Okay, it is time to fill you in on what else has gone on in the last couple of months to make me feel like an overall failure and underachiever.
I covered the foot injury and having bronchitis more times than you thought you would hear about it. Then, I got the sinus infection, which I covered as well. Oh yeah, I know what I haven't covered. Brace yourself...shortly after I got back from Vegas, during the recuperation week, there was an evening we were getting ready to go to bed. The pups were on the floor sleeping. Brett went downstairs to get something and I was turning things off upstairs and locking things up, etc. I was on my way to go check on Ty and I went to step over Dutch. Keep in mind that Dutch has cataract in both eyes and I suspect he is starting lose his hearing. When I stepped over him, I startled him, he jumped up and took my right leg with him...across the living room. I hopped as much as I could until the unthinkable happened. It was like my pup had turned into a martial artist and leg swept me. I came crashing down to the floor. Hard.
Fortunate for me, Brett was in the room right underneath me and heard the whole thing. He returned upstairs to ask what that loud noise was to find me still lying on the floor. Don't worry, I was laughing. Dutch was trying to make it up to me, but I told him to take three steps back and he took four. We made up, but I was left with a very sore left hip and thigh as well as a slightly sprained ankle. Go figure.
The other thing I did not cover was the pinched nerve in my left leg. A few weeks ago, right before I got the sinus infection, but well after Dutch walked my leg, I jumped back into working out. Literally and figuratively, if you can have both, but even if you can't, I am taking both right now. Anyhoo, I worked out, no problems. I felt fine, I did just fine and enjoyed it.
I started my day like normal, got ready for work and was getting Ty ready before I left for work and my left shin had a spot that felt like it was on fire. I didn't think too much of it because it went away rather quick. While I was at work, I noticed it again. I pulled up my pant leg and felt the spot and it was cool to the touch, but it felt like I was burning up from the inside out just in the one spot. It went on for a couple of days. I started to get scared. So, what do people do when they have an ailment and start to freak out? Google it? That's right, Google. I Googled it and found that people with similar situations had either a pinched nerve or a neurological disorder. Sigh.
Thankfully, I still have a Neurologist on staff, so after consulting her, it was determined it was a pinched nerve. It wasn't painful, so that was a plus. It was irritating, for sure. Scary? Not anymore. BUTTTTTTTTTT, since I had this pinched nerve, I had to tone it down for a bit and not do the high intensity working out for a while. Sigh.
I took a break and instead was walking and just kept moving. Not a big deal. Things got better, I got back into working it like I know I can. Today, while I was working out, I was feeling pretty good about myself and the stellar job I was doing keeping up with Shaun T and super irritating girl, Tanya. Keep in mind when I am doing Insanity, I am all over the place. It is hard to stay in one spot. I would have a really hard time in class these days. Anyhoo, I'm jumping around, I bump into the recliner. Under the recliner was Tyson's plastic, foam covered bat. It rolled out from underneath the recliner when I bumped into it. I didn't know this until... I landed on it. My right foot landed right on top of that bat and I started to roll around on one leg. For a moment, I felt like I was an act in the circus. I tried really hard to keep my balance and not fall, but this is me we're talking about and there is no other way but to fall. My foot rolled off the bat, rolling my ankle and I came crashing down to the floor.
At 4:45 in the morning, there I am, lying on the basement floor and saying "oh shit." My foot is already throbbing. I stopped Shaun T. Wheeled out my Gazelle and got on that instead with my throbbing foot. Hot, I tell ya. Hot. (Insert numerous eye rolls here)
I can't make this stuff up. It really does happen to me. Too often. But then again, what would I have to write about and entertain you all???? I would just be (gulp) normal.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wondering how I haven't broken anything lately, until next time...
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Staying Active
Hopefully by the time this has posted, I will have returned to a semi-normal workout schedule and will have found my drive and motivation to keep on keepin' on. As I look back on the last couple of weeks, I find that even though the workouts were not my typical organized, scheduled workouts, I did stay active and busy.
I know, I know, I've said it before and I'm about to say it all again. I walked as much as I could during work breaks. Whether I was on a semi-sprint to the grocery store in the allotted 15 minutes or a stroll around the neighborhood surrounding my work, I was doing this a couple times a day.
After work, playing outside with Tyson. I admit that I would sit and eat a popsicle with him and watch him while he rode his trike around the driveway. But I realized that when we got inside the house, I didn't sit down for more than 15 minutes in two hours. I was vacuuming, doing laundry, picking the house up, prepping stuff for the bedtime routine, cooking supper, changing sheets, etc. etc.
The last couple of weekends, we have had so much going on. As a side note, I feel that walking around in heels burns more calories than walking in tennis shoes. I feel like I am working harder. So I'm rethinking my protest on heels. Anyhoo, the last couple of weekends... oh yeah, I remember what I was going to say! We have been staying active on the weekends as well, which is a bit more active than sitting in a recliner watching TV. We've walked around a mall, chased Ty around outside, helped with our nephew's birthday party festivities and even took Ty to the river for the first time.
After the injury to my foot and then bronchitis episode which seemed to last an eternity, it was really hard to stay focused. It was actually quite depressing to feel like all my hard work was going straight down the tubes. Of course, it didn't. It isn't like I have to lose X amount of pounds by X date. I'm on my own schedule and my own course. You should be, too. The only way anyone can be successful is if you are doing this for ourselves. Now, with that being said, it is easy to say it NOW after all has passed, but I really wish I could have talked myself off my ledge during the last month and a half. It was rough. I felt defeated. But, I was doing EVERYTHING that I could to stay on my course. It is just that "everything" didn't feel good enough. Sigh. It still doesn't. Because now, I have taken a couple of giant steps backwards and feel like I'm climbing the same mountain all over again. Sounds like life... or a Miley Cyrus song.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you actually reading this, until next time...
I know, I know, I've said it before and I'm about to say it all again. I walked as much as I could during work breaks. Whether I was on a semi-sprint to the grocery store in the allotted 15 minutes or a stroll around the neighborhood surrounding my work, I was doing this a couple times a day.
After work, playing outside with Tyson. I admit that I would sit and eat a popsicle with him and watch him while he rode his trike around the driveway. But I realized that when we got inside the house, I didn't sit down for more than 15 minutes in two hours. I was vacuuming, doing laundry, picking the house up, prepping stuff for the bedtime routine, cooking supper, changing sheets, etc. etc.
The last couple of weekends, we have had so much going on. As a side note, I feel that walking around in heels burns more calories than walking in tennis shoes. I feel like I am working harder. So I'm rethinking my protest on heels. Anyhoo, the last couple of weekends... oh yeah, I remember what I was going to say! We have been staying active on the weekends as well, which is a bit more active than sitting in a recliner watching TV. We've walked around a mall, chased Ty around outside, helped with our nephew's birthday party festivities and even took Ty to the river for the first time.
After the injury to my foot and then bronchitis episode which seemed to last an eternity, it was really hard to stay focused. It was actually quite depressing to feel like all my hard work was going straight down the tubes. Of course, it didn't. It isn't like I have to lose X amount of pounds by X date. I'm on my own schedule and my own course. You should be, too. The only way anyone can be successful is if you are doing this for ourselves. Now, with that being said, it is easy to say it NOW after all has passed, but I really wish I could have talked myself off my ledge during the last month and a half. It was rough. I felt defeated. But, I was doing EVERYTHING that I could to stay on my course. It is just that "everything" didn't feel good enough. Sigh. It still doesn't. Because now, I have taken a couple of giant steps backwards and feel like I'm climbing the same mountain all over again. Sounds like life... or a Miley Cyrus song.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you actually reading this, until next time...
Monday, June 25, 2012
It CAN be done!!!
I'm on a quest to lose weight, make quality food, eat "normally" to teach Ty about healthy eating habits and not deprive myself of the foods I love.
I'm living in that quest. It is possible. It is completely possible. Back to EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. Everything. I am able to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into all meals and be creative with seasonings without sacrificing flavor and satisfaction.
My multiple tries of changing my lifestyle have failed in the past. Mostly because the food I was eating didn't satisfy me long enough and as a result, I felt fatigued a lot of the time. Finding a combination of foods that will help you through the day is no easy task. What may work one week, may not be the right combo the next. During the time that I was on medication for my sinus infection, I found that I needed more carbs to tolerate the meds better and keep my energy up. Now that I am feeling better, my body doesn't feel like it needs the carbs.
Listen to your body. No, not your brain telling you that you NEED ice cream or a half a bag of Doritos, but the one that tells you what you need that you may be lacking. Get in tune with your body. Meditate if you must. Use a crystal ball. Whatever it takes.
Since my workouts have been sparse lately, I've been able to maintain my weight loss as well as lose a few more. With Tyson, we are still in the "easing into foods" phase where unfamiliar foods are not as welcome as the familiar ones. I'm not a big fan of cooking separate meals for us and Tyson, so I try to accommodate everyone with one meal. Fortunate for us, he isn't a huge fan of pizza, so it isn't like we are eating pizza a lot. He is a big fan of meats and chicken, which is pretty simple because I can grill a meat and "accessorize" with the side dishes. A salad is always a great option for us and we have been easing Ty into them as well. He thinks that we are eating leaves, but whatever works!!!
Supplementing main dishes that aren't the healthiest with something that is healthy like a vegetable or fruit, can help you to stay on track and curb your impulses to overindulge. Eating a salad before you eat frozen pizza or having fruit for dessert to get your sweet on can give you that boost you need to stay on the straight and narrow.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking I'm full of crap, until next time...
I'm living in that quest. It is possible. It is completely possible. Back to EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. Everything. I am able to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into all meals and be creative with seasonings without sacrificing flavor and satisfaction.
My multiple tries of changing my lifestyle have failed in the past. Mostly because the food I was eating didn't satisfy me long enough and as a result, I felt fatigued a lot of the time. Finding a combination of foods that will help you through the day is no easy task. What may work one week, may not be the right combo the next. During the time that I was on medication for my sinus infection, I found that I needed more carbs to tolerate the meds better and keep my energy up. Now that I am feeling better, my body doesn't feel like it needs the carbs.
Listen to your body. No, not your brain telling you that you NEED ice cream or a half a bag of Doritos, but the one that tells you what you need that you may be lacking. Get in tune with your body. Meditate if you must. Use a crystal ball. Whatever it takes.
Since my workouts have been sparse lately, I've been able to maintain my weight loss as well as lose a few more. With Tyson, we are still in the "easing into foods" phase where unfamiliar foods are not as welcome as the familiar ones. I'm not a big fan of cooking separate meals for us and Tyson, so I try to accommodate everyone with one meal. Fortunate for us, he isn't a huge fan of pizza, so it isn't like we are eating pizza a lot. He is a big fan of meats and chicken, which is pretty simple because I can grill a meat and "accessorize" with the side dishes. A salad is always a great option for us and we have been easing Ty into them as well. He thinks that we are eating leaves, but whatever works!!!
Supplementing main dishes that aren't the healthiest with something that is healthy like a vegetable or fruit, can help you to stay on track and curb your impulses to overindulge. Eating a salad before you eat frozen pizza or having fruit for dessert to get your sweet on can give you that boost you need to stay on the straight and narrow.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking I'm full of crap, until next time...
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Painting Pottery
Alright, so two doors down neighbor texts me the week before Father's Day and says she would like to take her son to paint something for Father's Day and asked if Ty and I would want to go, too. I'm a HUGE fan of painting my own pottery in my own hues and designs, so of course I'm down!
I picked Ty up from daycare, had snacks on hand for him to eat on the way there. They were to meet us there. Ty scarfed down some snacks and I told him about what we were going to do. He loves to paint and I knew he would be into it.
We get there and the gal working was already wiping up the floor. Apparently, two doors down neighbor and son had spilled a bowl of water. Then, of course this place had to have Dum-Dums in plain sight. Both kids are about the suckers. So, since her son had one, Ty had to have one, too. No biggie. He is content for the moment. Ty chose, okay, okay, I chose a coffee mug for Ty to paint. Things were a bit dicey when we had to sponge water all over the pieces we were going to paint. Ty was WAY more into this than I thought he would be. So much so, that he wanted to just play in the bowl of water with the sponge. Distraction came when he remembered the Dum-Dums.
I got his attention when we went over to the shelves of paints and I let him pick out the colors he wanted to use. Back to the Dum-Dums. The gal finally put the suckers behind the counter. Did I mention that before that, our children had both placed their have sucked, licked and eaten suckers back in the bowl??? He picked three different greens, a yellow, a red and a blue. He concentrated while he painted. He was quiet and painted with conviction. I held the mug and spun it as needed. He painted the inside and outside of this mug in no particular pattern, just covered the mug in paint. It was hideous, but made completely by him.
After he got done painting, he said he was ready to go home. Well, we still needed to clean up and pay. During the time that two doors down neighbor was finishing up the painting on her husband's mug, our children, sitting side by side in chairs, get into a slapping match with each other. They NEVER act like this towards each other. I separate them, putting Ty at a different table so I can clean things up. He's back to wanting to play in the murky paint water.
Ty gets to come back to the table which we are sitting and sit back in his chair. Then the boys get into it again. Tyson didn't want the neighbor boy's hands on the chair and the neighbor boy didn't want Ty to sit in the chair. I was in disbelief they were doing this. We had them hug it out and all seemed well.
I paid and we start to leave. Ty stalls in the entryway and starts playing with the glass door. Then the neighbor boy comes and they are now fighting over the door, playing tug of war, one on each side of the door. The neighbor boy pulls the door closed on Ty's fingers, Ty is crying. I tell them both to not play with the door for fear of getting fingers pinched again. Again, disbelief. They never ever act like this.
After about 7 minutes of back and forth with Ty on leaving because he wanted to stay in the entryway of this place, I gave him the choice of walking or being carried. He didn't choose. I chose to pick him up and carry him. He was SO MAD. So mad that he actually hit me in the back of the head with his closed fist and it made my ears ring. No, I'm not joking.
After I spoke sternly, he and I rode in silence all the way home. I pull into the garage and he is whispering, "sawwy mommy. I need a hug." I go to get him out and I start crying. He starts crying and says, "I need out! I need a hug!" We hugged it out. Brett wanted to know what was going on, I could only tell him that he was naughty at the store.
The Saturday before Father's Day, we went to pick up the mug. It was a different gal working and I told her I was there to pick up a couple mugs that we painted. She pulls out a nicely painted, symmetrical striped, mug in bold colors. I told her, "look for hideous." She found it.
Ty and I got back in the car and I ask him, what else should we get daddy for his present. Without hesitation and in a "duh" tone, he says, "coffee!" I was thinking that we would get some fancier coffee, but Ty had something else in mind: the coffee that we usually have at home, the 270 cup tub of Folgers. He insisted that we get two. He also wanted to get his daddy some paints. We go to the craft aisle and he wanted to get finger paint. Done. Right below the finger paint was a pack of three safety scissors. Apparently, daddy needed those. I let him pick out the gift bag: a giant bag with pictures of balloons on it. Time for a card. The one card he liked right off the bat was a Minnie Mouse card, but it was to daddy from daughter. I put the kibosh on that and had him pick something else. He picked a Lightning McQueen card that played "I can't drive 55" - yes, Sammy Hagar singing.
Brett was pleased with the gift selection and he finally got to hear this whole story. Hopefully, we can go paint a mug again sometime. I hope it is a better experience next time. It was fun while it lasted and the mug, is so ugly it is beautiful.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that celebrated Father's Day with similar gifts, until next time...
I picked Ty up from daycare, had snacks on hand for him to eat on the way there. They were to meet us there. Ty scarfed down some snacks and I told him about what we were going to do. He loves to paint and I knew he would be into it.
We get there and the gal working was already wiping up the floor. Apparently, two doors down neighbor and son had spilled a bowl of water. Then, of course this place had to have Dum-Dums in plain sight. Both kids are about the suckers. So, since her son had one, Ty had to have one, too. No biggie. He is content for the moment. Ty chose, okay, okay, I chose a coffee mug for Ty to paint. Things were a bit dicey when we had to sponge water all over the pieces we were going to paint. Ty was WAY more into this than I thought he would be. So much so, that he wanted to just play in the bowl of water with the sponge. Distraction came when he remembered the Dum-Dums.
I got his attention when we went over to the shelves of paints and I let him pick out the colors he wanted to use. Back to the Dum-Dums. The gal finally put the suckers behind the counter. Did I mention that before that, our children had both placed their have sucked, licked and eaten suckers back in the bowl??? He picked three different greens, a yellow, a red and a blue. He concentrated while he painted. He was quiet and painted with conviction. I held the mug and spun it as needed. He painted the inside and outside of this mug in no particular pattern, just covered the mug in paint. It was hideous, but made completely by him.
After he got done painting, he said he was ready to go home. Well, we still needed to clean up and pay. During the time that two doors down neighbor was finishing up the painting on her husband's mug, our children, sitting side by side in chairs, get into a slapping match with each other. They NEVER act like this towards each other. I separate them, putting Ty at a different table so I can clean things up. He's back to wanting to play in the murky paint water.
Ty gets to come back to the table which we are sitting and sit back in his chair. Then the boys get into it again. Tyson didn't want the neighbor boy's hands on the chair and the neighbor boy didn't want Ty to sit in the chair. I was in disbelief they were doing this. We had them hug it out and all seemed well.
I paid and we start to leave. Ty stalls in the entryway and starts playing with the glass door. Then the neighbor boy comes and they are now fighting over the door, playing tug of war, one on each side of the door. The neighbor boy pulls the door closed on Ty's fingers, Ty is crying. I tell them both to not play with the door for fear of getting fingers pinched again. Again, disbelief. They never ever act like this.
After about 7 minutes of back and forth with Ty on leaving because he wanted to stay in the entryway of this place, I gave him the choice of walking or being carried. He didn't choose. I chose to pick him up and carry him. He was SO MAD. So mad that he actually hit me in the back of the head with his closed fist and it made my ears ring. No, I'm not joking.
After I spoke sternly, he and I rode in silence all the way home. I pull into the garage and he is whispering, "sawwy mommy. I need a hug." I go to get him out and I start crying. He starts crying and says, "I need out! I need a hug!" We hugged it out. Brett wanted to know what was going on, I could only tell him that he was naughty at the store.
The Saturday before Father's Day, we went to pick up the mug. It was a different gal working and I told her I was there to pick up a couple mugs that we painted. She pulls out a nicely painted, symmetrical striped, mug in bold colors. I told her, "look for hideous." She found it.
Ty and I got back in the car and I ask him, what else should we get daddy for his present. Without hesitation and in a "duh" tone, he says, "coffee!" I was thinking that we would get some fancier coffee, but Ty had something else in mind: the coffee that we usually have at home, the 270 cup tub of Folgers. He insisted that we get two. He also wanted to get his daddy some paints. We go to the craft aisle and he wanted to get finger paint. Done. Right below the finger paint was a pack of three safety scissors. Apparently, daddy needed those. I let him pick out the gift bag: a giant bag with pictures of balloons on it. Time for a card. The one card he liked right off the bat was a Minnie Mouse card, but it was to daddy from daughter. I put the kibosh on that and had him pick something else. He picked a Lightning McQueen card that played "I can't drive 55" - yes, Sammy Hagar singing.
Brett was pleased with the gift selection and he finally got to hear this whole story. Hopefully, we can go paint a mug again sometime. I hope it is a better experience next time. It was fun while it lasted and the mug, is so ugly it is beautiful.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that celebrated Father's Day with similar gifts, until next time...
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Been a Little Mixed Up!
Did you miss me? I did! Apologies for taking an extended break from my blogging. I needed it. I've had motivational issues, sad news, important anniversaries and a lot going on in general. Excuses. I know. I usually pride myself on keeping up with everything and having my crap together, but I have not had ANYTHING together, lately.
We've kept busy lately with playing, dinners, appointments and dun dun dunnnnnnnn... illness. For a week, Ty's allergies got so bad when it got warmer that we were up once, sometimes twice a night giving breathing treatments. I took him to the doctor, he gets put on meds and then after my nosebleed episodes started in Vegas and continued for about two days after I returned, I got a wicked awful sinus infection. Meds for me and misery ensued. Walking and talking hurt my head and face. And it was only on the side where I was having the nosebleeds. Coincidence? Probably not.
In the last couple of weeks we have:
- celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary where we got a sitter so we could skip dinner to run a couple of errands and eat popcorn and M&M's at the movie theater. It was a nice evening out.
- had PIC #2's boyfriend cook us dinner where PIC #2 was REALLY mean to Ty. No, not really. Ty just gets moody when he's hungry. Totally not her fault, except for the part where she yelled at him. I kid! I kid! She didn't yell. Very loud. Kidding again.
- I went to a Norwex party and bought some more stuff. Not impressed with the dusting mitt, in case you were wondering.
- I colored my hair again, weeks early because the dye I used before I went to Vegas that was supposed to be permanent washed out and left my hair a nice shade of reddish at the roots and my grays were electric blue. No joke.
- I have mourned the loss of my favorite swimming suit. It has a snag and you can now see the little shreds of elastic poking through the darker color. Time to invest again. Bummer.
- I have mourned the loss of TWO of my bras. Hopefully I will get new ones ordered this week and can start being comfortable again. (more on the bra situation in a later post)
- We reminisced of a man that I call my second dad. 10 year anniversary. Sad that it is easy to remember and count that way.
- We took Ty to a movie and he was wanting to go home because he was tired. We stayed until the end, though.
- I got my hair cut because it was necessary to chop five inches of crispiness off.
- We watched our nephew and niece while my sister and brother in law went out for their anniversary. He got called into work, he brought her home in tears, not the day she had in mind. Ty and his cousin tattled on each other all day long. Hard concept to get across.
- I met up with friends for dinner and drinks. I'm trying to stay true to my philosophy that time away and out recharges me and makes me better at just about everything I do.
- We celebrated our nephew's 4th birthday.
- Two doors down neighbor and I took the kids to a pottery painting place before Father's Day so the boys could paint something for their dads. (more on this in a later post)
- We have filled over 100 water balloons to be thrown in the driveway.
- I attended my cousin's bridal shower where I knocked over picture frames at the hostess' house and pulled out a small bag of Norwex laundry detergent that resembles cocaine.
- I forgot to pay the sitter.
- I have taken Ty to the pool twice and HE LOVES IT.
- We have filled up the wading pool a couple of times and TY LOVES IT.
- We had a city-wide power outage on one of the hottest days and in the midst of my sinus infection. I was forced to have Ty outside, playing in the water in the wading pool and eating popsicles. I also hosed the pups down to keep them cool.
- I have fully recuperated from Vegas. I think.
- I have managed to not workout religiously, but lose weight. Man am I missing it. Wow.
Those are the "highlights" of the last couple of weeks. If you want to call them all that. I'm going to be better about everything. I've got to. I feel like I'm losing my mind.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you sending me positive vibes, until next time...
We've kept busy lately with playing, dinners, appointments and dun dun dunnnnnnnn... illness. For a week, Ty's allergies got so bad when it got warmer that we were up once, sometimes twice a night giving breathing treatments. I took him to the doctor, he gets put on meds and then after my nosebleed episodes started in Vegas and continued for about two days after I returned, I got a wicked awful sinus infection. Meds for me and misery ensued. Walking and talking hurt my head and face. And it was only on the side where I was having the nosebleeds. Coincidence? Probably not.
In the last couple of weeks we have:
- celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary where we got a sitter so we could skip dinner to run a couple of errands and eat popcorn and M&M's at the movie theater. It was a nice evening out.
- had PIC #2's boyfriend cook us dinner where PIC #2 was REALLY mean to Ty. No, not really. Ty just gets moody when he's hungry. Totally not her fault, except for the part where she yelled at him. I kid! I kid! She didn't yell. Very loud. Kidding again.
- I went to a Norwex party and bought some more stuff. Not impressed with the dusting mitt, in case you were wondering.
- I colored my hair again, weeks early because the dye I used before I went to Vegas that was supposed to be permanent washed out and left my hair a nice shade of reddish at the roots and my grays were electric blue. No joke.
- I have mourned the loss of my favorite swimming suit. It has a snag and you can now see the little shreds of elastic poking through the darker color. Time to invest again. Bummer.
- I have mourned the loss of TWO of my bras. Hopefully I will get new ones ordered this week and can start being comfortable again. (more on the bra situation in a later post)
- We reminisced of a man that I call my second dad. 10 year anniversary. Sad that it is easy to remember and count that way.
- We took Ty to a movie and he was wanting to go home because he was tired. We stayed until the end, though.
- I got my hair cut because it was necessary to chop five inches of crispiness off.
- We watched our nephew and niece while my sister and brother in law went out for their anniversary. He got called into work, he brought her home in tears, not the day she had in mind. Ty and his cousin tattled on each other all day long. Hard concept to get across.
- I met up with friends for dinner and drinks. I'm trying to stay true to my philosophy that time away and out recharges me and makes me better at just about everything I do.
- We celebrated our nephew's 4th birthday.
- Two doors down neighbor and I took the kids to a pottery painting place before Father's Day so the boys could paint something for their dads. (more on this in a later post)
- We have filled over 100 water balloons to be thrown in the driveway.
- I attended my cousin's bridal shower where I knocked over picture frames at the hostess' house and pulled out a small bag of Norwex laundry detergent that resembles cocaine.
- I forgot to pay the sitter.
- I have taken Ty to the pool twice and HE LOVES IT.
- We have filled up the wading pool a couple of times and TY LOVES IT.
- We had a city-wide power outage on one of the hottest days and in the midst of my sinus infection. I was forced to have Ty outside, playing in the water in the wading pool and eating popsicles. I also hosed the pups down to keep them cool.
- I have fully recuperated from Vegas. I think.
- I have managed to not workout religiously, but lose weight. Man am I missing it. Wow.
Those are the "highlights" of the last couple of weeks. If you want to call them all that. I'm going to be better about everything. I've got to. I feel like I'm losing my mind.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you sending me positive vibes, until next time...
Monday, June 11, 2012
Food and Chewing. Food and Chewing.
I will try just about anything at least once. I have found something that just doesn't get any better the more I try it: whole wheat pasta. I do not like the texture at all. It is dry and mealy. I've tried all different varieties and I have also tried different brands. Not one is pleasing to my palate. Notta one.
I am a bit bummed out because my favorite rainbow salad mix could not be found at Hy-Vee. I am trying another salad mix that is similar to my rainbow mix, but it is a chopped salad that includes sunflower seeds, raisins and a salad dressing. I really just wanted to get the salad mix, not the other stuff and was desperate enough to buy it all. I should probably give it a fair shake, but I find myself being a little on the bratty side and resisting the change of my beloved rainbow salad. The mix itself isn't bad, but it has a lot more cabbage than my beloved. I still ate it, so it couldn't have been that bad.
I am in love with bagel chips right now. I get this New York company bagel chip. I got the Everything flavor and wasn't a huge fan because it tasted more like rye bread than anything else. It has TONS of caraway seeds in it. Again, I still ate them, so they weren't awful, just not what I was really wanting to snack on. The next time around, I got the garlic flavor. I LOVE garlic. It is no joke how much I love garlic. These garlic bagel chips are no joke, either. If you believe that garlic repels vampires, then this is the chip for you. They are DELICIOUS. I ate almost an entire bag one day this past week. My breath was horrendous and I had to brush my teeth FIVE times that day to tone it down and I still think the aroma hung tight for a few more days, brushing my teeth at least twice a day if not three times. I got it toned down quite a bit with some Listerine (gasoline flavor). That seemed to kill it quite nicely. Okay, enough of my breath, back to the bagel chips. I used a few crumbles on my chopped salad mix for lunch. The crunch was great as was the flavor.
I just ate a panchetta salad that my sister made. She made crusty croutons for the salad, but I am thinking my garlic bagel chips will be delicious in a salad like that. Yummmmmmmmmm!!!!!
I'm still rocking the Vitatops, but I feel like I'm rationing them because I never know what flavors I will encounter next and if I will like them as much.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wishing you had dragon breath due to garlic bagel chips, until next time...
I am a bit bummed out because my favorite rainbow salad mix could not be found at Hy-Vee. I am trying another salad mix that is similar to my rainbow mix, but it is a chopped salad that includes sunflower seeds, raisins and a salad dressing. I really just wanted to get the salad mix, not the other stuff and was desperate enough to buy it all. I should probably give it a fair shake, but I find myself being a little on the bratty side and resisting the change of my beloved rainbow salad. The mix itself isn't bad, but it has a lot more cabbage than my beloved. I still ate it, so it couldn't have been that bad.
I am in love with bagel chips right now. I get this New York company bagel chip. I got the Everything flavor and wasn't a huge fan because it tasted more like rye bread than anything else. It has TONS of caraway seeds in it. Again, I still ate them, so they weren't awful, just not what I was really wanting to snack on. The next time around, I got the garlic flavor. I LOVE garlic. It is no joke how much I love garlic. These garlic bagel chips are no joke, either. If you believe that garlic repels vampires, then this is the chip for you. They are DELICIOUS. I ate almost an entire bag one day this past week. My breath was horrendous and I had to brush my teeth FIVE times that day to tone it down and I still think the aroma hung tight for a few more days, brushing my teeth at least twice a day if not three times. I got it toned down quite a bit with some Listerine (gasoline flavor). That seemed to kill it quite nicely. Okay, enough of my breath, back to the bagel chips. I used a few crumbles on my chopped salad mix for lunch. The crunch was great as was the flavor.
I just ate a panchetta salad that my sister made. She made crusty croutons for the salad, but I am thinking my garlic bagel chips will be delicious in a salad like that. Yummmmmmmmmm!!!!!
I'm still rocking the Vitatops, but I feel like I'm rationing them because I never know what flavors I will encounter next and if I will like them as much.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wishing you had dragon breath due to garlic bagel chips, until next time...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Happily Reporting Thanking All That is Holy
As I mentioned in my previous post, Vegas was very good to myself and PIC #2 aside from the excruciating exhaustion that I am feeling, I am happy to report that I weighed in this morning at 165.8. Hallelujah. Praise all that is holy. Yes, I am well aware that this is due in part to muscle loss, but you know what? I don't really care because the scale is going down right now and it is pretty good for someone that hasn't had an "official" workout in over a week. Again, hallelujah, praise all that is holy. It has been five years since I was this weight. Yeah, I'm serious. It is boosting my self-esteem like you wouldn't believe. And I may have cracked the code on making Oreos a part of a diet plan. Standby for my research.
While I haven't done an organized workout, I have still been keeping active. I have taken Ty to the pool, done a lot of housework. Okay, okay, a little bit of housework and a lot of playing with Ty. Tee hee.
For the next few weeks, a local park will hold free yoga classes on Saturday mornings featuring an instructor from the different yoga studios here in town. I must make it to one of these. My friend BK went today and said it was breezy and a great turnout.
Vacation is done. Now what? Well, I'll tell you. I can feel my focus, motivation and that drive coming back to me. It was like vacation was that one thing that I was hyper-focused on and needed it to pass in order to be able to refocus on my goals. I have smaller things going on that I am looking forward to, but nothing on the magnitude of Vegas. I am looking forward to a trip to the Omaha Zoo, Ty's first dentist visit, hanging out with friends, pedicures and more pool time. It seems really relaxed compared to what my schedule has been the last few months. Now that tutoring is done, I have another day of the week to fill up with something fun.
The weather has started to turn to summer - you know, hot and humid, but after being in dry 106 degree heat in Vegas, 86 with humidity feels a little chilly. No joke. Anyhoo, I am thinking about getting Ty a sprinkler, but as my sister pointed out, there is probably going to be a drought, so the chances of us using the sprinkler may make buying a sprinkler a moot point. I still like the idea.
I have no idea how I got to talking about sprinklers when I started out with a point in the first place of me stepping on the scale. Again, still very tired these days. It isn't even 8:30 on Saturday night and I am struggling staying up. Did you hear that???? It was my pillow calling out my name. Holy hell.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that know this is how my brain works, until next time...
While I haven't done an organized workout, I have still been keeping active. I have taken Ty to the pool, done a lot of housework. Okay, okay, a little bit of housework and a lot of playing with Ty. Tee hee.
For the next few weeks, a local park will hold free yoga classes on Saturday mornings featuring an instructor from the different yoga studios here in town. I must make it to one of these. My friend BK went today and said it was breezy and a great turnout.
Vacation is done. Now what? Well, I'll tell you. I can feel my focus, motivation and that drive coming back to me. It was like vacation was that one thing that I was hyper-focused on and needed it to pass in order to be able to refocus on my goals. I have smaller things going on that I am looking forward to, but nothing on the magnitude of Vegas. I am looking forward to a trip to the Omaha Zoo, Ty's first dentist visit, hanging out with friends, pedicures and more pool time. It seems really relaxed compared to what my schedule has been the last few months. Now that tutoring is done, I have another day of the week to fill up with something fun.
The weather has started to turn to summer - you know, hot and humid, but after being in dry 106 degree heat in Vegas, 86 with humidity feels a little chilly. No joke. Anyhoo, I am thinking about getting Ty a sprinkler, but as my sister pointed out, there is probably going to be a drought, so the chances of us using the sprinkler may make buying a sprinkler a moot point. I still like the idea.
I have no idea how I got to talking about sprinklers when I started out with a point in the first place of me stepping on the scale. Again, still very tired these days. It isn't even 8:30 on Saturday night and I am struggling staying up. Did you hear that???? It was my pillow calling out my name. Holy hell.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that know this is how my brain works, until next time...
Insanity Days 15, 16 & 17
Day 15 (again)
I did not do the Fit Test again as I feel this would not only be counter-productive, but it would be boring and I just didn't want to do it. Ha! So, instead, I did a workout called sleep. It is great. You set your alarm for one hour later than normal and the rest works itself out!!! Amazing results.
Day 16 (again)
I have decided that I am now dubbing my life "Insanity" because that is precisely what it is. I opted for multiple walks today instead. Borrrrrrriiiiiinnnnng. Oh well, I got something in, just not high intensity. I would like to mention that what I am doing right is eating. I'm sticking to my allotted calories per day without the high intensity workouts. At least I'm getting that right.
Day 17 (again)
Pure Cardio today which was to be followed by Cardio Abs. I had to stop after Pure Cardio because Ty woke up. I did get a couple runs up and down the stairs by having to tend to the little boy.
Feeling good about myself and am looking forward to the next workout. Lame? Maybe.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you sending me positive vibes, until next time...
I did not do the Fit Test again as I feel this would not only be counter-productive, but it would be boring and I just didn't want to do it. Ha! So, instead, I did a workout called sleep. It is great. You set your alarm for one hour later than normal and the rest works itself out!!! Amazing results.
Day 16 (again)
I have decided that I am now dubbing my life "Insanity" because that is precisely what it is. I opted for multiple walks today instead. Borrrrrrriiiiiinnnnng. Oh well, I got something in, just not high intensity. I would like to mention that what I am doing right is eating. I'm sticking to my allotted calories per day without the high intensity workouts. At least I'm getting that right.
Day 17 (again)
Pure Cardio today which was to be followed by Cardio Abs. I had to stop after Pure Cardio because Ty woke up. I did get a couple runs up and down the stairs by having to tend to the little boy.
Feeling good about myself and am looking forward to the next workout. Lame? Maybe.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you sending me positive vibes, until next time...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Vacations, they make you AWESOME. Part 2
Rooming with three other women sounds worse than it really was. My roomies for the weekend were great. I was pleased.
It wasn't until we were trying to deplane when PIC #2 struck me twice and pinched me!!! She really did. I'm not making this up like I stretched the truth about my uncle being in awe of my presence. It was all in good fun...until I get her back! Eh eh eh...
After we returned from our trip, PIC #2 went back to work the next day and as I said, I spent the day with Ty. She sent me a text and said she actually lost weight from Vegas. I just happened to be changing into my swimming suit when I got that and decided to hop on the scale to find out that after Vegas where I drank Starbucks every morning and had a piece of delicious cake along with that coffee, as well as had waffles, coffee and string cheese this morning, I had LOST over two pounds from my weight before Vegas. Like PIC #2 said, "Vegas was very good to us!" Indeed.
Now, Tyson broke the scale shortly thereafter this weigh-in and I wasn't able to weigh myself at my regular time which is prior to eating and drinking anything and right after I get up in the morning. I have since fixed the scale somehow and intend to weigh myself tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I have been pretty stoked with having lost weight especially since my performance has been less than stellar. Of course, I am pretty sure it is loss of muscle, but it sure helps the self-esteem!
When we were in Vegas, we went ziplining on Fremont Street. I just about lost it when I had to sign a waiver similar to the one you have to sign right before they shoot you up with anesthesia in the hospital for surgery. You know, the one that states that serious injury, paralysis, death, etc is a possibility. As I am initialing all of these boxes, I try to whisper to PIC #2 to see if she saw the "death" part. There was a guy in between us, so I waiting until he left and started whispering, okay, kind of a whisper scream, "Allyssa!" Without looking up or batting an eye, she continues to sign and says, "you will be fine." Damn, she knows me all too well. After she said it a few times, she was actually forced to make eye contact with me and tell me again, in a firm, mommy voice, "you WILL BE fine." Good 'nuff for me, apparently.
We did the zipline and it was just fine. The only issue I had was the way we were stopped. Abruptly. There is something on the cable to stop your harness from going any further down the cable and a young man grabs your harness on the butt and close to the crotch to stop the momentous flab (me). I do believe I thanked him for grabbing my ass and crotch. No joke. When I was stopped, I believe this is where I jarred my back. I didn't feel it until the next day and it still aches today. I'm getting old. Sigh.
Hopefully, I will have completed a workout pain-free by the next time I post. Here's to hope!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about trying my Vegas weight-loss system, until next time...
It wasn't until we were trying to deplane when PIC #2 struck me twice and pinched me!!! She really did. I'm not making this up like I stretched the truth about my uncle being in awe of my presence. It was all in good fun...until I get her back! Eh eh eh...
After we returned from our trip, PIC #2 went back to work the next day and as I said, I spent the day with Ty. She sent me a text and said she actually lost weight from Vegas. I just happened to be changing into my swimming suit when I got that and decided to hop on the scale to find out that after Vegas where I drank Starbucks every morning and had a piece of delicious cake along with that coffee, as well as had waffles, coffee and string cheese this morning, I had LOST over two pounds from my weight before Vegas. Like PIC #2 said, "Vegas was very good to us!" Indeed.
Now, Tyson broke the scale shortly thereafter this weigh-in and I wasn't able to weigh myself at my regular time which is prior to eating and drinking anything and right after I get up in the morning. I have since fixed the scale somehow and intend to weigh myself tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I have been pretty stoked with having lost weight especially since my performance has been less than stellar. Of course, I am pretty sure it is loss of muscle, but it sure helps the self-esteem!
When we were in Vegas, we went ziplining on Fremont Street. I just about lost it when I had to sign a waiver similar to the one you have to sign right before they shoot you up with anesthesia in the hospital for surgery. You know, the one that states that serious injury, paralysis, death, etc is a possibility. As I am initialing all of these boxes, I try to whisper to PIC #2 to see if she saw the "death" part. There was a guy in between us, so I waiting until he left and started whispering, okay, kind of a whisper scream, "Allyssa!" Without looking up or batting an eye, she continues to sign and says, "you will be fine." Damn, she knows me all too well. After she said it a few times, she was actually forced to make eye contact with me and tell me again, in a firm, mommy voice, "you WILL BE fine." Good 'nuff for me, apparently.
We did the zipline and it was just fine. The only issue I had was the way we were stopped. Abruptly. There is something on the cable to stop your harness from going any further down the cable and a young man grabs your harness on the butt and close to the crotch to stop the momentous flab (me). I do believe I thanked him for grabbing my ass and crotch. No joke. When I was stopped, I believe this is where I jarred my back. I didn't feel it until the next day and it still aches today. I'm getting old. Sigh.
Hopefully, I will have completed a workout pain-free by the next time I post. Here's to hope!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about trying my Vegas weight-loss system, until next time...
Friday, June 8, 2012
Vacations, they make you AWESOME. Part 1
As prepared to leave for vacation, my first overnight away from Ty, my mind runs away with me. I lost focus of everything. Now, you may think that I was consumed with the stress of leaving my little Sugarbear, but let me tell you, it had NOTHING to do with that and everything to do with plane crashes, dying and zombies. Yes, it is true. And no, I'm not joking.
I was 100% comfortable leaving Ty with Brett. There is no other person on the planet that I trust more than Brett with Ty. Makes for easier leaving. In come the thoughts of dying, crashes and zombies. Sigh. The anxiety I get from plane travel is almost enough to have me heavily medicated. It's funny because once I get to the airport and am on the plane, I'm pretty much fine. Traveling alone is worse. I was with my aunt and PIC #2. It doesn't really get much better than that! This serious and irrational thinking started about 7 years ago and it is only when I fly. Odd? It's me, nothing is really that odd.
Anyway, I had already planned to NOT workout on Friday because I knew we would be on an 8PM flight to Vegas and would be up late. I was glad I got the extra sleep because we stayed up late after we got to Vegas.
It was overwhelming and overstimulating being in Vegas, but I soaked it in. PIC #2 was way overwhelmed. We joined the young pups at the bar in the hotel and had a couple. PIC #2 and I retired a few hours after we got into town. My aunt, on the other hand, partied like it was 1999 and stayed out late!
The whole trip, I was the first one up and in the shower. I would go downstairs where there was a lovely Starbucks and I would have a venti white chocolate peppermint mocha non-fat no whip accompanied by a spectacular piece of coffee cake. Delicious and oh soooooooo healthy. Right.
We did a TON of walking while in Vegas. It really didn't feel like I was walking around much, but we definitely walked for miles. It was great, except for the heat. It was 106 degrees the Saturday we were there. It was hot, but it was way more bearable than the heat and humidity here in July. I will definitely take dry heat over damp heat any day, especially for my hair's sake. Having naturally wavy/curly hair makes for interesting humidity hair in Iowa during the summer. My hair looked great in Vegas. I miss my Vegas hair.
We shopped, ate, did the bachelorette party with the young babes and saw a show. It was great. I was never once worried about Tyson and if he was surviving without me because he was in capable hands. I had no guilt having fun, either.
I needed this short, but long weekend away. It had been over 3 years since I had been away and I still "took" Ty with me via the womb. Hardly counts. I was free as a bird from all mommy and wifely duties for three whole days. It was refreshing. Aside from feeling like I got hit by a bus due to jet lag, staying up late and up early and all the movement, I was feeling refreshed mentally. I forget how important it is to get out and recharge until it has been way too long. I got back to a little boy that was giddy I was finally home. A big boy with greater appreciation and two furry babies that missed the crap outta me. It was a nice homecoming.
I took an extra day off to hang out with Ty. I felt that since I missed out on two whole days of Tyson's life that I would have normally spent with him, that it would be good for me to spend a day with him one on one. It was a great day. He and I went to visit Brett at work, went to the grocery store and to the pool. He was so good. Way better than when I had left. He must have needed to recharge himself as well.
I've made a deal with myself to do something AT LEAST once a month by myself that I want to do. I'm not talking grocery shopping or picking up some toilet paper. I'm talking pedicures, shopping, good food (that I don't have to cook), hanging out with a friend or two or even ice skating. Okay, not so much the ice skating part, but the other stuff sounds good!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that are planning a trip to Vegas, until next time...
I was 100% comfortable leaving Ty with Brett. There is no other person on the planet that I trust more than Brett with Ty. Makes for easier leaving. In come the thoughts of dying, crashes and zombies. Sigh. The anxiety I get from plane travel is almost enough to have me heavily medicated. It's funny because once I get to the airport and am on the plane, I'm pretty much fine. Traveling alone is worse. I was with my aunt and PIC #2. It doesn't really get much better than that! This serious and irrational thinking started about 7 years ago and it is only when I fly. Odd? It's me, nothing is really that odd.
Anyway, I had already planned to NOT workout on Friday because I knew we would be on an 8PM flight to Vegas and would be up late. I was glad I got the extra sleep because we stayed up late after we got to Vegas.
It was overwhelming and overstimulating being in Vegas, but I soaked it in. PIC #2 was way overwhelmed. We joined the young pups at the bar in the hotel and had a couple. PIC #2 and I retired a few hours after we got into town. My aunt, on the other hand, partied like it was 1999 and stayed out late!
The whole trip, I was the first one up and in the shower. I would go downstairs where there was a lovely Starbucks and I would have a venti white chocolate peppermint mocha non-fat no whip accompanied by a spectacular piece of coffee cake. Delicious and oh soooooooo healthy. Right.
We did a TON of walking while in Vegas. It really didn't feel like I was walking around much, but we definitely walked for miles. It was great, except for the heat. It was 106 degrees the Saturday we were there. It was hot, but it was way more bearable than the heat and humidity here in July. I will definitely take dry heat over damp heat any day, especially for my hair's sake. Having naturally wavy/curly hair makes for interesting humidity hair in Iowa during the summer. My hair looked great in Vegas. I miss my Vegas hair.
We shopped, ate, did the bachelorette party with the young babes and saw a show. It was great. I was never once worried about Tyson and if he was surviving without me because he was in capable hands. I had no guilt having fun, either.
I needed this short, but long weekend away. It had been over 3 years since I had been away and I still "took" Ty with me via the womb. Hardly counts. I was free as a bird from all mommy and wifely duties for three whole days. It was refreshing. Aside from feeling like I got hit by a bus due to jet lag, staying up late and up early and all the movement, I was feeling refreshed mentally. I forget how important it is to get out and recharge until it has been way too long. I got back to a little boy that was giddy I was finally home. A big boy with greater appreciation and two furry babies that missed the crap outta me. It was a nice homecoming.
I took an extra day off to hang out with Ty. I felt that since I missed out on two whole days of Tyson's life that I would have normally spent with him, that it would be good for me to spend a day with him one on one. It was a great day. He and I went to visit Brett at work, went to the grocery store and to the pool. He was so good. Way better than when I had left. He must have needed to recharge himself as well.
I've made a deal with myself to do something AT LEAST once a month by myself that I want to do. I'm not talking grocery shopping or picking up some toilet paper. I'm talking pedicures, shopping, good food (that I don't have to cook), hanging out with a friend or two or even ice skating. Okay, not so much the ice skating part, but the other stuff sounds good!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that are planning a trip to Vegas, until next time...
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Insanity Days 15, 16 & 17
Day 15
Fit Test #2. Okay, so having an extra day off really screwed me up. I didn't do the Fit Test on Monday like I should have because I thought Monday was Sunday. Idiot.
I am happy to report that I improved in all tests, but one! Power jumps are just not my thing. I just cannot jump!!!!!! Goal? Maybe.
Day 16
Alright, alright, so with the excitement of my upcoming vacation, I slacked off a lot. Call me what you will, but the excitement was enough to make me just about puke. Therefore, I did not workout.
Day 17
What? Workout? What am I doing? I don't even know anymore. Again, I did not workout.
Soooooooo, as you can tell, I did a less than stellar job keeping up with myself. It is now the Thursday after my Vegas vacation and I have yet to workout. Excuses? Wanna hear 'em???? Okay, no excuse other than I feel like I have been hit by a bus and tweaked my back. I'm not even sure if these are "good" excuses because I just can't even see straight right now! My intent is to get up tomorrow and workout. I will do a Friday workout and start week 3 again, less the Fit Test, on Monday like I should have last week. Sigh. What can I do? Thank all that is holy that I am not in a competition right now. I would be losing miserably. Or would I? Stay tuned for the update on that one. I will post my Insanity research as it comes along like "normal." Whatever that means.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wanting to slap the crap out of me right now, until next time...
Fit Test #2. Okay, so having an extra day off really screwed me up. I didn't do the Fit Test on Monday like I should have because I thought Monday was Sunday. Idiot.
I am happy to report that I improved in all tests, but one! Power jumps are just not my thing. I just cannot jump!!!!!! Goal? Maybe.
Day 16
Alright, alright, so with the excitement of my upcoming vacation, I slacked off a lot. Call me what you will, but the excitement was enough to make me just about puke. Therefore, I did not workout.
Day 17
What? Workout? What am I doing? I don't even know anymore. Again, I did not workout.
Soooooooo, as you can tell, I did a less than stellar job keeping up with myself. It is now the Thursday after my Vegas vacation and I have yet to workout. Excuses? Wanna hear 'em???? Okay, no excuse other than I feel like I have been hit by a bus and tweaked my back. I'm not even sure if these are "good" excuses because I just can't even see straight right now! My intent is to get up tomorrow and workout. I will do a Friday workout and start week 3 again, less the Fit Test, on Monday like I should have last week. Sigh. What can I do? Thank all that is holy that I am not in a competition right now. I would be losing miserably. Or would I? Stay tuned for the update on that one. I will post my Insanity research as it comes along like "normal." Whatever that means.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wanting to slap the crap out of me right now, until next time...
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
While We Are Talking Cheerleading
Okay, when I had finally made the cheer squad, I decided it would be good to take a recreational gymnastics class to increase flexibility and strengthen my core and get some good conditioning before I actually started with the squad the next season.
You know how I'm a terrible dancer and in my adult life, a terrible gymnast? Well, I can't say that I was much better at gymnastics as a child, either. I wasn't good at all. I just really liked it a lot as a kid. So, there we are one evening, working on SIMPLE things on the trapezoid and the springboard. You know, straddle over the trapezoid, side sweep of the legs over the trapezoid and the tuck through on, you guessed it, the trapezoid. It wasn't even a real horse. Sigh.
Anyhoo, they kept piling on the trapezoid pieces. At this point, it was about 5 feet tall. I told the coach that it was too tall for me to go over it. She said to just do it. So, I did. I ran as fast as I could, hit that springboard as hard as I could, got up there, placed my hands on the trapezoid and went to put my feet through my arms and... uh-oh, it WAS too tall! The tops of my feet and my ankles caught the side of the trap and I fell forward, sliding down on my belly onto the mats below, but my calfs were touching my head. I was pretty much folded in half and couldn't breathe. (Right about now, my sister is laughing at this and she wasn't even there, but the imagery is enough to make her laugh until she cries) The coaches all run up to me and tell me not to move. Uhhhh, I'm not going to just lie there and leave my legs up there, not able to breathe, so I rolled at least where I could get my legs down and get on my back. An ambulance was called, got a ride to the hospital only to find that I had cracked a couple of ribs and bruised a lot of ribs and was very lucky I didn't break my back. Sigh. Yeah, that all really happened.
My second year of cheerleading, during a stunt and a school pep assembly, the flyer lost balance and fell. She fell on my face. It was her hip bone on my nose, to be exact. I blacked out for a couple seconds and had to leave the gym floor. Went to the doctor to find that my nose, while not a clean break, was indeed cracked and I could expect my eyes to blacken in the days to come. Yay.
As I was telling the story to one of my friends at school, while walking down the hall, I happened to mention that the gal that fell on my nose and broke it, actually got pissed and said, "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CATCH ME!" Yeah, pretty sure I did, WITH MY FACE. She didn't ask if I was okay, which I also mentioned and I said to my friend, "crap, I better look around to make sure she isn't behind me or something." I looked, I didn't see her behind me. The girl that I caught with my face approached me at practice that day and said she was behind me, but I didn't see her. She felt awful and I felt like an asshole. As any good cheerleader does, I hugged it out with her. Seriously. Yeah, this really happened.
The point of THESE stories? NO PAIN, NO GAIN! Now, go get 'em, tiger!!!!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you still in disbelief that I was ever a cheerleader, until next time. . .
You know how I'm a terrible dancer and in my adult life, a terrible gymnast? Well, I can't say that I was much better at gymnastics as a child, either. I wasn't good at all. I just really liked it a lot as a kid. So, there we are one evening, working on SIMPLE things on the trapezoid and the springboard. You know, straddle over the trapezoid, side sweep of the legs over the trapezoid and the tuck through on, you guessed it, the trapezoid. It wasn't even a real horse. Sigh.
Anyhoo, they kept piling on the trapezoid pieces. At this point, it was about 5 feet tall. I told the coach that it was too tall for me to go over it. She said to just do it. So, I did. I ran as fast as I could, hit that springboard as hard as I could, got up there, placed my hands on the trapezoid and went to put my feet through my arms and... uh-oh, it WAS too tall! The tops of my feet and my ankles caught the side of the trap and I fell forward, sliding down on my belly onto the mats below, but my calfs were touching my head. I was pretty much folded in half and couldn't breathe. (Right about now, my sister is laughing at this and she wasn't even there, but the imagery is enough to make her laugh until she cries) The coaches all run up to me and tell me not to move. Uhhhh, I'm not going to just lie there and leave my legs up there, not able to breathe, so I rolled at least where I could get my legs down and get on my back. An ambulance was called, got a ride to the hospital only to find that I had cracked a couple of ribs and bruised a lot of ribs and was very lucky I didn't break my back. Sigh. Yeah, that all really happened.
My second year of cheerleading, during a stunt and a school pep assembly, the flyer lost balance and fell. She fell on my face. It was her hip bone on my nose, to be exact. I blacked out for a couple seconds and had to leave the gym floor. Went to the doctor to find that my nose, while not a clean break, was indeed cracked and I could expect my eyes to blacken in the days to come. Yay.
As I was telling the story to one of my friends at school, while walking down the hall, I happened to mention that the gal that fell on my nose and broke it, actually got pissed and said, "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CATCH ME!" Yeah, pretty sure I did, WITH MY FACE. She didn't ask if I was okay, which I also mentioned and I said to my friend, "crap, I better look around to make sure she isn't behind me or something." I looked, I didn't see her behind me. The girl that I caught with my face approached me at practice that day and said she was behind me, but I didn't see her. She felt awful and I felt like an asshole. As any good cheerleader does, I hugged it out with her. Seriously. Yeah, this really happened.
The point of THESE stories? NO PAIN, NO GAIN! Now, go get 'em, tiger!!!!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you still in disbelief that I was ever a cheerleader, until next time. . .
Monday, June 4, 2012
Vicious Cycles and Another Chapter in the History with PIC #2
Almost anything is a cycle. The whole working out thing is also cyclic. You know, you are going along, doing really well, making it happen, then something happens, you lose focus, gain weight, get lazy, then you decide to do something about it and the cycle starts all over again. It is unfortunate that being human gets in the way and this is how it happens. I think the ones that this doesn't happen to are the lucky ones. I'm not so lucky. At all.
You may be surprised to know that I was a cheerleader in high school. Yup. I was. As I mentioned before, my family was not a physically motivated one by nature. I was still pretty stinking chubby as a freshman in high school, but I worked so very hard to make the sophomore cheer squad. My jean hiking dad was not happy that I would be prancing (literally a way to move as a cheerleader, by the way) in a short skirt. I look at pictures of the first time I wore that uniform and it really isn't too pretty. Chubby legs, but getting there.
Anyhoo, I continued cheerleading for my sophomore, junior and part of my senior year. I loved it. Cheerleading was my passion. It was really what I lived to do. I really loved it. I actually felt it was something that I was decent at doing for the time that I did it.
It was in the early fall, my sister was having her cheerleading pictures taken at a local park, I had my jean hiking dad's car for the week while he was on vacation, it was after school and PIC #2 and I were going to spend the afternoon until we had to pick my sister up at another local park and hangout for our friends. We stopped at home and I briefly thought about taking the family dog with us, but decided against it. PIC #2 and I were on our way, stopped waiting to turn into the park and we were hit from behind by a woman going extremely fast. The impact pushed us into oncoming traffic and we hit the side of an oncoming vehicle with the front of our car. Gasoline was pouring out everywhere, we get out, dazed and slightly confused. We were met shortly thereafter by some of our friends who had heard the accident.
None of my friends wanted me to look at the car, which everyone knew that my dad had purchased brand new in the 1970's. The car was accordioned up the front and the back. The back seat was touching the back of the front seats. The only part that wasn't smashed was the compartment that PIC #2 and I were sitting in. Neither one of us was seriously injured. She and I felt it the next morning and had whiplash, but that's all we knew at the time. We later found out that the woman driving the car was on her way to take her mother to dialysis when her mother started "gurgling." She started to tend to her mother, foot on the accelerator and accelerated straight into us, turning at the very last millisecond to try and avoid the crash.
I started cheerleading and had a bit of pain in my left knee. I worked through it, icing it, kept going to practice and just pushed on. One of the first games we cheered, my knee swelled up to the size of a softball. It was hot to the touch and just plain weird. I had to sit out a bulk of that game in the stands and tried to ice it. It was difficult to walk and felt like there was bone grinding against bone when I would walk.
Went to the doctor and had an MRI. The doctor found that the cartilage behind my kneecap was rigid, jagged and indeed grinding against the bone. Upon closer examination, it seemed that the months of working through the pain and soreness did me no good. My leg had retrained itself to adjust and alleviate the pain by using different muscles. A "normal" motion of you kneecap when you bend and straighten your leg is an "s" and mine was an "L." Great. The doctor's solution: arthroscopic surgery to remove and smooth the kneecap and to snip the muscle that was pulling my kneecap in the "L" direction to strengthen and retrain my muscles. Yay. Not really. During the accident, the placement of my left leg (which I do NOT do to this day) was outstretched and almost straight, which was how I used to drive. Upon the impact, the doctor concluded that I basically jammed the knee. Great.
The surgery was awful. It was painful and the recovery was terrible. I have problems every now and again with storms and if my shoes aren't cushiony enough on hard surfaces for prolonged amounts of time. Anyhoo, I had to drop cheerleading and it was devastating to me. I hated having to do that. Fortunate for me, during this time, my metabolism still actually worked and I didn't have to worry too much about keeping the weight off. I wasn't able to resume full activity for quite a while, but by then, cheerleading was over and I had graduated and started college. Working out didn't have the same meaning as it did when I had cheerleading goals and reasons to be working out, other than the sheer pleasure to workout. I struggled with that for a long time.
Point of this story? It IS important to have goals. They can be YOUR goals and they can be trivial (me wanting to be able to get out of my car and flip my hair with confidence). They can be important. They can be meaningful. Or they can be that "something" you need to keep pushing on. Whatever your reason may be, make it your own. Find your niche. Find what it was that you thought you had lost.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that are in disbelief that I was ever a cheerleader, until next time...
You may be surprised to know that I was a cheerleader in high school. Yup. I was. As I mentioned before, my family was not a physically motivated one by nature. I was still pretty stinking chubby as a freshman in high school, but I worked so very hard to make the sophomore cheer squad. My jean hiking dad was not happy that I would be prancing (literally a way to move as a cheerleader, by the way) in a short skirt. I look at pictures of the first time I wore that uniform and it really isn't too pretty. Chubby legs, but getting there.
Anyhoo, I continued cheerleading for my sophomore, junior and part of my senior year. I loved it. Cheerleading was my passion. It was really what I lived to do. I really loved it. I actually felt it was something that I was decent at doing for the time that I did it.
It was in the early fall, my sister was having her cheerleading pictures taken at a local park, I had my jean hiking dad's car for the week while he was on vacation, it was after school and PIC #2 and I were going to spend the afternoon until we had to pick my sister up at another local park and hangout for our friends. We stopped at home and I briefly thought about taking the family dog with us, but decided against it. PIC #2 and I were on our way, stopped waiting to turn into the park and we were hit from behind by a woman going extremely fast. The impact pushed us into oncoming traffic and we hit the side of an oncoming vehicle with the front of our car. Gasoline was pouring out everywhere, we get out, dazed and slightly confused. We were met shortly thereafter by some of our friends who had heard the accident.
None of my friends wanted me to look at the car, which everyone knew that my dad had purchased brand new in the 1970's. The car was accordioned up the front and the back. The back seat was touching the back of the front seats. The only part that wasn't smashed was the compartment that PIC #2 and I were sitting in. Neither one of us was seriously injured. She and I felt it the next morning and had whiplash, but that's all we knew at the time. We later found out that the woman driving the car was on her way to take her mother to dialysis when her mother started "gurgling." She started to tend to her mother, foot on the accelerator and accelerated straight into us, turning at the very last millisecond to try and avoid the crash.
I started cheerleading and had a bit of pain in my left knee. I worked through it, icing it, kept going to practice and just pushed on. One of the first games we cheered, my knee swelled up to the size of a softball. It was hot to the touch and just plain weird. I had to sit out a bulk of that game in the stands and tried to ice it. It was difficult to walk and felt like there was bone grinding against bone when I would walk.
Went to the doctor and had an MRI. The doctor found that the cartilage behind my kneecap was rigid, jagged and indeed grinding against the bone. Upon closer examination, it seemed that the months of working through the pain and soreness did me no good. My leg had retrained itself to adjust and alleviate the pain by using different muscles. A "normal" motion of you kneecap when you bend and straighten your leg is an "s" and mine was an "L." Great. The doctor's solution: arthroscopic surgery to remove and smooth the kneecap and to snip the muscle that was pulling my kneecap in the "L" direction to strengthen and retrain my muscles. Yay. Not really. During the accident, the placement of my left leg (which I do NOT do to this day) was outstretched and almost straight, which was how I used to drive. Upon the impact, the doctor concluded that I basically jammed the knee. Great.
The surgery was awful. It was painful and the recovery was terrible. I have problems every now and again with storms and if my shoes aren't cushiony enough on hard surfaces for prolonged amounts of time. Anyhoo, I had to drop cheerleading and it was devastating to me. I hated having to do that. Fortunate for me, during this time, my metabolism still actually worked and I didn't have to worry too much about keeping the weight off. I wasn't able to resume full activity for quite a while, but by then, cheerleading was over and I had graduated and started college. Working out didn't have the same meaning as it did when I had cheerleading goals and reasons to be working out, other than the sheer pleasure to workout. I struggled with that for a long time.
Point of this story? It IS important to have goals. They can be YOUR goals and they can be trivial (me wanting to be able to get out of my car and flip my hair with confidence). They can be important. They can be meaningful. Or they can be that "something" you need to keep pushing on. Whatever your reason may be, make it your own. Find your niche. Find what it was that you thought you had lost.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that are in disbelief that I was ever a cheerleader, until next time...
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