, but I love Lovecraft's writing style. Plus, it's easing my mental burnout of trying to keep up with my pals in Westeros.

Awesome, I'll scour some pages today. As for point #2, yeah, I know I really can't gauge how it'll go 'til I jump in. It's a performance anxiety issue. Who knew a game could be as stressful as real life

Here's a question for everyone: how does one get into heals? I've always stuck with DPS - honestly, because it's safe - but more and more, I'd like to venture into healing. I know I can't avoid total n00bness, but I was wondering if any of you have tips for getting into heals after nearly a decade of DPS.

This. I kinda messed myself up this morning on my commute because a train buddy gifted me some buckeye truffles (basically peanut butter, chocolate and a ton of confectioner's sugar). Six truffles later, my rest day has become an "oh-shit-I-need-to-eat-nothing-else-but-a-salad-the-rest-of-the-day" day. That said, I know one day won't unravel everything. but I'd feel better about it had I not just roadtripped to and from St. Louis this past weekend for a Blackhawks game/Mardi Gras bar crawl.

That's awesome your wife's gotten into NF! It really helped me get into gear. NF is almost like therapy: no one's accountable for you but you. I'm similar in that I don't do well with anti-motivation. It took time to really find out what I enjoyed fitness-wise. I realized I hated running, but I believed for so long that it was the only way to get into shape. I was told not to get into weightlifting because - as many women hear - I'd "get bulky." Lifting makes me happy. I cannot explain the literal happiness. I have no doubt, especially with the help of NF, that she'll find her fit. Also, get her into the Rebellion!

^This. I'm in a similar boat with my husband (he's 31). Naturally, he's my lifting buddy and he was on one hell of a roll last summer when we were kicking ass with our workouts. Then his mom was diagnosed - suddenly - with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and his own health went out the window. Since she passed away around Thanksgiving, he' packed on the weight he'd lost, nearly 40 lbs of additional weight and doesn't seem motivated at all to go to his respawn point. Long story short, I've been trying to encourage him to do the workouts we used to pump out last year, but he makes excuses why he doesn't want to deadlift/squat/warm up. It really is up to the individual. Where he struggles with motivating himself to work out, he has been slowly coming back around to eating healthier because he knows he feels much better when we cook at home. Oddly, making a game out of dinner has worked really well. He's a WoW-head, so I treat dinner like a quest. He has to gather reagents in-game, so the dinner reagents include 1/1 protein (meat usually), 2/2 green items per plate (asparagus, and he's found a love for red/orange bell peppers) and a bonus carb if it's a workout day (sweet potato, caramelized onions, etc.). My husband loves cooking, so my "trick" is getting him to modify a favorite recipe of ours. For instance, he loves chicken cooked in butter (who doesn't?), but last night, he made a foil packet of chicken in the oven using coconut oil and lost his mind over how much better it tasted than with butter. One thing at a time. Make it fun!

I'm still trying to figure out whether I like WoD or not. I've been mostly fiddling around with my garrison; haven't run any raids/dungeons yet. Really, I haven't experienced much more than quest lines dedicated to building up my garrison. To be continued...

I got a Fitbit Flex a little over a year ago. I love and hate it. I really like that it tracks my sleep. In fact, I wear it more often to bed than I do when I'm awake/active. I found that it was wildly inaccurate when it came to tracking activity, especially when working out. If it gets jostled, it counts steps. However, I do highly recommend it if you work a desk job, as I do. I set an alarm to go off every 30 minutes throughout my work day to get myself up from my chair to take a walk around the office. What's great about the alarm on the Flex is that it simply vibrates on your wrist, so no one else around me is disturbed every half hour.

Grimh Lvl 90 Destruction Warlock Blackwing Lair Got a few Alliance alts and a lvl 90 survival hunter Horde main as well. Still getting a feel for Warlords of Draenor.

I started 2015 with a goal of deadlifting 185 lb, specifically because that's what I weighed - I'm only 5'4" - a little less than a year ago. Since April of 2014, my body weight has come down to around 165 lb and I've been stuck at 165 lb for my deadlifts for a few months, largely due to some pesky karate-related injuries to my joints. Anyway, I hit my 185 lb deadlift goal only 2 weeks into 2015! I was pumped. I told myself I needed a new goal, so I started adding a little more on until I hit 195 lb this week! That 200 lb mark doesn't seem so impossible anymore!

Lift day yesterday: - Squats: 5 sets of 5 @ 125lb - Deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 @ 135lb - Overhead press: 5 sets of 5, Olympic bar only

Minor update: Got a .5 mi in during my lunch dodging all the holiday shoppers. Not much, but progress is progress.

Main Quest: To lose 25 lbs and become stronger for karate. SMART Quests: Eat lunch at my desk each workday and use my actual lunchtime to take a walk outside, even during our cruel Chicago winters. Improve my kata speed and balance. MOAR SQUATS! Plan dinners at home at least 24 hours ahead of time so I'm not looking at a pathetically empty pantry and resign myself to a fast food dinner that I will regret whilst eating. Life Quest: Become less introverted, save more money and travel more. Motivation: Since May of 2014, I've started learning that I can indeed change who I am as long as I'm doing it for myself, because - as I have never believed in the past - I am worth it.

We've got an old (I mean OLD) family friend who still makes fudge for my grandmother to give to me every single year. I'm not sure how that woman does it, but she makes it by the truckload. Also, Advent calendars...anything chocolate really. And almond cookies doused in powdered sugar. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oss! Just wanted to drop in and introduce myself to my fellow monks. I'm a Shotokan karateka, anxiously awaiting to find out if I passed my test last weekend that will move me from orange to yellow. I'm also in love with deadlifts. Actually, lifting in general. Looking forward to getting to know you all and actually participating in the next challenge...if I ever figure out how to start it. Strength: My reverse punches are brutally powerful. Weakness: My side-snap kicks are pitiful, although I have a decent side-thrust and roundhouse kick. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the invite, I think I'll take you up on it! I do plan to do some challenges, I'm having a hard time figuring them out...but yea, I do plan on some challenges! Would love you connect with other martial artists as well.

I tested for my yellow belt last weekend. I think I did fairly well. Still a long way to go!