Sculpting into Shape

So, in order to get in shape for the Wedding, Rachel started having me go to Core Power Yoga Sculpt class a couple weeks back with her. And let me tell you, it might be the hardest workout I've done. A combination of the non-stop movements, as well with it being around 100 degrees in there, and the big one, I am probably the most out of shape I have been in awhile, it is very very tough. So tough in fact that in one of the classes, I just couldn't take it any more and had to do a "walk of shame" past the rest of the class (mostly women) into the hallway to catch my breath...But I love it! And I am so glad Rachel brought me to it and we go every weekend because it is a great workout and I have not sweat like this in years! Gotta keep it up and get my cardio and heavy-ish lifting back into gear on my own! Thanks Rach!

Song of the Week: About a week or two late, but the blog has had a slow start.

RIP David Bowie. A little tribute to him Beth and I made at work, enjoy.

Serial Podcast Season 1 - Did Adnan Syed commit murder? Or was he set up? This was a very interesting and fact filled podcast about the murder of Hae Lee that took place in Baltimore in early 1999. I highly suggest all those to listen, just listen on your daily commute and you'll be done in no time!

Rachel and I went to see Blue Man Group on Sunday January 17th, 2016. I expected a pretty good show, but ended up loving it! I was blown away by the entertainment piece of it and had a fantastic time! From the blue men catching an absurd amount of gumballs/marshmallows in their mouth, to a dance party as giant balls were released from the ceiling, to crowd interactment, and of course the blue men playing the drums with some paint. Great stuff at the Briar Street Theatre!

On Martin Luther King Day, we had our tasting at Meson Sabika with the families! Get ready for some delicious food and tapas in just under 5 months friends!

Video of the Week: Rachel and I were featured in a commercial for an up and coming Chicago company, ChopBox! Check it out.

Movie of the Week: A tie between two war documentaries - Restrepo / Korengal - Both on Netflix, Restrepo is the first in the two part series.

TV Show of the Week: Making a Murderer. I am about halfway through and don't understand the hype, but maybe the second half of the show gets less repetitive and boring...

The blog will return to a Monday release starting this upcoming Monday! See ya then!

Josh

Bear Down Chicago

Rachel and I spent the end of 2015 enjoying time with friends and started the new year of 2016 by doing just the same! We went over to Brian's in Wrigley and hung out with Adam, Brian, & Megan watching Iowa get dominated in the Rose Bowl game against Standford and also played some cards against humanity. Check out some photos from the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016.

Song of the week: An initial suggestion from Sarah that has lead to a constant playing from Rachel. Biebs is back!

Rachel and I found love for old school arcade games as we spent an evening with my good friend Cam from college playing games at Emporium Bar and Arcade in Wicker Park. We especially enjoyed Michael Jackson's Moonwalker and Q*Bert. Q*Bert was game of the night and we are now professional Q*Bert players as we cracked the top 23 multiple times!

On Sunday January 3rd, Rachel and I had the privilege of attending our first Chicago bears game. Before we even got into the stadium, we found out that NO bags are allowed in. This was bad news since we had Rachel's purse. Luckily Cam was with us, and he was kind enough to take her purse and carry it around the city like a grown man with a satchel. The Bears were taking on the Lions and we had some top notch seats. Rachel was able to snag us two seats in her company's box, after a little drama weeks before. The view from the box was not only stunning, but it was nice and toasty warm in the box as well. As we looked down on the peasants below in the stadium, we watched our Chicago Bears lose a somewhat exciting game in the closing minutes. It was super awesome being in the box, having free food and beer, and being treated like kings. When the dessert cart came by I snagged a little sack of delicious sour gummies. To top off our football game experience, William "The Fridge" Perry was in the box next to us and was recognized at half time for his career with the Bears, including a Super Bowl title in 1985. A great way to experience our first Bears game, similar to the way Rachel experienced her first Hawks game (10th row when I rode the Zamboni)! My only gripe was that since it was cold out, the box windows were closed, and you really couldn't hear the sounds of the game as I would have imagined it. But I would take being warm and comfortable over hearing Jay Cutler speak words. Woo!

After the Bears game we made a stop at the Field museum since it was a free day for Illinois Residents. This was our first time here probably since we were in grade school. Sue was in the building, but did you know they don't even know if Sue is a boy or girl? Dino Facts.

Starting on Monday January 4th and until now, I have not had any alcohol! It's almost been two weeks and Rachel and I are feeling great! Just doing this to boost our goal of getting into great shape for the wedding. We will continue to drink, just hoping to knock down the frequency and maintain our beach bod figures, once we get them...

In November last year, I had an amazing opportunity to film the first ever blind hockey event in the Midwest. After the holidays and going through over an hour of footage with multiple edits, I finished the video which was presented to the board of USA Hockey with hopes of Blind Hockey being adopted as a discipline within the USA Hockey's Disabled Section!

Beth's Blog is back in action this year! Be sure to hit up for a weekly post!
Her latest blog post revolves around being the book worm she has always been and her reading goals for the year.

Movie of the Week: The Imposter, insane and crazy documentary about a missing child who is found years later. Watch on Netflix.

TV Show of the Week: Narcos. The story of Pablo Escobar and the rise of Cocaine in the 1980s. Can't wait for season 2!

This blog was a bit late, so another blog will be coming in the next day or two!

Josh

The Best of 2015

2015 was another fantastic year of life! Although my last blog was on June 9th, I had blogged for a year and a half, eventually going on a little bit of a hiatus. Good news my people, The Blog is back in 2016! It will read a little different than last years, but I hope you enjoy it just as much.

In 2015, Rachel and Josh attended amazing concerts, went on a handful of vacations, witnessed friends get married (Adam & Brandy / Gio & Kelly), coached a bunch of lacrosse, watched a lot of TV, helped a lot of people move homes, enjoyed fantastic times with friends and families, and continued to plan their 2016 wedding. Now here are a handful of "best" lists, events, and things that happened in my 2015 life!

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Best Music Album: Cosmetics - Diamond Rugs

Best 10 Songs: All songs released in 2015, put in order of bestness

Best YouTube Video: Also was a top 10 song, based on my life and bringing Rachel and I great joys. Also leading to other great Lil Dicky videos and songs. Check him out!

Best TV Shows: Bloodline / Master of None / Better Call Saul / Mr. Robot - I suggest everyone watches these 4 new TV shows that are currently only one season long. Added two bonus shows, The Killing / The walking Dead, that I also watched this year and really enjoyed.

Best Jcubed Video: The only one that was filmed in 2015 and included all 3 members of Jcubed.

Best Jcubed Video Honorable mention: Road to Rado (watch the series), filmed in 2014.

Best Lacrosse Video: A tie between a HS rivalry game from 2015 and a gopro video filmed in 2014!

Best original movie: Found this 2014 gem this year and it helped me rediscover my love for old video games which led to me playing them way too much and even watching people play them.

Best Movie: 007: Spectre? Didn't see too many movies that came out this year, can probably count them on one hand.

Best Moment: John McCauley at City Winery on August 11th, 2015. John McCauley at city Winery! Amazing! Vanessa Carlton makes appearance. After the show, we had a chance to meet the man himself. I am wearing my red LSD Tick shirt and John smiles at me as I approach him. He points to my shirt and goes, you know what that is? I said yup, LSD. After that we just ask him to sign our poster and for a picture with him. I think I told him like 10 times how it was such a great show. When we met him for a second time awkwardly later, I ask him how the new album was coming with Deer Tick and he said they have just been dicking around a lot. I need to have stuff to ask people when I meet them. I had so many ideas before and after, just nervous I guess. But he was super chill and a humble guy. Really nice and he is only 29. 

Best Sports Moment: Blackhawks win their third Stanley Cup in 6 years on Monday June 15. After watching the boys bring us the cup at Rachel and Josh's apartment, the gang below heads to Wrigley after the big win, but get turned around by the police and end up bar hopping our way back to the Wiener Circle.

Best books I read in 2015:

Leading with the Heart (book) by Coach K and Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy.

Best Concerts: By far the greatest year of concerts as a whole, even though Deer Tick didn't play in 2015.

Diamond Rugs x2, New Madrid x2, Justin Collins, Dawes, Delta Buds, Delta Spirit, T. Hardy Morris, Lucky Boys Confusion, Samantha Crain, John McCauley, Lady Lamb, Tallest Man on Earth x2, Vanessa Carlton

Best Vacation: Bahamas and Smoky Mountains

Fri Oct 9 - Head out for the Smoky Mountains / 11 mile hike over 5 1/2 hours in rain / Charlie's Bunyon & The jump off, fog rolled in / Newton's bald and clingman's dome / Stop at Buffalo Trace Distillery on way home

Other Notable Events in 2015 while the Blog was away

Sat June 13 - Brew to be wild that night. Hawks win!

Wed June 17 - Go out on boat with Scott,  navy pier fireworks

Thu June 18 - Hawks Rally, Rachel and I meet up with Beth and Emily

Wed July 1 - Go to Jazzing at the Shed with Rachel and her parents. See fish, big otters, a beluga whale's penis, which was the size of a penguin. Beautiful evening view of the skyline with some jazz music playing.

Sat July 18 - Hit up the farmers market across from Old Town. We walk through Rachel's old apartment and see it being renovated. We struggle to travel about with the L being closed at parts. We make it to Yoga class with Torie and Nikki just in time. My first yoga class hooray.

Fri Aug 7 - I find out I got the NV Head Varsity Job.

Sat Aug 8 - Agreed with Torie the night before to run 16 miles with her. So I wake up at 7:30a and meet up with her and end up running 15 miles. A new personal record, thought I was gonna die. We head to a family party for Rachel's extended family. I hit a bunny with my car on the way home, first road kill.

Fri Sept 11 - White sox game with Emma and Anna, Beth, Aunt Jan and Uncle Gary, Rachel and friends meet us there a few innings in. I miss a t shirt thrown right at me. Fireworks after the game!

Sun Sept 13 - Our engagement photos in Lincoln park!

Nov 2 - Buy tickets to iceland

Nov 15 - Auntie Wanda's 90th Birthday Party, go out in city with NC cousins, up until 330. Hit up Franks bar for first time.

Dec 13 - Watch 5 Harry potter movies in a day.

Dec 20 - Christkindl Market

Goals for 2016

1. Let things that do not matter go, we can't worry about every little issue that we come across.

2. Have a workout plan, stick to it, and get in shape for the wedding/honeymoon!

3. Put together a food plan in order to eat healthy, save money, and stay lean!

4. Learn how to play some general chords on guitar and perhaps be able to sing a song with it.

5. Maintain friendships and spend more time with those friends

6. Listen to more music and attend more concerts

7. Learn some basics of piano/keyboard

8. Edit more videos and film more videos (jcubed / lacrosse / music)

9. Try something new or stop doing something old each month - starting with no alcohol for January!

10. Return of the Blog on a weekly basis

I am very excited for what should be the best year of my life! Marriage, trips to Hawaii and Iceland, varsity coaching career, and more to come!

Josh