Do you Tip on Take Out?

I've always struggled with tipping. Do I intentionally tip high to make a statement that 'all black people don't suck at tipping'? Do I tip based on service? Do I tip out of pity that the server is making 3 cents an hour? Do I say "fuck tipping... I didn't tell you work here?" Suffice it to say I've been all over the spectrum with tipping.

Last night I was craving pizza, so we decided to grab some Domino's. Now, before you throw stones by way, yes... I'm a Chicagoan that absolutely LOVES Domino's pizza. They updates they did to the crust is just amazeballs. So, instead of using my trusty Domino's App that never fails me, I got the bright idea to order online using my laptop. Large, original crust with pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers! Done and done.

I head out of the house to pick it up... something I hardly EVER do when ordering pizza... and once I got to the location they were all crickets saying my order never went through. What the? *le sigh* So, I order it again and they assure me they can crank it out within 12 mins.

I grab something to drink and go wait in my car... fast forward 12 mins later and the quickness with which those Domino's employees not only made my order, but flew out of the store with multiple orders to deliver... and all with SMILES plastered on their faces. I was blown away.

I left a tip on a carry out order... which I almost NEVER do. Seeing the level of service and work that goes into putting everything together... well, yes... it's deserving of a tip too. It might not be what you'd tip for dine in service, but seriously... TIP!!!

Working Out to Relieve Stress

As I sit here typing this post, my left eye is currently alternating between a throb and a twitch... the stress is alive, y'all... but tonight I did my best to stick to my workout schedule and make some time to hit the gym. It's hard to convey how badly I wanted to avoid this workout... but I dug down deep inside my inner being and thought about the cookies I ate earlier lol... I wish I was joking, but sometimes the only thing motivating you to hit the gym is the knowledge that you lost your mind on a particular meal that day lol. What can I say - - I'm not match for pms cravings. 

On another note, buying my heart rate monitor was one of the best purchases I ever made and seriously changed the way I workout. It's awesome to see actual data from my workouts and no longer have to guess how much I burned. One of the added bonuses is that most treadmills are Polar compatible, so I can see my stats live on the machine while I workout! Score.

Time to curl up in the bed... stand on my tip toes reaching for some ZZzzzZZZzzz's before my AM workout with my trainer.

Words of Wisdom: Don't let Stress Get you Got! It's real in these streets.

When in doubt, hike it out...

Yeah, the title of this post is a tad bit corny lol... but I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of hiking! For the past  2 weekends we have made it a priority to get on a trail and explore our new city. This weekend we went to Discovery Park and enjoyed a 2 hour hike. Can I also say I was able to burn over 500 calories, ummm yes please!

Friday Night Sweat Session + ANTM

Whenever I think of "2 a days" my mind races back to thoughts of high school football. Mildly athletic teens being forced to hit the gym morning and night, all in an effort to "win state" lol. Last night I needed to clear my head, so despite having already worked out with my trainer at 5am that morning, I hit the gym again for a cardio session.

The TV in my apartment gym only tunes into one channel - - the CW. Thus, I was forced to check out the season 20 premiere of America's Next Top Model. I haven't really watched this show since maybe season 5, but honestly... after Eva, Yaya, and Toccara season 3 I was cool on the rest. Anyways, this is a show that I can watch on mute... and ironically it's about models, so in theory they should be able to paint an effective story without the volume turned up lol.

I can't say that I've been successfully sucked into watching this entire season, but I might make it a Friday night ritual to clear my head with cardio instead of happy hour drinks.

Learning to be Present

Since moving to Seattle in June, I've quickly come to realize that I lack the ability to be truly present in the moment. I am working through all of this in real time so depending on the day my outlook can vary, but in short I think I'm a slight OCD planner... always focused on what's coming next and never truly enjoying the present.

Thinking back on the last few years, everything I've done has been working towards some larger goal, far off date, just something that had nothing to do with the current moment.

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step... so consider this blog step 1. My goal is to try and take each day as it comes, still keeping my long term goals... but relaxing and setting short term goals. And by short term I mean like daily goals lol... and simple ones -  - don't stress, make time for exercise, don't vocalize every negative thing about life, say 1-3 positive things... Yes, it's a bit basic, but I've been described by multiple people as "the most emotional person they know" ... so yeah, I'm starting slow.

Hiking Cougar Mountain in Issaquah

In an effort to try and fall in like with Seattle, last weekend we stepped outside of our city slicker box and went hiking at Cougar Mountain! Located in Issaquah, WA (about 30 mins outside of Seattle), Cougar Mountain provides scenic views and a variety of trails for all levels. Even though we are beginners, we decided to attack the mountain at its highest point - - Anti-Aircraft Trailhead Peak.

It took us about 2 hours to navigate our way around the El Shangri-La trail, and I wore my heart rate monitor to see how many calories I could burn. It was a breeze starting out our hike going downhill, but I was in for quite a surprise once we rounded that corner and started going back up! Wowzers...  In total I burned about 556 and my bf was able to burn about 700 calories!  Not too shabby for a Saturday morning workout.

Aside from the obvious perks of burning calories, I must admit that getting out of the house and experiencing some of what Seattle has to offer did in fact help me start to break out of my funk. I haven't blogged about it much, but my overall transition into Seattle life hasn't been the easiest. I've been told it seems like I'm in a perpetual state of sulking lol... so yeah, the hike was nice. Seattle is a very outdoorsy place, so I'm quickly realizing that I'll need to find my inner granola in order to fully appreciate it.

One of my favorite images from hiking.

It's kind of funny because I joked with friends earlier this year that I wanted to "transform" myself this spring/summer into some boho city girl. Well, little did I know that would be so quickly put to the test. I was envisioning drinking chai lattes while incorporating a flowy skirt or two into my wardrobe lol. Ha! Fast forward to today and Seattle is providing a strong sense of boho... and I guess it's time for me to offer up my part of the deal. We shall see how this goes.

Oh yeah, this is my first official post for #31WriteNow lol.