Exhilarating weekend!

I had a great weekend :)

I got to train twice-- a good review class on Saturday, covering high guard armbars when they stand up in your guard, or omoplatas and the omoplata sweep as an option. I had a really fun training partner who was encouraging and didn't make me feel stupid, which was awesome. Because my omoplata sweep? It looks more like I'm having an epileptic fit on the edge of a cliff and my partner has to pull me back from the brink of death.

And then afterwards, we did some king of the hill stuff that reminded me how far I have to go even against blue belts. (Of course, they're badass blues who trained with my instructor all summer, but they were able to crush me before that too. Not to mention the purples and browns!)

Then Sunday was good positional sparring without really any rest between rounds, for a solid hour.

I have been super depressed over the whole fertility thing lately. I don't know if "this month" worked or not (give me a couple days) but I've been so sure (based on doctors' opinions, reading, research etc) that I just can't get pregnant on my own that I even bailed on my "no caffeine and take it easy" plan... on Saturday even though my heartrate got up to 140 I only sat out one round, and after class I had half a coke. I know, not exactly deep sin, but picture me living the cleanest most careful life before-- that coke was the sweetest, fizziest thing I've ever tasted, and I was just thinking "Fuck it, I'm not pregnant anyway and I'll never get pregnant so who cares!" (Good thing I'm not, like, a cocaine addict or something-- then I'd probably get pregnant in half a second. Half a coke is not much caffeine, before you call CPS or the Republican Party and report me.)

Anyway-- everything's come up roses now, because I found out last night that there is potential to do IVF, and if that works, maybe late this year or next year I'll be pregnant! The short version is, we do a couple cycles where they get the most number of the best possible quality eggs out of me. They add my wonderful husband to the mix, get a bunch (hopefully!) of embryos, and they test them. Any that are chromosomally abnormal wouldn't implant (connect the placenta to my bloodstream in the uterus) anyway-- so they only put back the one(s) that will make a baby. Hopefully there's more than one normal one, in which case they leave the remainder on ice so I can poop out a sibling (or more!) in the future!

I love my husband for supporting me in this very emotional, very scary, very expensive journey. He's amazing. And I'm walking on clouds today. I dreamed about it last night. I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, like I can do anything! Anddddd.... because for the next bunch of months (number as yet unknown) my eggs will be taken out of me, I still have to eat clean and be healthy, but I don't have to worry that working out hard will stop me from getting pregnant. Soooooo, I can get back to the stress relief and healthy living on the mats!!!!

While we're talking healthy-- here's a fabulous Vietnamese-inspired chicken salad that's fast and easy to make. You can wrap it in lettuce leaves, put it in rice paper/spring roll wrappers, or just eat it as a salad. Serves 2-4 depending how hungry you are.

3 small shallots, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds removed if you want less heat)
1 Tbsp. sugar
ground black pepper
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbs. fish sauce (aka patis or nuoc nam, use soy in a pinch but really try to get fish sauce)
1 lb. boneless, skinless, thin-sliced (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) chicken breast cutlets
salt
6 oz. package coleslaw mix
1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

With a mortar and pestle (or a fork inside a bowl) pound the shallots, jalapeno, sugar, and 1/8 tsp. pepper until the shallots are very soft (but not pureed) and liquid is released. Transfer to a large serving bowl and stir in the vinegar and fish sauce. Heat a nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat till a drop of water sizzles.

Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Let cool and then shred the chicken with your fingers into long thin strips, pulling the meat along its natural grain.

Toss the coleslaw mix into the vinegar mixture. Add the chicken, mint, and cilantro and combine well. Top with the peanuts and serve at room temperature.