Time Travel

Have you ever wished you could go back in time to some point in your life and do things different, in order to have your life be changed in some way???

I just finished a book, "Return to Summerhouse" by Jude Deveraux, and the three women in the book did just that.  They traveled back to the 18th Century and made some changes to lives back then and when they returned to the present, they found their lives were different.

And it got me to thinking.  Would I want to go back in time, in order to have my life be different?  I've often thought that I was born in the wrong century, by about 100 years, that I would have been a good farmer's wife sort of person.  Would I have endured the hardships of those times?  More than likely.   But what about my life as it is now? Is there something I wish had been different? 

I think back to high school, and wonder what would have been different if I'd applied myself more.   I remember taking classes that I would pass with good grades rather than classes I would have to work harder in.  I shouldn't have opted for the easy way out.

I think back to my high school sweetheart and wonder if I really loved him in the way that grownups love each other in a good marriage, or did I confuse my feelings of something else for love?  Considering that the marriage didn't last, that in time I realized that there were other feelings that go along with love (like respect, common interests, etc) that weren't there.  But also realize that if I hadn't married him, would I have had my two children? 

Ahh the conundrum of rethinking one's life. 

I was always mildly passionate about taking photos, maybe that would have been a career option to pursue --- funny how back in those days, girls were taught secretarial skills and thought to be useful as administrative assistants to busy executives.  But I lived in Silicon Valley -- maybe some college, some other kind of formal training would have led elsewhere if I'd gone to college?


Everyone ponders alternate futures for themselves. 
Most of us just don't know how to make it happen.

That was the theme of the movie "Back to the Future" ... where Marty McFly went back to when his parents met at the dance, interactions with his parents causing them to do things slightly different, which made their futures altered just a little bit. 

It would be an exciting possibility --- as long as I could be sure the changes would be positive changes! 

Hoppy Easter!

Hoppy 

Easter!

No one left me a basket of goodies,

and sadly, I wasn't blessed with a visit

from some male dressed as a bunny,

but I happened to see this lil bunny

on my walk in the park yesterday!

Sis Turns 50

Today, my little sister turns 50 - gosh where does the time go?  In my mind, both of us are still in our 30s... when the truth of the matter is my daughter is already 30 and her kids are fast approaching that as well!!  

A sister is a little bit of childhood 

that can never be lost.  

~Marion C. Garretty

You can kid the world.  But not your sister.  

~Charlotte Gray

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden

~Author Unknown

There are so many long ago memories I have of my sister.  I was the very proud big sister when she was born.  As a family, we did so many things together, but I don't ever remember any big fights.  Funny how memories are, what I remember most is the summer the entire neighborhood of kids played hide n go seek after supper.  We weren't allowed to go out and play until dinner dishes were done.  We had a contest to see how fast we could do the entire meal's dishes the entire summer.  I don't think there was a night that we took longer than 10 minutes, I also recall getting them done in five minutes on the good nights.  I washed, she dried.  Dad always told people he had more than one dishwasher -- and their names were Linda and Lori!  hahahahhahaa

Being 4 years apart made a big difference in our growing up years.  We weren't in the same school together during jr high or high school.  And we're different as night and day when it comes to personalities . She's extroverted, outspoken, always smiling, and always having friends over.  I'm quite the opposite, introverted, reading books, quiet and keeping to myself.  But even with our differences, we'll always be sisters.  

Love you, Lori! 

A sister is a gift to the heart, 

a friend to the spirit,

 a golden thread to the meaning of life.  

~Isadora James

Be Awesome

It's Saturday morning, and the skies are overcast, makes me want to curl back into bed and grab some extra sleep. But Sadie has other ideas, of course, wanting to play, tussle, wrestle, anything for attention!


After a quick breakfast, and a walk for Sadie, I headed out to the gym.  I really needed to get out there and burn up some energy, some calories.  Good workout, but my right glut is still very sore, I could barely handle the incline, so I opted for speed.  Getting 2 miles in, then working the weight machines felt really good!

Still wasn't a fully sun filled morning, but I camped out in my backyard chair to read... needless to say, I found myself dozing off.  When I came in, I thought I would read a little more -- and found myself taking a long nap!  Guess I was that tired :)

Which surprises me, as my sleep lately has been very good.  I'm on day 11 without the tv running all night, and I haven't had to get up in the middle of the night for anything.  A small miracle in itself with my pup!  But perhaps my daily vitamins are working, or my workouts are working, or the new routines I've created for myself have helped.  I'm thinking the last one has been the one to help the most.  Things are calmer lately, the stress is gone -- I like to think I've let go completely; I know that I haven't, but I'm working on it.  

If your life is topsy turvy, really busy, or just a little stressed, make sure you're taking time for you - to work on yourself, your routines, take your vitamins, and don't forget to be awesome! 

The Evening Sky

It was looking to be a perfect spring evening here in the Valley of the Sun ... I grabbed my book, a tall cool drink and headed out into my backyard.  I arranged my lounge chair so I could watch the sun set and settled in, reading and admiring the sun as it dipped lower in the sky.   Of course, I'm in the middle of a James Patterson novel, always a gripping tale!  There were a few scattered clouds across the horizon, and the sun bounced pinks and purples across the evening sky as the sun set.  My story became a page turner as the hero was being sought after by the mob; I munched a slice of pizza all at the same time.

I am always in awe of the sunsets here, the colors are always so intense.  And sadly, we don't often take moments out of our busy lives to appreciate the wonders of nature, the beautiful moments in life that have nothing to do with our choices, they just happen. 

And when we happen to catch one, its beautiful.

If you haven't watched a sunset in a long while, maybe its time you got out there and did it.  Life is too short, too precious to waste time on things that might not have meaning in a day, a week, or a month. 

Love Yourself

Do It Different

Einstein said, "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results," is insanity—and doing even more of the same old thing is even crazier. If you want different results, you need to think outside of the box and do things differently.

For me, this applies to the whole diet and exercise routine.  Doing the same cardio, the same resistance things keeps me in the same place.  And I want to be out of that place and on my way to losing pounds, and creating muscle that burns calories more efficiently.

One of the things I need to admit to myself is that life can't go back to the way it was.  My new way of eating has to be forever, a lifetime.  My biggest downfall:  tortilla chips.  If they're in the house, I'm wanting them.  Just that little bit of salty crunch is very satisfying.  But remember that old Lay's commercial where "no one can eat just one" ... well, that's so true for me.  I've done better, I can be happy, satisfied, with just one serving.  However, I'm convinced that even one helping is sabotaging my weekends, and by Monday when I hop on that scale, I'm so disappointed in myself. 


I read on one of my SparkPeople pages that when it comes to having trouble resisting that sweet tooth of yours, for example, (or tortilla chips) -- don’t waste time blaming yourself or trying to figure out what’s wrong with your willpower. Ask yourself what the payoff really is. Is it simple pleasure, emotional comfort, or relief from boredom or other unwanted feelings? Then ask yourself what you can do that would give you that same payoff, without the extra calories.  Focus on what you do right, and work on it from that angle.

But really, that lesson could apply to a lot of things in life.  If we're doing things for the wrong reasons, we need to face those reasons and start doing different things in order to achieve different results.  If we keep doing the same thing(s) over and over again, we can't expect different results.

It's time to do it different. Now.

Weigh In Weds

After Monday's workout, and Tuesday's mark for reaching a new goal, my body was burned out for my weigh-in.  Granted, I still went, but thankfully Russell understands and toned the workout down.  We did a bunch of boxing moves and those are always good workouts.  There's nothing like putting on a glove and punching away at something to release a little frustration. 


And frustration was what I felt when I stepped on that scale.  We all know that working out and eating right doesn't always bring the results we want -- meaning the numbers on the scale.  And I'm no exception.  I still expect to see the numbers going down, even when logic tells me that it won't happen all the time.  In fact, I had steeled myself for a 2 lb gain, and it was only a half pound gain.  As Russell pointed out, it could be extra water retention because its warmer outside now.  Or because of the amount of sodium intake over the last couple of days.
(Or lets face it honestly, maybe is was the Venti Green Tea frap from Starbucks!)

But the scale isn't always a good enough measure.  Russell and I talked about this from the beginning, and he takes body fat measurements on Weds as well.  And those showed me down a half percent.  Not a lot, but down is better.  So I'm crossing my fingers that next Weds will have some results on the scale for me as well.  Because no matter what I tell myself, the scale is my ultimate measure -- and my emotional downfall when I don't achieve my expectations.

So, I plod along in my days, working on calories, cardio and (mental) conditioning.  I have to admit, having a trainer is worth the expense -- a great big Thank You to Russell Daniels at 24 hour fitness, you're the best! (Especially when you push me to do things I think I can't do! hehehe )

Break Your Rut

 








Sometimes you have to

break your rut,

switch up your routine

in order to do something

with meaning.




We get so busy

doing our day-to-day

stuffs, that we forget

there's a whole world out there.

Take a minute or two

to appreciate it,

bask in the glory

of a wonderful sunset.

Pix taken from Hole in the Rock

at Papago Park.















Me and my shadow!
(And Sadie's too!)

Speedy Gal

It's Happy Dance Time!!  wow... what a day at the gym (work -- eh, the usual stuff).  I went to the gym thinking I need to do a little extra cardio today.  I hadn't worked on it in a big way in a while, so I hopped on the treadmill and started cranking out the miles.  I kept it at 4mph minimum, and kept raising the incline every minute until I hit the 4 mark, then back down every minute.  I repeated this process for the first two miles.  This "High Intensity" works up a good sweat, and cranks out the calorie burn. I made 2 miles in 30 minutes.  And I thought to myself "wouldn't 4 miles in 60 minutes be great?"   But I've never been able to maintain that speed for such a long time, getting winded about the 45 minute mark was normal for me. 

For the second two miles, I left the incline off and concentrated on speed, and making it to my goal.  I kept hitting my mp3 player to skip to tunes that matched the pace of my feet.  Oh yeah.... feel the burn!  If a new song was cranking, I'd push the speed up to 5mph and run for a minute or two.   Down to the wire and I was worried about reaching the 4 mile mark by 60 minutes, so the last tenth of a mile, I cranked it up to 5.2mph and pushed it to the limit ----     4 miles in 58 minutes!!!

Good golly, I wanted to shout and dance right then and there....
but couldn't, as I needed time to catch my breath.  lol

I have always said its the little things, the little steps, that lead to bigger and better things.  2 years ago when I walked into the gym, I couldn't go more than 3mph for 20 mins, then 30 mins ..... No way did I ever think I would be running on the treadmill.  But here I am, a lot of little steps and some hard work, and I can do it.... With little steps, little goals, you make progress every day.   4 more pounds to go and I'll have lost 40  pounds. I look at the numbers and try to remember the last time I was this light.  Before 1998.  That's a long time ago. 

I'm determined that I'll never go back.  Over the weekend, I tossed out all the old panties that just don't fit any more.  I mean, you know its bad when you pull them up over your thighs into place, and there's so much more room that they'll reach up and over your waist -- or more!!  I can't help but wonder if I tugged and pulled in the right direction, could I get them up and over my chest, so it would look like I'm wearing a one-piece swimsuit?? hahahahahahhaa

Happy Tuesday, ya'll !

Mondays

Sleep escapes me for the moment in the wee morning hours
typical Monday with too much to do and not enough time

An hour goes by and I still can't get back to sleep.
is there something on my mind that keeps me from sleeping?

Nothing on TV to help relax, so I jumped on the computer,
thinking that a little bit of writing might help.

I should be tired; my muscles were used and abused at the gym.
My trainer is the best:  he worked me very hard, but after
he stretched out my muscles.
I lay on the floor, and he raises my leg, keeping it straight
and gently pushes to stretch the hamstring.  When I reach
the point where its enough, I say so.  He holds that position
until I relax into the stretch, and then stretches just a bit more.
Ahhhhhhhhh.  It feels so good when he releases it.
Then he holds my shoulder to the floor with one hand,
while pushing my knee across my body to touch the floor
on the opposite side.   Snap.  Crackle. Pop ... ahhhhhhhhh
yes, my creaky old body makes a few noise, but boy

does this feel good.

My body feels weightless after his ministrations
and there's a feeling there's nothing I can't do!

I feel as if I could run a marathon!

hehehe... but I didn't.

Promise Me

Promise Me - Richard Paul Evans

I sat down to start this book this morning -- and couldn't put it down.  It's a warm loving tale of a woman who finds out her husband cheated but cares for him during his terminal cancer.  Her daughter is ill with a celiac autoimmune disease and doesn't know it yet.  But that's just the basics before the real story begins. After much heartache and the usual problems facing a single mother, Beth meets a very handsome man named Matthew.  She's leery about dating, but he's very patiently persistent.  After a couple of dates, they're very much in love.  And he seems to know things about her that she's never told him. 

When her house mortgage falls into arrears, in a bit of desperation she takes a home improvement loan out to do some repairs in order to sell the house.  And Matthew takes off with her $60k loan.  She's furious, of course, and hunts him down, finding him in a gambling hall.  After a screaming match, she leaves, telling him to never contact her again only to find him knocking on her door the next day, handing her a check for over $2M.  He tells her "we need to talk," and they do.

What he tells her are things that seem quite impossible, but apparently aren't.

If you only had 10 months to live before everything goes back to the way it was, what would you do?  Travel? Visit relatives or old friends? Experience everything you can?  That's exactly what they do. But in the end, they cannot stay together.  Beth asks Matthew to promise that he will never forget her.  He makes the promise, but isn't sure its within his means to do that.

If you need a quick read, something light and full of delight and smiles, this is a very good choice!
You won't be disappointed :)

Love

A New Day

I'm awake, and its a new day.
The sun breaks over the horizon
and the sky brightens.
With just enough chill in the air
I slip into a hoodie and step outside.
The air is crisp, clean and remnants
of woodsmoke hang in the air. 
Should I build up the fire again,
and cook some morning bacon?
It would smell heavenly, but I
check the fridge -- out of eggs.
Darn!

What will this day hold?
I wonder as I wander across
the backyard.
My mind flits from thought
to thought, just like a butterfly
from flower to flower.
There are so many things to do,
and yet doing nothing sounds
like a perfectly good plan, too.

Back inside, I look at my still
rumpled bed, thinking how warm
it must be under the covers.
Kicking off my slippers,
I slide back under them,
nestling into the warm spot,
curl onto my side,
close my eyes
and let sleep return.
Just for a few more moments.

LDPoetry, 2013

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a worldwide event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and held towards the end of March annually, encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. The event, conceived by WWF and Leo Burnett, first took place in 2007.

Today was Earth Hour, and at 8:30pm, I turned off all my essential lights, the computer and the TV.  At first, it was a little unnerving because it was so early in the evening, and my first thought was to fall into bed and sleep.  Instead, I lit a candle, curled up with a book, but couldn't concentrate.  I was curious how many others in my town, in my neighborhood, were participating.  Was too hard to tell by peeking out my window. 

While I agree this could be a good thing, I wasn't so much about the climate change aspect as I was having people tuned away from the TV and trying something different for a change.

Did you participate in Earth Hour??

To Do Lists

Bored out of my Gourd -- I like that phrase, its very descriptive of how I'm feeling.  Sure, I have a ton of chores on my To Do list... but lets be honest.  Who wants to spend a day off doing chores????  I could be sitting in the sun, reading a book, adding to my tan.  I could go shopping I suppose (that usually falls under the 'chore' category though).  I took Sadie to the park for an early morning walk, and that was pleasant, but I think every other person in the Valley decided to do that today!!


I worry myself silly when I feel like this -- is it some kind of depression?   I suppose it could be; one of the things I've noticed when I feel this way is that I want to eat, imagine that I'm hungrier than is warranted.  Which makes me wonder if I shouldn't just climb into my gym clothes and head off for a workout.  But I try and justify the time needed to do that with the time I need to be spending on chores, paying bills, doing my taxes...

And in the long run, what I end up doing is sitting here on the computer, trying to rationalize my not accomplishing anything. 

We all make To Do lists from time to time - especially when life gets so busy, so complicated, that if we don't write things down, we might forget to do something important.  But this one I found says it all.  No matter what little necessities need to be done in our lives, its important to remember that its the little things that matter.  If we practice these things while doing our own To Do lists, life could be just that much more happier!

Fooled

There are two ways to be fooled.

One is to believe what isn't true;

the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

-Soren Kierkegaard

Came across this in my reading tonight... and its so true. 

I've been on both ends  ... 

for me, falling in love meant believing what isn't true.  

And delaying the inevitable because I refused to allow 

myself to believe what I knew in my heart to be true 

Life sure can be hard at times. 

But ... I'm a survivor!!

Sometimes....

Phoenix

The Phoenix symbolizes long life, rebirth

The Phoenix always rises from its own ashes. 
It can be a metaphor for always picking yourself up 
when you are down.

The legend of the Phoenix can be simply interpreted to mean that the end is only the beginning.

A Phoenix also means a person or thing regarded as uniquely remarkable in some respect.


This is a photo I found that captured my imagination, gave me a spark as I jumped up and down excitedly, going "YES! This is my next tat!!!"

Of course, as with any tat decision, one needs to be sure about the commitment to having it.  So I've been looking on the web for other ideas, and found the two below that are close.  But I'm still leaning toward this original one.  I love the flowing curves of the 'body', it gives it a very feminine look, and with a little adjustments, making it a little curvier - to match my own body type!

What do you think?  Any ideas? thoughts? preferences?  Drop me a note, let me know!!

 

Luv my Pug!

This is Sadie - she's a pug, nearly a year old,

and when I take her out walking,

we get the best comments! 

Even people who aren't the kind of

"dog people" who approach strange dogs,

they still smile at her when she ambles their way!

Yesterday at Riparian, there were probably 15

or so people fishing along the bank of the pond,

and every single one of them smiled at Sadie....

I wish I had pictures of those smiles --

it was something to see! 

Pugs are very social; they're described as being

"Stubborn, Attentive, Docile, Quiet, Charming, Playful, Clever, Sociable"  (I would also add mischievous!!)  I've had dogs in the past, but the one thing I have found very different about pugs is that unlike other breeds, pugs love being with their owner all the time.  Yes.... ALL the time.  

 

Which can sometimes be difficult! !!

OooopS!

It happens from time to time.  We all mistakenly send something meant for someone else to the wrong person.  It's easier than ever in our speedy technological world.  Every now and then I'll get a message that doesn't make any sense -- like walking into the middle of conversation between two other people.  Most of the time I can overlook it -- I guess who the message is coming from is what determines our feelings and reactions about these bloopers.

My own issues with it are caused by my own expectations.  But when it happens more than a couple times, its harder to overlook.  When it happens from 'someone special' in your life, it hurts.  It's happened before in the past, and I laughed it off, letting the hurt roll off my like water on a duck's back.

But at what point do you draw the line, say enough is enough??

Anger

Anger is such a bad thing for us.... it creates stress on our bodies, on our minds, and on our souls.  Most of the time, we can no longer change the things we are angry about.  If we could -- what would the point of anger be?   I think anger should be acknowledged, understood (if that's possible), and then released. 

I used to be angry with my ex husband(s) -- when things happened, when things fell apart, I was hurt and angry.  Half the time, those feelings were not based on things they did, but more on my own expectations on how life was going to be.  When our expectations let us down, there's nothing and no one to blame (other than ourselves). Even though a divorce is a painful thing, if we're open and wise, we can learn about ourselves -- and prepare for a better life. 

Don't get burned by holding on to anger.

Motivation Thought

 

Ability, Motivation and Attitude

Without them, we're nothing! 

Weigh In Weds

Lots of angst going on today, I didn't sleep well last night, and my trainer, Russell, is on vacation.

On a good note, I went to the gym, and did my own weigh in -- down another pound.  I was hoping for more, felt like I'd made some good progress, I had my hopes on an awesome week.  But... any progress is better than NO progress.  

On a good note, another personal best on the treadmill 
working on my speed - 2 miles in 28:18  ..... Yippee! :)

Maybe that's because I'm trying to outrun the demons in my mind.  I was awake last night with tidbits of convos running through my mind.  I get mad at myself for thinking or assuming that others are as open as I am.

And really, its the little things.  Saying something untruthful sure is hurtful in the long run.  It takes two people to make a friendship, relationship or marriage work well.  By the same token, shame on me for believing things without questioning them.  Why is it that we so easily believe with our hearts, and leave logic out of the equation when it comes to relationships?  The really sad/bad/hurtful part is what happens when the truth comes out.  Things can never go back to how they were before. 

 It wasn't just ascii text crossing the great internets. 
It could have been the best.


The hardest part for me is getting past the self esteem issues-- 
the negative part of my brain that asks "why am I never good enough???" 
I'm good, just not good enough.  
Except I am.
I am a good, caring person.
I am good enough.
I am enough.

Adios Lounge

There's a song by Tom Waits called Adios Lounge.  Like most of his music, its more than just words and a melody.  There's a raw honesty in the songs he chooses to sing.  And in his edgy whiskey soaked voice, a trademark growl, he belts out the following chorus:

• Don't let nobody go there for you
• Don't be satisfied with a second-hand life
• Don't let nobody stifle or bore you
• Handle your troubles or take on your strife
• Don't let nobody live your life for you
• Not your friends, not your kids, no not even your wife
• If you want to know where the rainbow ends
• It's you who´ve got to go there and find it my friend

We each need to live our own lives, to find our own joys.  This song popped up on my mp3 player yesterday, and I've been addicted to it for the past two days now.  Because sometimes we all get into ruts, situations, habits and we forget that we're important too. 

You can listen to the tune here.

Just a reminder, my friend, that time passes much more quickly than we realize. 
What are you waiting for?
Its time to live for yourself.

Day 9

I was too tired to post yesterday.  Work is going well..... errr, well enough.  As I get tired, I realized today that I can do my job, the functions that are performed every day.  But the more days I'm there, the harder it is to think about things outside the normal realm.  But that's ok... its nearly done and heading toward the weekend!


After my workout yesterday, I came home, put Sadie on her leash, loaded up the car and off we headed to Riparian Preserve (Our fav place to walk and take pix!)


A local photographer is posting challenges for photos -- and this week's topic was "Green".

Sadie and I stopped here along the creek and captured this hmmm... water grass.

There's something so peaceful about the sound of running water.  I've always loved that -- wouldn't a cabin near a river be a wonderful way to retire?





A new Personal Best today on the elliptical machine: 

2 miles in 27:45 - with a calorie burn of 318! 

(When I am working the mileage, my goal is to be more than 10 calories per minute -- which would have been 274 -- that's how I know I'm working harder than average)

My trainer is on vacation - but that doesn't stop him from being in touch!  Thanks, Russell, for the Happy St Pat's wishes!  And yes, even though you're not there, I'm still hitting it hard (just not as hard as when you're putting me through my paces!!!)

Day 7 - Sleep On!

And I'm sure you can predict that I will say Yep, I'm tired!!!  Just that much work makes a body tired, but at the same time there were issues at home here that caused Sadie to not sleep, which caused ME to not sleep.....  what a cycle.

The problem with that is two sided -- not only is it hard to be efficient at my job, but when I'm tired, all I want to do is reach for comfort foods - because eating something just might help me feel better (when we all know what's needed is a good night's sleep!)

So I found on WebMD these little blurbs and that totally explains it:

Could lack of sleep be causing you to gain weight?

Think about it: If you’re feeling sleepy at work, you may be tempted to reach for a cup of coffee (or several cups) and a doughnut for a quick shot of energy. Later you may skip the gym and pick up takeout on your way home to your family -- no time to cook. When you finally find yourself back in your bed, you are too wound up to sleep.
 
“It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly,” explains Michael Breus, PhD

The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”

Well.  I don't know about you, but I feel better knowing this now!!  Sleep is important for everything to function properly, and if I'm not getting my sleep, my efforts (and money) at the gym are being totally wasted.   And I won't let that happen......

Gotta get my sleep on!!

Happy St Patrick's Day, everyone :)

Day 6

I stayed very focused today and got through *every task* on my job -- and that felt wonderful!  I haven't been at this point in a while, due to extra work, extra tasks, extra 'spit and polish' for an audit.  Ugh.  But this means that tomorrow should be a breeze for me -- as long as there are no extra tasks thrown at me!   and I sure could use a break in that area  :)

As tired as all this extra work makes me, I still didn't let it keep me from my gym routine.  It was an effort to go, but once there, I slipped into gym mode and hustled through my cardio.  I noticed I was awfully hungry today, so I didn't skimp on the calories.  Don't want my body to think I'm starving it -- slows down the metabolism.

Spaghetti was on the menu for tonight, and when I got home I stuck some tomatoes I had in the fridge into my Montel blender and whirrrrrrred them up to make sauce!  If I'd had some extra veggies or something, I would have spun them in too -- and passed them off as "oregano" if they were noticed. hahahhaha

ok, off to bed again... no late nights for this Gal when I'm working extra days :)

Day 5

Five days into it... and I'm exhausted.  Or I must be.  I worked a six hour day today, then headed for the gym, where I proceeded to go through my routine of cardio for 2 miles then some resistance training using the machines and free weights.  By the time I was done and home, I slipped into the backyard to play with Sadie -- sat down in a chair and ..... zzzzzzzzzzz ...... my eyes closed and I was zonked. hehehehehe

Looks to be a light kind of evening -- a little computer time, a little TV time, a long hot shower and bed.

Lucky me, I get to do this all over again tomorrow! 
I'm so excited!!

Day 4

It was S.H.I.T day == So Happy Its Thursday!  hehehehe  I survived another day, even though not enough got done.  Only 6 more days to go.  When I think of it like that, my head hurts!  But I plod along, doing as much as I can .....

There was a celebration of sorts and my BigBox store provided lunch to celebrate 4th quarter earnings - there were sub sandwiches, chips, soda and cake.  Nothing real fancy, but I was diligent and stuck with my salad.  I had packed an extra protein bar in case the urge to indulge hit me, but I survived!  Sometimes its those little battles that are harder to fight than bigger issues! 

I'm gonna give myself a big pat on the back, I was checking numbers and stats and found that yesterday's weigh in was the mark of 35 pounds lost in the past year.  Yay!  When I realized that I'd reached a number I hadn't seen in ... ohhhh.... a long while... I remembered some custom sized toe rings I got when I still lived in California.  I slid them on my toes, and Taaa Daaaa!  they fit!  Who knew toes got chubby too???  *laughs*

Can't wait for sandal season to get here, and I can show them off :)

Here is today's quote from SparkPeople (where I do all my tracking)

And I think its important for us to remember.  So many of us gripe and want changes, but are unwilling to do those things that will create change.  It truly doesn't take much, its the little things that grow into bigger things that create change.  When I started at the gym, it was only 3 days a week; I could only walk for 20 mins on the treadmill and I was thrilled to be able to do one mile.  Now, two miles is the norm, but on days when I have a little extra time, my goal is 60 mins, or 3 miles, whichever comes first.  And my pace has increased, nothing less than 3.8 mph.  It took a while to build up, but just a little bit added up to bigger things.  The same can happen in our lives in other ways.  Maybe your goal is to be happier at work (yeah, I know, some things don't seem possible!! hahah)  but happiness is an attitude as much as anything else.  Sometimes all you have to do is smile.  It catches on and people smile back.  Pretty soon, people are smiling instead of being grumpies -- its the little things.  Got a project  that will take a lot of time?  Break it down into bite sized pieces, and do a little bit.  Pretty soon-- you're halfway there! 

Change isn't easy, but it's worth it!

Weigh In Weds

They seem to happen once a week!  And today was typical,... down a pound on the scale - which for those of us who are trying to get those numbers down can be a disappointment.  But its not always about the scale, and that's the part I try to remember.  I think I'm replacing fat with muscle... which is good ... but muscle weighs more.   Russell takes measurements every week and says I had a really good week, and I am pleased :)

As for my workout today, wow!  O. M. G. Workouts have been becoming more intense. It's a good thing my trainer has more confidence in me than I do!  I got to the gym early and logged in a mile on the treadmill (because I went to work early, I  left at 2:30) Little did I know what was on his agenda ... so we climb on the treadmill (rather, *I* climb on the treadmill, he's working the controls!) and says "we're only doing a half mile" and I'm thinking ok, I can do this.  Then he throws in the other part:  "We're going to see how fast you can run."  *blink*blink*  Well.  I know I can run for a bit at 5.0mph -- meaning about a minute, 90 seconds on a really good day.  I had to slow down and walk a couple of times, but got right back into the 5.0 - the whole time Russell's telling me I can do this -- is he convincing ME? or himself?  lol  Like I said, good thing he has more confidence in me than I do!   Half Mile reached in 6:25.  High Five!

Of course, the workout doesn't end there -- 50 pushups, 100 situps and 150 squats. Oh yeah, fun times! And to finish off the workout??? Yep, you guessed it, another half mile on the treadmill, trying to break the first time record.  Up to 5.1 and cranking it out, walking a couple of times, but finished strong for a few seconds at 6.5mph.... who knew these legs could run that fast???  hahahahahahahh  (This half mile took 6:05!!! )

Mileage update:   89.4  miles.  Less than 300 to go!
Look out beach.... I'm headin' your way :)
(its good to have goals!!)

Day 2

Boy.  Its a relief to finally be home!  Long shift today trying to get everything done -- how come it always seems when you know there's going to be extra work, even more seems to come out of the woodwork that needs to be taken care of??? 

To top it off, all the exercises Russell put me through yesterday bothered my "physiology" -- I seemed to be having some kind of lactic acid leftovers or something and was queasy all day.  I finally started feeling better around 2pm.  Russell's advice when that happens?  Eat a banana, eat a healthy dinner, and drink lots of water.  (I added in "take two aspirin" hehehehe)

For my workout today, it was the elliptical machine.  And for some reason, I felt great doing it, cranking out those strides. 

I had a Personal Best moment:  2 miles in 27:45 minutes....

gotta love some cardio! 

Day 1

7pm, day 1 down, and I'm tuckered out... 

I am not sure I was busier than any other Monday, but the added stress of getting it all done on my own, in time for my Weds morning audit, adds to the whole being tired feeling. 

Turned on PBS:  There's a show called "Pop, Rock and Doo Wop" on - spring ratings sweeps?  Always enjoyable to see these oldie bands performing the good ol' hits :) Do you remember the Rays singing "Took a walk and passed your house.... Late last night.  All the shades were pulled and drawn.... Way down tight.... two silhouettes on the shade" ? Or the Marcels singing "Blue Moon .... You saw me standing alone without a dream in my heart...."   I think one of the neatest things is that singing/vocals don't change much, even as we age.  These folks can still sing these great songs!! 


Saw my personal trainer today:  he worked me hard with isometrics.  All arms and shoulder work.... Who would think that just holding a muscle in one position  would work it so hard?  I will be sore in the morning, for sure!  It's also time to buy more sessions -- investing in myself is a good thing :)

Today's smoothie was strawberry vanilla, and mmmmmm so good!  Then leftover roast beef, with taters and carrots.  A very good day for me, overall!

Walking

Got some walking in today...... 

The goal :   384.0 miles

Progress :  84.7 miles

Long Week Ahead

Bedsheets changed.  Check.
Laundry done. Check.
Menus planned.  Check.
Groceries bought.  Check.
Sadie bathed. Check.
Bills paid.  Check.
Desk top cleared off. Check.
House vacuumed.  And "Sharked".  Check.

I can't think of anything else that needs to be done.

It's going to be a long ten days or more, a long work stretch as my helper is on vacation, and I'll be filling in for those days.  At the end, I'll have a long weekend, which will be nice, and I'll need it!!   These things don't happen often, so when they do, I don't really mind.  They can just be cumbersome in the preparation stage, but being an organized type person, I can pretty much handle it without stressing out too much.  There will be moments, I'm sure.  I should make a couple of music CD's that will get me over the rough parts.  That might help :)

On the way home in the car:  Al Green's "Tired of Being Alone" -- A great hit in the early 1970s.  Love watching it here on Soul Train in 1972, love the clothing, the dancers :)  This song made the Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #293.   Boy, does it bring back memories!

With chicken and burgers on the grill, its time to whip up a salad to go with them.  Maybe a few tater tots as well, since we're in a 70s mode, eh?  *grin*   I'll just step into my platform shoes and get busy.......

Be Happy

 

Its not always easy to be happy all the time,

but it becomes easier when one realizes

that happiness is all about the little things. 

Grand Affair

Every woman deserves to have one really grand love affair in her lifetime.  And I've been lucky -- I've had two or three that would qualify in the grand and romantic category!  One went like this:

I was dating a man, lets call him Chad.  We decided we needed an overnight getaway.  It was his plan, and he made all the arrangements.  We headed to a small, old fashioned town and checked into a motel.  We wandered the streets, looking in some of the little shops, and decided on a place for dinner.  Heading back to the hotel, we showered and dressed to the nines.  I wore a spring skirt with jacket, my makeup was applied with care, hair curled and topped the look off with a spring hat; it was straw with a rim of flowers around the brim, and many ribbons hanging down the back. (Don't laugh it was 1989 and I looked good!!! hahaha)   He dressed in a beautiful grey suit with a timeless cut.

It was a warm spring evening, the sun was just setting, the air was warm, birds were singing as we strolled down the street to the restaurant.  I have to admit, we turned heads!  We were far dressier than the rest of the folks who were touristing there.  The whole thing was so romantic -- like something you see in the movies!  Holding hands, long looks across the table.  I can't remember what we ate -- and that part didn't matter.  We were on the verge of something wonderful!

Back in our motel --- well, I'm sure you know how that went *grin*

(I chuckle as I think back and try to remember details:  I have no idea what we ate for dinner, or even if we had breakfast the next morning.)


What brought all that up?  I am watching
"Bridges of Madison County" again.
Yeah, I know.  But this time, it got me
thinking about Grand Affairs -- those
moments in life that are bigger than the
everyday.  And every woman deserves
to have one of those in her life. 
Memories like that get us through
the tough times, if we choose to
remember those moments.   Even when the moment doesn't turn into a lifetime of magic, we still can recall those magical moments and let them bring a smile to our face.


What makes these moments so memorable?  I think a lot has to do with how the other person made us feel:  Special.  Important.  Whole.  Loved.  The distractions of daily life were left behind for a little while, the whole focus was on the moment.   It's not wealth or things that matter, its the memories we make with people we love, who love us, that matter.

Friday at last

Ahhhh, Friday.  A very good day of the week, but if your week was anything like mine and you were running at full speed all week, once you get home and sit down, you ask yourself "What's next?" as if you need to keep going and going and going.....

I skipped the gym today.  I had eaten something that upset my tummy a lil bit, wasn't sure working out would be a good thing.  Once I got home, I had a smoothie:  apple, clementine, strawberry banana.  It tasted pretty good :) 

I thought I'd curl up and be a TV junkie for the rest of the night, but I was too antsy...  when that happens, I hook Sadie to her leash and off we go.  We drove over to Papago Park.  I was hoping for some sunset on the clouds kind of photos, but at the last minute the clouds completely covered the sun and it wasn't what I'd hoped. *sigh*  But that's Mother Nature for you!  It was still a pretty site when we looked out 'the hole' .... :)

The 1--2 Punch!

Life seems to throw us one--two punches often, and they're no fun!  Luckily, the only one--two punch I threw today was at the gym; boxing with my trainer was on the program!   It's a lot of fun, for sure, but so very complicated at times.  I forget to keep both hands up; I can toss a pretty mean punch; I get all confused when its a combination of punches.  All in all, its quite a workout though!  Russell says its like dancing... um, yeah, that explains a lot  about my boxing. hahahaha

After 20 minutes of boxing with some silly ab work thrown in, it was Bicycle Burnout time.  This was 20 minutes on the stationary bike, pumping away while holding 10lb weights in each hand and doing bicep curls and shoulder presses.  Then we tossed an 8lb medicine ball back and forth -- yes, while I was still pedaling away!!  Then came the burn:  increase the resistance every 15 seconds until I'm close to passing out, then bringing the resistance back down every 15 seconds so I can breathe again!   lol  Yep, lots of hard work today, but totally worth it! 

I spent my lunch hour in the gym trying to gain some mileage, too.  Every mile logged is that much closer to the beach for me!  the Goal is 384 miles, and I am currently at : 80.75 -- Getting closer!!

It was also Weigh In Wednesday...... drum roll please ..... (or like Russell, cow bell clang!!!)  I lost 4.5 lbs this week!  Woooo Hooooo!!  (I am convinced now that diet soda does me in --- is it because of the artificial sweeteners?  Or something else in the drink that makes me crave other "bad for me" foods??)

So... when life throws you a few one--two punches, pull on some gloves and throw a few back its way!  Its not hard to do-- but you have to do a little each day in order to reach your goals .... if I can do it, so can you!

Gorgeous Sky

What a beautiful sky we had tonight! Watching a sunset is the best way to spend an evening.....

Of course, its that much better when someone who knows you takes a minute to send you a text:  "Are you taking pics of the sky?"   That was from my personal trainer, Russell :)  He's the best! 

Thanks Russell! 




                   “The first stab of love is like a sunset,
       a blaze of color -- oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples...”
                               -Anna Godbersen

Smoooth Monday

While it was Monday, and it was a work day, it wasn't bad overall.  I've been struggling the past few days, and trying to get back to an even keel.  The biggest blessing is my workout at the gym.  Russell, my PT, is always willing to talk about successes, failures, and feelings when it comes to trying to reach a goal.  His input is always spot on with suggestions and looking at things a different way.  One of today's suggestions was to change my cardio routine and try the StairMaster tomorrow.  Oh boy -- something to look forward to!

But another thing I have been wanting to try is making a smoothie that's not just a milkshake, but something more, better for me.  I sliced up a mango, a Granny Smith apple, a banana, then tossed in a handful of "mixed spring greens" (yeppp!) added 6 ice cubes and a splash of heavy whipping cream and whrrrrrrrrrrrrr went my fancy blender.  It juiced it all up and made quite the concoction.  Of course, because of the spinach and stuff, it was green, but it was sweet and delicious as well.  I drank mine before I fixed dinner.  And I was quite full from it, and my dinner salad. 

Struggling

We are what we eat.  And sometimes we eat because of how we feel.  How many times do we feel bad, or blue, and reach for something sugary sweet to soothe the "savage beast" within?  How often do you grab potato chips when there's a problem, or when you're feeling in a funk?

That's been my day today, and I'm trying to fight it.  But is it worth the fight?  Or should a little indulgence be allowed, if we can keep it under control?  The problem for me is the latter part:  keeping it under control.  Frito Lay used to advertise their Lay's potato chips as "Bet you can't eat just one..."  how true is that?  I'm the same way with chocolate. or cookies.  or chocolate cookies.  Right now, there is a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mints in my cupboard, and I've been able to resist all day.  So far. 

I did some checking on the net, and found a website that tells what foods to eat when you're feeling blue or depressed.  The top five were:  eggs, nuts and seeds, cold water fish, ancient grains, and green tea.  All of these foods have things in them that regulate blood sugar and even off our body's chemicals so that we're more on an even keel.  Wish I'd thought to look this answer up earlier today.

I've been trying hard to keep fighting off the depression/blues today.
Lately it seems harder than ever.
I should be feeling better with my workouts and my trainer.
but I am human.
and I struggle.
Today was a rough day.
Tomorrow should be better.

Best Intentions

I wake up most days just before 5am  .... because that's when my daily alarm goes off.  And on days where I don't have to pop out of bed in order to be somewhere important, like work, I lay and contemplate all that I should accomplish in my day, or things that are important to do.   I did that this morning, thinking I would be able to get this, that and the other things all done .....

And yet, now it's 2pm and I have only accomplished a few things - necessities, mainly.  How I would love to take time to peruse my photo files and get them organized back into shape.  Or get my house cleaned up after the whirlwind week of family here.  And get back to being behind the lens - and in front of the lens too! - and get some photos taken.  I always feel terrific when I'm being creative. Taking them isn't as much of an issue as editing them.  My pup and I disagree very strongly about how much time I should be spending sitting at the computer.  *laughs*

I did manage to get into the back yard and get some of the patio stuff cleaned and hosed off.  With a puppy, that's been a waste of time lately, however, because Sadie runs through dirt and water leaving muddy footprints in every little place. Which of course makes me want to start all over again and get things cleaned up.  I had a very nice yard BD:  Before Dog!  *laughs*

My best intentions weren't good enough today to battle the bit of depression I've sunk into.  Its a cold day and all I want to do is curl up, eat some delish carbs and catch up on my sleep.  I know for a fact I can't do the carbs thing, but I am taking a bit of a siesta and curling up here for a quick nap. 

10 teaspoons

I listened to an interesting woman who was talking about heart health and how it relates to what we eat.  Our food choices these days are quite different from how we used to eat 50 years ago.  So much more of our foods are processed and/or prepared by corporations and not in our own kitchens.  And in my own quest and struggles with weight loss, I like information, all kinds of information, so that I can make informed choices. 

Her recommendation?  Limit sugar intake to 10 teaspoons per day. 

If you're like me, you read labels.  You know there is added sugar in every food we eat.  But the problem is that sugar content isn't listed in teaspoons on the label.  Plus, carbs convert to sugar in the body as well.  So how do you calculate those 10 teaspoons?  You can take the number of carbs in grams, subtract the fiber grams, and divide by 5. 

Lets take a slice of 12 grain bread.  19 carbs.  3 grams of fiber.   (19-3)/5 = 16/5 = 3 teaspoons.
and that's just one slice of bread!  And most of us eat two slices of bread for a sandwich, or with breakfast.  Hmm, this might be more difficult that we imagine!!!

With two slices of toast for breakfast here, I've reached more than half my limit for today....  lots of meat and veggies the rest of the day for me!  

I'm going to attempt this to jump start my week and see if I can get some momentum going in my weight loss journey.   If it works well, I'll keep you posted!!