Sunday, June 12, 2011

CTULIIT

This is a public beach on Long Island. There's a reason why it's famous, Long Island Iced Tea. I can't get enough of them, as I'm sure you can't. It's the official drink of this blog (and the blog owner) so you need to know what to make if you find yourself holding the figurative reigns of a bar. Here's the official CTU recipe.

The Curiouser Than Usual Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

1 shot of Vodka (pref. SKYY)
1 shot of Gin (pref. Bombay Saphire)
1 shot of White Rum (pref. Bacardi)
1 shot of Silver Tequila (pref Gran Patron)
1 shot of Triple Sec (Grand Marnier of course)
1 and a half shots of Sweet & Sour Mix
plenty of Coca-Cola (pref. bottled Coke, not that silly on-tap stuff)
8 large ice cubes

Layer the drink into a very tall tumbler and add a stirrer and slice of lemon. Turn on Vampire Weekend's Mansard Roof and enjoy. Ah.

Bali Bound


I watched this just the other day on YouTube Movies for free. It's kind of kitsch, hilarious at times, and has those super-annoying yet somehow comforting parts where everyone bursts out into song. In TechniColor for your enjoyment, check it. Plus, I'm actually going to be in Bali soon, but perhaps on more of a flightpath than a road.

Two By Two


Lenka, the lovely lady who has already made her way into the Curiouser Than Usual blog on a few occasions has just released a new album. It's entitled Two and you need to download it off iTunes right now. I'm currently working on my laptop in my bedroom and listening to it and it's perfect. Well, I thought I'd take a break just to tell you about it. Seriously good. Have a wonderful long weekend in Australia, thanks to the ageing queen. And Lenka.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Pretend Polaroid Preppiness


I was on a blog search the other day, and now I can't for the life of me remember which blog it was. But the person uploaded various polaroid-esque images of their preppy adventures and I've got one here for you. Go and make yourself a long island iced tea and sip it in front of the heater and pretend it's summer and you're in this picture being too preppy for your own good. Cheers.

In My Jeans


I walked casually past a chemist store the other day and saw in the window Tommy Hilfiger's fragrances. Amongst them was Tommy Jeans for men. I'd never smelled it before, so I popped in, had a whiff, and bought it. Little did I know at the time that it would only cost me $29 for a 50ml bottle and a mini 7ml bottle to boot. And in the few days I've worn it I get comments every day. I suggest to go and get some yourself. Get on it.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Attn: Curiouser Than Usual Book Club Members



All you Curiouser Than Usual Book Club members (CTUBC) we're having another meet. We were going to read 1985 - George Orwell but I couldn't be motivated enough. So I'm searching for a slightly more engaging novel for all, one that we'll all enjoy reading. One that captures our imaginations in this hideously bland winter we're having. So, suggest away. If any friends think of anything I'll post them here too. Meeting adjourned.

Finishing First



The guy in this clip is Andre Pereira from Melbourne who has made Freerunning his way of life, almost as much as he has fitness. He has his own personal training business and designs an easy to follow work out specifically for you and you goals. He's also happy for you to call him for motivation, support and advice (when you're a client of his of course, not just in general). An all round great guy. So I am now a client and he's made a program that I'm going to work into my own workout schedule. It's going to be amazing. I've printed out each workout and I start tomorrow. Wish me luck. I'll be flipping head-over-heels in no time. Surely.

Find out more about his personal training programs and other information on his facebook page for Finish First Personal Training. Google it.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Resemblance



I was watching 'Murder, She Wrote' just the other day (as you do) and at one point during the episode Jessica Fletcher gets all tarted up to get some information she needs (as you do) and then solves the crime. It was at this point that I saw a remarkable resemblance between Angela Lansbury 1980s makeup job and Heath Ledger's creepy face in The Dark Knight. It was curioser than usual, that's for sure. Knew I had to share. Sweet dreams.

Jumpstart

These Kids Wear Crowns have just released their new single on iTunes. I downloaded it, Now I can't stop listening to it on repeat and rocking out to it in my Peter Alexander pajamas in the lounge room. Seriously. Check the video out. It's a bit lame, but the song is great.

Raw Fail

As aforementioned, I decided to try going "raw" by eating only non-processed whole foods, like non-cooked fruit and vegetables. Well, that did not happen. I instantly felt cravings for foods I don't even normally eat. Like Nutella. All of a sudden I am eating a box of Savoy biscuits slathered in Nutella like a pregnant woman with midnight cravings. Ugh.

I did however eat enormous amounts of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as fruit and/or vegetable juices. I did become more 'regular' in regards to toilet stops, and I do actually feel better. The cravings for ridiculously bad foods stopped towards the end of the week. The hardest thing to give up though is actually bread.

You don't realise how much bread you consume in a day. It's outrageous. But I'm going to cut that right out this coming week.

I think I've learnt that you can't just 'go raw'. You need to adapt slowly or else you'll just fail in the most spectacular way. Like I did. Just make small adjustments. Bring 6 or 7 pieces of fruit and vegetables and salads to work for snacks, allow yourself to eat a few bits and pieces of 'bad food' (e.g. bread) when you feel like it, but only a small piece. Then your cravings will slip away. Okay, here goes the next week of healthy eating.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

What Would You Take?





If your house was burning to the ground, right now, what would you save? Photo albums? Your pet dog? A rare collection of antique babushka dolls? Well, I've found an amazing blog called The Burning House and it's basically a site where people from all over the world, just like your lovely selves, collect together the things they would save if their house was to burn down, photograph them, and upload them. Such a simple yet fascinating blog. Check it out at http://theburninghouse.com/

Going All Raw On You

I am not a fat person. In fact, I'd be considered rather trim. But when I started gym about seven months ago I really thought these amazing abs would just bulge out from my stomach and pectoral muscles would soon prevent me from seeing my feet. No such luck.

Don't get me wrong, gym has helped me enormously. I sleep better, feel better, and look better. I went from 69kg to 76kg in just a few months and have kept it there. People see me and ask whether I work out. It's like a commercial for protein powder, or seedy pickup lines. The problem lies, not with my muscle growth rate but with the fat I'm still carrying.

As a male I tend to carry just a little bit of fat around my gut which can shrink and expand with just a pint of beer. So, what I need to do before Bali, is cut out processed rubbish and ALL fastfoods. I have done this to a degree, cutting out McDonald's and the like from my diet. I eat far more vegetables, and although I'm not vegetarian I have cut out a lot of meat. But It's simply not enough. So, in order to get fantastic abs and popping pecs I'm going to try a raw diet.

Now, before anyone decides to tell me I'm going to die of B12 deprivation, calm down, I'm getting some supplements.

But, why raw? Well think about it. Raw food is still alive. An uncooked seed can be planted and grow into another plant. It's life energy still exists within it. Yet, a cooked seed won't grow. I want more energy, and to be more in tune with nature. A raw diet will do this. The benefit of a raw diet are extensive, and certainly weight loss is not the main attraction. You also have more energy and no longer need stimulants to feel good. You have better sleep and rarely feel groggy or tired in the morning. Your skin regenerates faster and acne or blemishes decrease or disappear. Your bowel movements (however gross this is) become more regular and you thus rid yourself of more toxins than you normally would. The list goes on. If you're finding this interesting then type in "raw diet benefits" into google and check out all of the benefits. They're very encouraging.

So, in short, I'm going to go raw. Wish me luck. I'll let you know How I feel and any changes I experience. So long.