It does exist

I don't know what it is about public restrooms...they are just horrible. If I'm being honest, they're despicable! I try to stay away as much as possible. However, I found an exception to the rule. Just last week Manda Bear and I were at Rumbi at the Gateway(fabulous Hawaiian cuisine, I do recommend) and I felt so inclined to use the restroom.

*side note* I drink A LOT of water throughout the day.

Anyway...The restroom inside of this particular Rumbi was phenomenal! It smelled Oh-So-Good and not only were there palm trees on the walls, a very sweet candle burning but I was serenaded by the sweets sounds of the tropics...! Even though my visit was very brief I was so impressed, I decided to snap up a picture! Forgive my out-of-date camera phone for the poor quality.

I just felt like running...

**Preface: This post features pictures for the sole purpose of showing how exercise and diet can change a person's body...they just happen to be of me.**

...It is an ordinary Saturday night in the summer of 2004. A young man sits, anxiously yet patiently waiting. He has just popped in a DVD and opened the first of many carbonated beverages. "Where is it?" he thought. Though he's slow to anger he starts to get a tad perturbed. Just then he sees his new friend pull into the driveway. Un-paralleled excitement fills the air as he goes to open the door. "Hey, how are ya? Here ya go...it'll be $22.05." "Thanks man...keep the change!" The young man's night was now set...he had his "Matty Special" (2 pizzas) and he was now able to enjoy his night...

The above story is a very simple example of many, many, many nights in my life. I used to eat an enormous amount of food and didn't much care for exercise. Sure, I would play an occasional game of basketball but did not have any discipline in my life. This lifestyle stuck with me for years. I never thought anything of it and then one day...I got completely winded going up a single flight of stairs. I remember the feeling all too well. I tipped the scales at an all time high...311 Lbs. I knew I had to make a change for my own health. Here's a quick glimpse of the "before" Matty...

I thought about joining the local Rec Center b/c it was really close to my house and a tad cheaper than a real Gym but after a little research I knew that Lifestyles Fitness (now Gold's Gym) was the place for me. When I first started going to the gym, I didn't know much at all about fitness or how to properly use the equipment. I would sort of wander and try things out but got a lot of my knowledge just by watching others and how they did things. I gradually got into a groove and found what worked for me. I changed my diet and no longer let myself eat 5 pizzas a week and cut things like: soda, ice cream, white bread, cookies, candy and any other crappy food out of my diet. To this day...over 4 years later...I haven't had a soda, and I'm very proud of it. I found a new lifestyle and something that I genuinely loved and something that I was good at. The stairmaster turned into a literal fat-burning machine and no joke, I would go to the gym and would weigh 7-8 lbs less than I did the day before...it was working and I was hooked! I ended up losing 119 lbs in 6 months. I don't know if this is typical because I was very extreme with my fitness but I know that if my lazy butt can do it, so can you! After my weight loss I was a little too light. The next picture is the "in between Matty," when I was a little too skinny...

I went down to 192 lbs and my body wasn't happy...I became susceptible to illness and got mononucleosis and my body forced me to take a break. After a few weeks, when I was healthy, I went back into the gym and thought..."I need to start lifting and put on some muscle." I educated myself and used anything I could for motivation. It's so easy to just NOT GO but it was so important to stick with it. I'm not gonna lie, putting on muscle mass is not as easy as losing fat but it's equally as rewarding. Thanks to the many locations and convenient hours ;) I lifted A LOT and gradually saw changes in my body. It's so addicting because you start feeling so good and looking so good and I never wanted to leave the gym! Dang you fatigue! The next picture was about 9 months after the last...

Again, this post has two purposes in my mind...(1) exercise and health is vital in a person's life and (B) having a wonderful place to go to (Gold's Gym) where you can feel motivated and dedicated is equally important. I tried the whole working out at home thing but found that it didn't work the way I wanted because it's so easy to cut your workouts short and "cheat."

I never like to boast about my story but felt inclined to share a little bit in the event that someone out there may be motivated by it. If I can change my lifestyle and change my life then ANYBODY can! That's not just a cheesy/overused line....it's true! Whether you have 10 or 100 lbs to lose, find your motivation and you can do it!

Do Me a Personal Favor...

I found an extraordinary version of Coldplay's "Yellow" and it is amazing! It's only Chris Martin and a piano. Seriously, do me a favor...un-mute your computer or turn up your volume b/c this song starts up right away. Listen to the whole thing, it may change your life...it's that good!

S.M.I to the L.E.Y.

In 2nd grade, I was given a wonderful nickname, and at the time...I hated it! It lived with me til about 8th grade. The kids would say..."Hey Smiley, come play four square..." or something like that. At the time I didn't know why they gave me such a radical name. It's due to the fact that I NEVER STOPPED SMILING! Seriously...I was either hatching a scheme, daring someone to do something, laughing at a joke (probably my own) or just sitting there. But life was good and I liked to smile. I try my hardest to keep this outlook on life and just smile/laugh as much as I can.

A very wise person once said..."I really believe laughing is the cure to a happier, healthier, more laid back life. There are a lot of instances that could easily be annoying or frustrating, but allowing yourself to laugh about it eases up so much tension and unneeded drama. Don't you just love laughing? It's one of the best feelings in the world."

Anything can make us smile. If we stop taking ourselves so seriously and realize that we are all just big kids then I think life would be a lot nicer.

The funny thing is...I originally started this post because I found a YouTube video that makes me laugh so hard every time I watch it. And that has provided me with a great platform to promote smiling!

But let me set up this clip...Do you remember Jean Claude Van Damme? He was a hot-shot karate man back in the 80's/early 90's and (now looking back) made funny movies. This scene is basically just him being drunk in a bar and then he starts dancing (I love to random dance and have already incorporated some of these moves into my routine) and then the "locals" get upset. With ease Jean Claude wipes the floor with all of them! Just give it a chance and allow yourself to laugh!


If that didn't do it for you...and I don't know how it couldn't...Try this...


Gotta love the 'Burbs!

Spread the word!

Ya know...I would love one...

I am the biggest connoisseur of lettuce and lettuce wraps in the continental United States of America. There's a fella in Anchorage that's got me beat but, hey, Alaska ain't continental is it?

Anyway....all this means is...I love lettuce, especially when it's filled with amazingly seasoned, tender chicken. (Is that weird?) Maybe it's the lovely green color. I've heard lettuce described as being water in solid form. I don't know about that, but I'm not one to judge.

I wanted to start the new month off right...so I accepted a co-worker's offer of a free lettuce wrap today. Oh my, it was very satisfying!

Costco - Where babies don't cry...they smile

For the better part of three years, I have been getting gradual pressure to join Costco. After Manda and I were married...the pressure wasn't so light. People would ask..."did you get that at Costco?" We would have no option but to say..."We don't go to Costco." People couldn't believe it. Of course, seeing/hearing the joy it brought to people by simply having a membership tickled our curiosity. Manda was more of a seasoned vet when it came to the bulk-food plaza because her parents love buying cookies and milk there. But, I was indeed a rookie and didn't fully realize what was going on there. Yeah, I tagged along a handful of times throughout my life but was more interested in the free samples than the prices.

My lovely mother must have thought, enough is enough, because she bought us a year membership for Christmas.

It took us over two months to finally cash it in and claim the coveted title of a "Costco Member."

Before taking the plunge I asked some close confidants for some words of advice...

My good friend, Eric Palmer, said the following..."Bro, that place is awesome! It's like my mall! I go there to just walk around and look. But, be careful because you'll want to buy everything because it's such a good price but then you're spending $500!"

Jeffrey, my brother instilled this advice to me..."You're doing the right thing but be very careful. You can spend a lot of $ there. Also, be ready for the bakery. It smells really good but there are a lot of calories back there."

I'm not gonna lie...when we first got there, I was excited. But, I couldn't believe how many people were there. I thought I was at a Jazz game or something. The Entrance/Exit was very crowded. People were all smiling, scurrying around in every direction as if the store was giving out $1000 giftcards.

We made our way in and informed the nice gentleman in Membership Services that we were brand new and needed to sign up. He was also a very friendly individual that made us laugh on several occasions.

We signed all the necessary paperwork, got our pictures taken and were now official.

We were very cognisant of the fact that we should be careful on our first trip and not go overboard. Also, we were going to see a movie shortly after so we couldn't buy any perishable goods. We walked up and found a big box of granola bars. It was a 48 pack. Amanda said..."oooh, lets get these. You love these!" Indeed, I did love the peanut, sweet and salty granola bars but responded with, "lets see if there's a variety pack when we get back to the aisle. (Thinking about a normal grocery store who has random displays up front and then a much bigger selection in the aisle.) Amanda said..."this is the aisle." Right then I knew I had much to learn. Next, we found a big box of gum that was very reasonably priced, so we snatched it!

As we wandered, I couldn't help but notice the smiles, everywhere. It was about this time I heard a baby laughing in the distance. My attention was then caught by the enormous quantities at such great prices. Croutons, popcorn, miracle whip, gatorade, craisins, cereal, oatmeal...then I saw it...

Somewhere in my childhood, I discovered a love of Saltine Crackers. And Costco was offering this big of a box at that low of a price? We had no choice but to buy it.

Next, we decided to just take a stroll through the beds, tv's, kayaks, dressers, tool sheds, bosu balls...just to look...


It was at this time that I saw another baby smiling as she was strolled by. I then made up my mind...Costco is the happiest place on earth. Forget Disneyland! This is also when I coined the phrase..."Costco-where babies don't cry...they smile."

We finished up our trip with a little browsing. Anyone that knows Amanda knows that you can't go anywhere with her without having some fun...

The final humorous event was when we went to the checkout line. We had accumulated a total of 5 items. Granola Bars, Gum, Crackers, Beef Jerky & Trail Mix. We also broke the record for fewest dollars spent on a first trip with, $49.85. The cashier asked us..."Are you going to carry this or would you like a box?" I thought..."box? ummm...where's the bags?" Amanda was polite enough to whisper..."they don't have bags here." :)

Needless to say...we're happy we signed up. Here's to Costco!

14 Things

As an inexperienced contributor to Sanchez Thoughts, I felt it was time to prove that Matty is not the only Sanchez around here doing some thinking. Although, I'll admit, his thoughts are much more entertaining than mine.

Nevertheless, since I've missed the boat a few times (six-month anniversary, birthdays, many other milestones and missed opportunities for sharing what I've learned since getting married) I settled on Valentine's Day to be an appropriate day for such a post. And, as if today couldn't be filled with any more LOVE, it just so happens to be our ninth month to date of utterly blissful marriage.

And so it goes. Here are the 14 things I have learned in nine FABULOUS months being Mrs. Matthew Brian Sanchez:

14. Boys' beard hair clogs the drain just as much as girls' head, arm pit and leg hair does.
13. It doesn't matter if you're 6'5" and abounding with muscle, the ocean is a scary place.
12. Having a workout partner really does help.
11. Waking up to sports radio, coming home to ESPN's Sports Center and falling asleep to more televised sports analysts has helped me understand how a sports junkie becomes a sports guru.
10. Video cameras are our friends.
9. Breakfast in bed every Saturday morning is as wonderful as it sounds.
8. Farting is healthy.
7. People should take every opportunity they can to share with the world how much they love their husband or wife. Blogging is one way to do that.
6. You can make up a dance to anything and give it a cool name, then perform a whole sequence of these dances (in any order) for your spouse, friends, roommates, family... ANYONE, ANYWHERE.
5. Life is too short to spend so much time worrying about little things that have no eternal value.
4. Having someone to finish your meals for you is really not so bad.
3. Movie theaters, Blockbuster and Netflix are like water and toilet paper - necessities.
2. Dashboard concerts make for awesome dates.
1. Finding someone as unique, tall, handsome, committed, funny, goofy, sweet, sympathetic, uplifting, supportive, persevering, strong, genuine, talented, toned, kind, smart and inspiring as my Matty, is insurmountable. He's one of a kind and I'm a lucky girl.

Happy Valentine's Day, babe. I love you.

Random Thoughts

I posted this 25 random things on Facebook today and thought I'd share here too...!

1. I'm writing this because I can no longer stave off all the requests.
2. When I was born, I was 25 inches long...that's more than 2 feet. Think about it...
3. I used to weigh 100 lbs more than I do right now.
4. I love boats but hate the ocean.
5. I'm a sucker for rhinestones and french poetry.
6. I have 6 brothers and 1 sister. and she's the baby.
7. At last count, I have 17 chest hairs...yet my face is covered. How does that happen?
8. Golf is my favorite hobby. I could golf all day and all night if they'd let me.
9. One day I will be on SportsCenter. Probably not as an athlete but in some other capacity...Yes, definitely!
10. I eat a lot of peanut butter. Sandwiches, shakes, dip for my gala apples.
11. Not only can I name the starting lineup for every NBA team, but I am confident that I can name at least 10 players on each team. Strictly from memory.
12. I have never been stumped when it comes to "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon."
13. I have the same phone that I did over 2 years ago. and NO it doesn't have a touch screen. Know what? I'm ok with it.
14. I went through a stretch in my life when all I listened to was Jay-Z. "Never been a playa this good for this long, this hood, or this pop, this hot or this strong" I can pretty much spit with the best of 'em.
15. My favorite Friends episode was that one with Brad Pitt. So funny.
16. When I go to a restaurant, I always order water. Not b/c I'm cheap but b/c I haven't had a soda going on 5 years. Can't let the streak end.
17. I love hustling on the basketball court. Make the people think I'm just another tall, uncoordinated schmo and then do my thing. :)
18. Not only have I interviewed Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan but Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Carmello Anthony and Kobe Bryant.
19. I enjoy arguing/debating for sport. Not the mean kind when people get their feelings hurt but the "friendly" kind. :)
20. I've never been out of the United States. Spain and Italy top the list.
21. I have several "metro" attributes that include: dressing nicely, cooking and interior design.
22. The first time I met my lovely wife, she was sitting on a park bench outside the Huntsman Center.
23. Pizza is my weakness. There's only been one time, on record, when I was offered pizza and refused. I was then ridiculed and called "unmanly" I then had a slice.
24. I will never go skydiving. ever. not my thing and I have no desire.
25. The smell of fresh cut grass is my favorite.

There ya have it! You know me so much better now huh?

Sportin' some thoughts

It's been a minute since I've weighed in on the happenings of the sporting world. There has been a flurry of interesting topics recently and I thought I should give you my take...

This past summer, one man stole the heart of America. He had us all glued to our television sets ( I like to use old school terms like: television sets but that's neither here nor there) and made the Olympics relevant again. He achieved the daunting and nearly impossible task of winning 8 gold medals in a single games. Some of his races were so exciting that I literally jumped and screamed on more than one occasion...fingertips people! He had some calling him, "the greatest athlete of all time." We all loved him. If you say that you didn't...I don't believe you. Michael Phelps etched his name in sports history but after an unfortunate incident, people are quickly forgetting. The following photo was taken of our hero a few weeks ago...
When I first heard about this, I thought..."that sucks" but it didn't really change my opinion of the man. First of all, everyone makes mistakes...it's true...we do. And the guy is 24 years old and was just doing what any "regular" kid would do. Now, I'm not condoning his actions or saying that smoking anything is good, because it's not. but Phelps is getting a completely raw deal. A number of his sponsorship deals have been pulled and people are throwing him to the wolves. We have forgiven athletes for far worse offenses than this. Ray Lewis was accused of murder, Jason Kidd beat his wife, more players than I can count have been arrested for DUI's and cocaine seems to flow like sugar in professional sports. The point is...give the kid a break.

I love the NBA! Basketball is my sport, always has been, always will be. We are currently in a time with some absolutely amazing teams & players! The league is more competitive now than it has been, maybe ever. There has been a recent debate about who is the best player, currently in the league. Of course, 2 names come to everybody's mind....Kobe & LeBron.
Both players have legitimate arguments and you can't go wrong with either. Kobe is considered the ultimate offense player with a repertoire unlike any other. He can take you off the dribble, post-up, step back and nail the 3 and the statement that most people make is: "would you want anybody else taking a game winning shot?" LeBron is quickly becoming the most unstoppable force the game has ever seen. Most people don't realize that he is the size of Karl Malone with the quickness and finesse of Michael Jordan. His jump shot is getting better and better every game and his passing ability is unmatched. I dare say that LeBron is the best passer in the game, all point guards included. This past week, both players made visits to New York City and Madison Square Garden, the "mecca" of basketball. Kobe put up 61 points, 3 assists and 0 rebounds. An amazing offensive explosion and the most points ever scored in the garden. Two days later, LeBron visited NYC and dropped 52 points, dished out 11 assists and had 9 rebounds. It's safe to say that both players are special and will be considered top 5 talents when it's all said and done. If I had my choice....LeBron.

Speaking of basketball...you all know that I am the biggest Jazz fan in the entire world. I love them and have watched 95% of their games over the past 15 years. This was supposed to be our year to make some noise in the playoffs. Then injury caught up with us. D-Will started it all by spraining his ankle in the preseason and the team seemed to be cursed from there. Since, we have missed more than 150 man-games due to injury and haven't had our starting lineup or entire team healthy for a single game. I'm not gonna lie...it's very frustrating. We have so much talent and nobody out there knows it. BUT, there is still hope. We are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and as of right now, Boozer and Kirilenko should be back soon. IF we can be completely healthy come playoff time...watch out.

Question. Why is it that each and every time I hear about baseball, it's about steroids? This is coming from a person that watches a lot of ESPN. This sport is doomed. It seems as if every player, at some point, juiced themselves. I know that's not true but "reports" always seem to pop up about somebody else doping. Mark McGuire, the "savior" of baseball in the late 90's, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and now...Alex Rodriguez. Apparently, he tested positive back in 2003 when he was still with the Texas Rangers. Another question. Why are we just hearing about this now?! Whoever had this knowledge decided to hang on to it for the past 6 years?
It looks like baseball will never get away from steroids. It's a shame too because it's a great sport with an amazing history. But now, the history books will have asterisks (*) all over it from here on out. Maybe they should just make steroids legal so nobody else will have an "advantage" and frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. What I've been saying all along really is getting truer and truer, Ken Griffey Jr. is the best player in baseball history...

Til next time...

I Got the Hottest Chick in the Game, Wearin' My Chain

This post happens to be a few days early but I don't care!

My lovely wife will be celebrating her 23rd birthday, this Sunday February 8th!

Here's a little compilation as to why I love this lady...

I know our devoted readership is dying to read a post from Manda Bear. I always catch her saying things like..."I'm gonna blog about that!" I'll come back with, "I think our readers need to hear from you..." then she'll say something like, "I don't know if I can handle readers..." What do you guys think??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVEY!