When One Door Closes...

I couldn't be happier that the weather is finally cooling down! I've had enough sweltering days in my apartment this summer to last me a while. It feels so nice to walk out of the gym in the morning to this:

Just gorgeous.

Skies like these remind me that fall is just around the corner. And even though I cannot make the most of seasonal items--pumpkin beer anyone??--that doesn't mean that I can't at least be festive. Charlottesville is the perfect place to be at the turn of the seasons--there are so many orchards, vineyards, and local breweries around that I rarely get bored. Granted, with my competition less than 12 weeks away, I can't actually indulge in any alcohol or eat any apples that I pick, but I can still go with friends/family. And that's all that matters.

Sissy & I went apple picking last year.

That reminds me, I really need to kidnap my sister and bring her up here soon... Although, I highly doubt she'll mind!

Around the Apartment

In light of the changing seasons (okay, I know fall is actually several weeks away), I went on a bit of a cleaning spree this morning. Or what I like to call Transitional Tuesday. I am still dying to change these pesky crimson walls--light, light green, please magically show up on my walls!! But I'm still going to wait a few weeks. In the meantime, I went through my closet, packing up all the super summery items and changed my comforter. I even made a small pile of things to consign and things to go to GoodWill or the SPCA Rummage.

Before:

Messy, messy closet!

Blah desk.

Cute comforter, but summery.

Um, LOVE my sea animal throw!

After:

Phew, printer is GONE!

Much better!

Darker = better (for now).

Love.

Okay, so I will admit that those first pictures of my closet and desk were from right after I moved in here. I hadn't quite unpacked all the way, and I did change a little bit since then. But I feel SO much more organized right now! First of all, I really wanted to get that bulky printer off of my desk. I've actually been meaning to get a new desk, but that will have to wait. I didn't have much desktop left between the printer and my computer. Now it feels much more spacious (and did I mention I can't stand a cramped workspace?)! True fact: that printer didn't even have ink in it anymore...and I don't really have much to print since I'm no longer a student.

As for my bed, my mom bought me this new comforter a while back, right after I got the white and red one. I may have whined a bit because I literally had just bought the white/red one from Target a week earlier when I visited her, and when we went back with my sister, there were all these new cuter ones! I was sort of bummed because I had already put the white/red one on my bed, so I couldn't return it. And to top it off, since my sister needed stuff for her college apartment, my mom bought one for her...and surprised me with this one as well. Thank you mom, you're the best! And it's a little hard to tell, but it goes really well with the flower pictures above it!

The closet...oh geez, that took me pretty much all morning to go through! First, I pulled all the summery shirts and shorts. I do have a lot of things I will deem "transitional" so a good amount stayed. Then I pulled things that I have not worn/will not wear in a while. About half are going to consignment (they are hung on the left and in the 2 Loft bags in the picture), and half went into my apartment's communal GoodWill box. While I was at it, I took out my sweaters and coats(?!) from one of the blue tubs and organized all 4 of those bad boys--the tubs...I own more than 4 coats/sweaters. I think overall, it took me about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Does this count as cardio?? Um, no...

Around the Weight Room

It's official, I'm back in prep. I sort of saw it coming, but I was also thrown a bit off guard. The last I had talked to Pleasants, we talked about getting back in prep 8 weeks out. But I gained a bit more than I wanted, and I felt like I would probably need 10 weeks. Well, I finally met with him on Sunday, and I got thrown headfirst into Prep Round 2. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but pretty much he was like, "Tomorrow you are going to crash carbs. No carbs all week." And he continued to tweak macros for the following week--lower numbers. I may be grouchier this time around. Also, somehow my protein intake was overestimated last go-round--as in I was probably eating twice as much chicken as I needed to some days. Yeah, 8oz chicken does not equate to 22g protein...but yet I managed to lean out, to a point.

Today is Day 2 of my carb-less week, and I'm not feeling terrible yet. Coffee does wonders. As does proper sleep. I've also worked out a bit on my own this week too--I have to get used to it since Kevin is leaving me soon. Well more like leaving Charlottesville, but same thing. I managed to get through a decently heavy back/bi workout on Sunday, and this morning was legs. I was planning on doing box steps, but decided against it for fear of losing my balance and looking like a fool in front of all the AM regulars at the gym. Next time for sure! Other than that, I feel relatively confident working out alone, thanks to Jamie Eason's plan on BodyBuilding.com. I should rephrase that--I feel relatively confident working out alone in the mornings; in the evenings is a different story. I'm very aware of myself when working out in a crowded gym, and I feel like a lot of the younger guys are probably judgemental. That last part may or may not be true, but I do not want to be the butt of anyone's jokes at the gym when I spend a good chunk of my time there.

On that same note, I went to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law Sunday night (my last night of pseudo nutritional freedom). While we were eating, my brother mentioned that he's going to be getting back into lifting heavier this fall so he will workout with me when he can. He's really big into cycling, but he's lost a good amount of muscle mass from it, so he's looking to gain some back. Thank goodness for family that lives close-by and has similar interests (and goes to the same gym)!

But as far as Prep Round 2 is concerned, I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm excited to see how I progress this time compared to last time! Bring it on, prep gods!

Introductions

Oh, and before I forget, let me introduce you to my new, AMAZING roommate, Mary Kate:

MK & me at her home away from home (away from home).

By far the best roommate I have ever had! Truth: we didn't know each other when we decided to live together, but I think we both agree that we are a great roomie match! It helps that we have a lot of friends/habits/things in common. And she always has the most entertaining stories, haha. In the above picture, we were "celebrating" my last night of nutritional freedom (aka goodbye alcohol, see ya in 12 weeks!) with some good ol' roomie bonding!

Well, still waiting on some hopefully good news, to which I alluded the other day. But until then, have a great week!

Are you getting ready for fall? If so, what have you done so far/do you have any fun festivities in your town??