So...

After I read that one new book on Mt. Everest, I went nuts and read everything I could get my hands on about Everest, all books I have read before.

So, I have read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev, Climbing High by Lene Gammelgaard, and Left for Dead by Beck Weathers. All of these books were written by the people involved in the May 1996 climbing season disaster.

It was fun to read all of the books one after the other, because they all give a different view of what happened. And still, it is unclear what REALLY happened, especially to Scott Fisher and Rob Hall, leaders of two different climbing expeditions and two of the most experienced climbers of their time. Both of them died up there...the summit day was good for climbing but for some reason they did not adhere to their turn-around time, and late in the day the storm blew in, which was the reason so many people died. Why did they not turn everyone who had not yet summitted around at 1pm, according to the plan? Some folks were still up there at 4pm - way too late even if the weather had NOT turned. We'll never know why they made the decisions they made...

And two things: 1) Anatoli Boukreev was given the shaft by Jon Krakauer (Anatoli was a hero that day)
2) Anyone who goes up there expecting to be rescued if something goes wrong is crazy. Even seasoned mountain climbers are usually in no shape to launch a rescue above 8,000 meters. It is to each his own on Everest. People who DO get rescued are plain lucky.

Mount Everest

I have a fascination with Mount Everest. I can't imagine what it is really like there. I don't actually want to climb it, but I would love to hike to Base Camp, and look up at it.

I just got done reading a book about how the mountain is being polluted, and basic human decency has evaporated with people's desire to reach the top at any cost, including stealing other climbing groups' oxygen, food, and other supplies, and leaving helpless people for dead in the "death zone" and then lying about it to their family and the media.

I suppose I can understand a *little* why people may leave climbers up on the mountain to die...most people are not in the best shape on the way down the mountain due to lack of oxygen (even *with* bottled oxygen) and sheer exhaustion and the technical difficulties of actually carrying someone down...what may take 4 hours can turn into 12 hours in this situation, turning into an even bigger loss of life. The timing of making the summit is very tight. Climbers try to make the summit by 10am (after climbing for 12-14 hours from the highest camp), and cannot stay on the summit for long. Thirty minutes is considered a very long time. Then, it is time to head back down. At any moment, the weather may change, and if you get caught on the mountain above 8,000 meters at night, you are a goner.

Climbing Everest is a big business, and part of the problem is that many very inexperienced climbers now have the opportunity to summit by hiring a guide to take them to the top. But the guide may not be as experienced as you would like when they literally have your life in their hands! Consequently, you have guides who may not be prepared for anything that may happen on the mountain, and inexperienced climbers who cannot save themselves if necessary, and who have paid upwards of $65,000 to get there. Also, it appears that Sherpas have their own agendas as well, in one of the poorest regions of the world. It all combines to create an iffy environment.

This book was interesting...and sad. The focus of the book was on one man who was a seasoned climber, but hired a guide who had a less than stellar reputation for caring for his clients. This man picked up a virus in Kathmandu, and climbed anyway, and got sicker and sicker. His family told him to come down, but he ignored the advice because he REALLY wanted to summit. Where was his guide? Not helping him. It is not even clear if he summitted. His guide left him on the mountain right below the summit, and several other climbing groups passed by him, and all had differing stories of what happened. No one ever found his body.

Everest is SO intriguing, I can see how people get tunnel vision and want to summit at any cost. Me, I would not mind seeeing it from an airplane!!!

Bear Crawl, Crab Walk, and Other Musings

So last night at kickboxing I was able to do the bear crawl MUCH better than I usually do...we had to do two laps around the gym on our hands and feet (doing ab work at the end of each straightaway), and usually I end up crawling like a baby at the end of the first lap. Not last night!! I was able to do it pretty strong for the first lap, then slowed down for the second lap but it was much improved from when I first started. We don't do bear crawls at every workout, that is why I am just noticing this!

Crab walking is a totally different story. My arms are too short to do it. Yes, you heard me, my arms.are.too.short. I can't get my butt off the floor high enough to do this. I ended up doing bear crawls and yes, crawling like a baby for this part of the workout - I have rug burns on my knees to prove it. My sister is great at the crab walk. She has longer arms than me. But I will keep trying...it could also be a muscle-deficiency!! Ha Ha.

I have read some good books lately. One was called, "Always Looking Up" by Michael J. Fox. I just love him. I loved him in Family Ties, and all the Back to the Future movies. He has done alot of good for Parkinson's research, and is just a nice person.

I also read a novel called "Oxygen" by...I can't remember. It is about an anethesiologist who loses an 8 year old on the operating table and gets blamed for it. It was a really easy read, and very suspenseful! I could not wait to see how it ended.

I am currently reading an Ann Rule book, and a book titled "The Likeness". This book is by Tana French who also wrote "In The Woods", a book I talked about earlier. This book, her second, is sooooo good. I love this author!!! Another author I really like right now is Richard Russo. I am amazed at how these people can write these stories that have such depth and just make you want to read more and more. I really need to update my book list.

My next goal is to be able to do the plank pose shown below for 2 full minutes. Looks easy, but it is not!! We do this at the end of every workout for a minute (I don't even come close to that yet!!) and cute trainer comes around and presses on our back for 10 seconds to make it even harder.

Retracting An Earlier Nickname

So, I have been going to LA Boxing for almost three months now.

Remember Mr. MuscleTurd? The one who made me feel about this big - .? Well, he has turned out to be pretty cool, and I have gotten to know him a little bit.

First of all, dare I say he is very cute. (And he knows it) But, anyway, he jokes around with my sister and I and is actually very encouraging during class. And his cuteness helps, too.

So, I am recalling my not very nice name for him, since he is turning out to be nice after all.

And I try alot harder when he is looking me in the eye and telling me to keep going.

That is a good thing!

Hellllloooo!

So, what have I been up to the past 2 months? Well, working, getting Emily ready for college, having parties, traveling, working out...it has been quite a busy summer!

LA Boxing has been so much fun, and more so now that Kath joined, too. Oddly enough, we did not see each other very much despite living 1 mile away from each other, but now we meet at the gym on Sundays and Mondays at the very least. The rest of the week we just go when we can. So it is very good. On Sunday we have been the only two in the class, so that has been fun. The instructor has us do lots of different things that we probably would not do if it were a big class.

I need to update my reading list. I have finished a bunch of books, I have just been lazy in documenting it.

Lately I dream of having a full month off from work, to really relax and think about what it is I want to do with the rest of my life. That will not happen in the near future, though, so I guess I need to think amidst the busyness that is my life.

That is it for now. Pretty dull!!

The Story of LA Boxing

A few weeks ago Alex wanted to go to this gym for a free mixed martial arts class, so I took him over, and we got a tour and the spiel from the "guy", I call him Mr. Cuteboy. As he was talking about the gym and what it offered, I was thinking, "Hey, I could really have some fun here, and what am I gonna do while Alex is taking classes? Sit around waiting for him, feeling antsy because I cannot get my OWN workout in??" Mr. Cuteboy told us we could take a class and then decide if we wanted to join.

So, a few days later, I took my first kickboxing class. Kickboxing 911, in fact, with Mr. MuscleTurd (I will explain the nickname in a minute). It was SO.HARD. But I loved it. I signed us up. Alex liked his class, too. Mr. Cuteboy was all excited and told me his life story while I filled out the application and handed over my money.

Kickboxing is exactly what I need as far as a workout goes. It is a whole body workout.

I bought a pair of pink boxing gloves. This how serious I am about this gym. Serious.

So, after a week of going to the gym regularly, Mr. MuscleTurd wants me to do a physical assessment, sort of a baseline of where I am now (apparently the bottom of the barrel) compared to where I need to go and WILL eventually end up. This is where he gets his nickname.

The assessment was a lesson in humiliation. Mr. MuscleTurd had me do a series of activites, like sit ups, push ups, squats, jump-squats, dips, plank, running on the treadmill at 15% incline at 4.5 miles per hour (yeah, right!!)while using his stopwatch to see how many of each thing I can do in a minute.

After this, we go to his office.

Let's just say, I have a long way to go (which I KNOW, why else would I subject myself to his opinion, or join the gym at all????), but seeing it all written out in Mr. MuscleTurd's little notebook, and him sitting there telling me what bad shape I am in while shaking his head...I mean seriously!!! If MY job was working at a gym all day, I would look pretty buff, too. All he did was PISS ME OFF. I have to admit that I was feeling pretty down after this little experience, but that did not last long. I think maybe he expects me to slink off in shame or something.

Well, I am going to do the opposite. He will watch me change before his very eyes, because now I am MAD.

He told me I need to do cardio for 45 minutes every day, and weights at least 3 times per week. OK. I saw him last night at the gym while I did an hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes of strength training. Phooey on him. And, I got some good tips while watching him work with another guy with the weights.

Alex asked me how my assessment was on our way home, and I told him it was humiliating, and Alex was SO SWEET. It was something I will never forget. He said he would help me with the weights, and he would do kickboxing with me. He said to just focus on making myself better, and it will happen. He is really a nice kid. I love him so very much. It is really cool that he and I can go to the gym together.

So, that is what I have been up to for the past 10 days. My legs are so sore!!! That means I am doing something right. Overall this gym is really nice. It is small, and everyone is very friendly (well, except Mr. MuscleTurd). Lots of young people (totally the opposite of Curves!!!) and classes offered at all times of the day. They are open until 9pm which is perfect for me. We have been taking 6:30pm classes.

So, tomorrow I have my weigh-in at WW, then I am heading over for an hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes of ab work and arms. Sunday is a 4.5 mile run day. In two weeks is the Peachtree Road Race. That is another funny story...for later.

In The Woods by Tana French

OK, so I should not explain what I am reading in previous posts, and then read something totally different! I tend to float around several books for a while, then focus on one that really catches my attention.

One that I picked up and thumbed through, and then read straight through without perusing anything else was In The Woods by Tana French. This book won the Edgar Award (never heard of that award, by the way) for best first novel by an American author.

This book is about three small kids who go missing from the woods in their small Dublin, Ireland town. Two kids are never found, one boy is found, and twenty years later finds himself back in his hometown investigating the murder of a twelve year old girl in the same woods. Detective Ryan has kept his secret for so long, even he does not remember alot of what happened to him on that long ago afternoon with his friends. Detective Ryan and his partner Cassie go to Knocknaree to figure out this crime.

Tana French is a beautiful writer. She has a way of making you feel like you are in the story...the characters are so easy to identify with, you care about them from the first page.

Here is one paragraph that is a good example of what I mean:

"I went to see Cassie testify, though. I sat at the back in the courtroom, which was, unusually, packed; the trial had been filling front pages and talk radio since before it even began. Cassie was wearing a neat little dove-grey suit and her curls were slicked down smoothly against her head. I hadn't seen her in a few months. She looked thinner, more subdued; the quicksilver mobility I associate with her was gone, and her new stillness brought her face home to me - the delicate, marked arches above her eyelids, the wide clean curves of her mouth - as if I had never seen it before. She was older, no longer the wicked limber girl with the stalled Vespa, but no less beautiful to me for that; whatever elliptical beauty Cassie possesses has always lain not in the vulnerable plains of color and texture, but deeper, in the polished contours of her bones. I watched her on the stand in that unfamiliar suit and thought of the soft hairs on the back of her neck, warm and smelling of the sun, and it seemed an impossible thing to me, it seemed the vastest and saddest miracle of my life: I touched her hair, once."

*sigh*

This book was one to be savored. And I did. I savored every page. It was that good.

Current Books

I am halfway through a book titled Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America. Very good book. I will review when I am done with it.

A book I really want to read and have started several times is A Man on the Moon: The Triumphant Story of the Apollo Space Program. Despite really wanting to read this book, I can never get past page 15. What is up with that?

Next up is a book titled Conspiracy of Fools, which is about the collapse of Enron.

More about books later...

Well, Hello Spring! And, A Corner Turned

It is 8:40 pm and I just got home from a FANTASTIC run!!! It is finally Spring! It stays light out longer...the temperature is perfect...the birds are singing...there is finally a spring in my steps as I run!!!

Tonight: 2 miles, only took 2 short walk breaks, and I felt strong. STRONG, I tell you. It feels good.

Tomorrow is a walk day.

:)

My Lobotomy

OK, some people go through the most horrific things, and still come out okay.

This book, My Lobotomy, A Memoir, was written by Howard Dully. When Howard was twelve years old, his VERY evil stepmother recommended that he get a lobotomy, because he was hard for her to handle, and she had always seemed to have it in for him. His father agreed to this procedure after only thinking about it for two days, after this step-mother had taken the kid to numerous psychiatrists, "looking" for someone to say he was crazy. The lobotomy was performed using "ice picks" inserted behind the eyes. ~shudder~

Following this horror, the poor kid spent the rest of his childhood in various mental institutions and halfway houses, wondering what the heck was wrong with him. Why his family deserted him. Several doctors told him that there was nothing wrong with him, but this evil woman did not want him in her home, so he was made a ward of the state. He got in trouble with the law, got into trouble with alcohol and drugs.

Eventually, he met and married a woman, went to school, had a son, and got a stable job, but not until he was close to 40 years old. It was at this point in time that he went on a quest to find out what had happened to him. He got to read the doctor's notes who performed the lobotomy, he interviewed his father (who is equally to blame for everything...what parent lets a person decide to lobotomize their son?????), and eventually came to peace with it all.

I listened to an interview he did on NPR about 4 years ago, and he is a very well-spoken man. You would never know he had this horrific procedure done to him. He actually had an MRI so that doctors could see the damage that was done, and they told him that if he had had this same procedure done as an adult he would have been a vegetable, there was THAT much brain damage. But since he was so young when he had the lobotomy, his brain compensated for the damage.

This was a good book. It is unbelievable how much someone can go through and still end up having a good life.

Getting Back In A Groove

I have sort of been treading water for the past month, which is okay, but now I need to and am ready to kick it up a notch. The past four weeks have been busy...I attended the birth of my friend's baby (and actually ended up missing it because she had a c-section!). I was surprised by my feelings following this experience. It took me about a week to process it all, which I have found out from others is totally normal for a labor support person, especially when you prep for birth, and then something unexpected happens like an unplanned c-section. Both the baby and mom are doing great now, so all is very good.

The kids were on Spring Break last week, and that was stressful. For alot of reasons. The lead-up to the vacation and the actual vacation were stressful, and I am glad to be back to a normal life now.

Needless to say, I have been feeling rather depressed. But I think the fog is lifting. I am feeling more energy, and more interest in MY goals. I am ready to go!!

:)

Too Cold To Run!!!

I went for a run today - 45 degrees, cloudy and very windy. It made my ears and teeth hurt. Plus I get wheezy when it is cold.

When will Spring be here???

I just got done reading "Handle With Care" by Jodi Picoult. This book was classic Jodi Picoult.

"Handle With Care" is about a New Hampshire family who seem pretty average on the outside. But, their youngest daughter, Willow, has a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, which is when your body does not produce collagen, causing the bones to be very weak and break easily. So easily, that a hug can cause broken ribs.

Charlotte, the mother, was best friends with her obstetrician, and when Willow is around 5 or 6 years old, decides to sue her friend for wrongful birth. She claims that Willow should have been diagnosed at her 18-week ultrasound so she could have made a decision about whether to end the pregnancy. The family and the friendship are on the verge of collapse.

I could not put this book down. Picoult has a gift in creating great characters and suspense...you never know how the story is going to end. In fact, I did not WANT this book to end!

If anyone is looking for a great book, this one will fit the bill.

Right On Track

I am losing an average of 3/4 pound per week right now. I have lost 13.2 pounds since January 3rd. That average is a bit shy of what I need to be at (which is one pound per week all year) but the past two weeks of small gains set me back a little. No worries, though. I feel good about my progress.

I have not started training in earnest for the P'Tree Road Race yet...I am still waiting for Jess to have her baby! I do not want to be exhausted and sore from training when I need to be focusing on helping Jess out. Although, I think the adrenaline from that whole experience will probably negate ANYTHING I am feeling!

Emily graduates in 9 weeks. Yes, I said 9 WEEKS. How can this possible be?? We are going to order her party invitations today, and I need to start planning the weekend...we have family coming in from out of town, so it is going to be FUN!

Long Overdue Post!

Wow, has it really been almost three weeks since I last wrote? The time is going by so fast lately. Work has been very busy, and by the time I get home I am tired, and don't feel like writing anymore!

So, last week I had a small gain at my weigh-in, which was fine. I admit to having a few run-ins with peanut m&m's last week. I counted all of it, and kept on my plan otherwise. Who knows...it was only 0.4 pounds. I am really not even dwelling on it or analyzing it too much.

This week has been HARD. On Saturday we celebrated my mom's birthday, and we had alot of fun! My sister made a very yummy meal and as usual lots of laughs were shared by all of us. But, the meal was difficult for me to count, so I just dumped all of my weekly flex points into it...which left me with NO flexibility this week. Not good. I usually use 2 points or so a day extra. So, I have basically still been using those extra points and hoping for the best. The good thing is, I am not just saying to myself that this week is a bust and going off of my plan. I am sticking with it, and that is good. Life won't always be perfect...I have to roll with the punches. This is a long-term plan, so in the overall scheme of things, this week is not a big deal. Giving up WOULD be a big deal.

I am reading some really awesome books right now.

One is titled "The Unwanted" by Kien Nguyen. This is a memoir about Kien's childhood. He was born in Vietnam in 1967 to a Vietnamese mother and an American father (a soldier). His family was wealthy until the fall of Saigon, but then his world began to crumble and found himself "unwanted", by his mother, his country of birth, and his adopted country, the United States. His writing is wonderful, and it is hard to believe that this story actually happened. I have never known such fear and sadness in MY life. Kien is now a dentist in NYC! So, it all works out okay.

I am also reading "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind". 'Nuff said.

We are going to Maine in July (the end of July, actually), and I am hoping to be WELL on my way to my goal weight and well into my training for the half in October. Actually, I KNOW I will be. I am keeping this goal in the front of my mind. I am going to start training for the Peachtree this weekend. The clocks change!!! I am really happy. I am looking forward to it staying lighter out longer, and getting warmer...I can't wait to start!

Yes, I am Still Reading

I have not updated my book list in awhile because I am reading a few books at a time right now! One of them is pretty long.

I am reading "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb. I am about 2/3 of the way through. This book has been almost as satisfying as his other book that I loved, "I Know This Much is True". There are alot of plot twists in the book that keep it interesting, but he sometimes switches gears so fast that I sit there scratching my head. But I just read on, and then I have the ah-ha moment! Wally Lamb is so good at developing his characters. You feel like you know them right from the beginning.

The other book I am reading is about a neurosurgeon. I will write the title and author later...for some reason I cannot remember it! This book is a memoir about a female neurosurgeon. It is good. I love reading about doctors' lives.

I am also reading a couple of books for business, one of them being "Good to Great". Author will be noted later. This book is about how companies go from, well, good to great. It is a good book with lots of real-world examples that make it an easy read. The other business book is about lean manufacturing.

So, you can see that I have a few books in progress! I hope to finish all of them by the end of this month.

Vitamins - Who Knew??

I have discovered something that is amazing to me. When I started WW in January, I began taking a multi-vitamin just they tell us to do (my vitamins are Flintstones chewables, if anyone is curious...grown-up vitamins are waaaaaay to big to swallow. Yes, I am a baby).

I don't know if what I am about to describe is attributable to the vitamins, but it is the only variable I introduced that was different from the other times I have done WW. I am my own little science experiment.

When I do NOT take a multi-vitamin, after about 2 weeks on WW, I begin to feel VERY depleted. It is a hard feeling to describe, but I feel weak, HUNGRY, and like I just need to EAT. It is not an emotional thing, it is like my body is crying out for something. And my mind gets affected, too, and I feel like I cannot do it. I feel too crappy, this stinks, etc.

WITH a multi-vitamin, well, let me say that I am still going strong, with not one thought of not being able to go on. I do not have that bottomless-pit feeling, the program works, and I am so comfortable. Truly. This is miraculous to me. Something so simple making such a difference.

I do not even really think about being on WW now...I do not fret about my food, or worry about how many points I have left. I am doing the plan, ALL of the things they recommend, and what do you know, it WORKS!!!! I am amazed at how comfortable I feel this time.

And I have Flintstones Chewables to thank.

Half - Marathon

I signed up for the Silver Comet Trail Half Marathon today!!! I am kind of excited and kind of scared. The event is on October 31st, 2009 at 7:30 am. I think I will set a goal of finishing in 2.5 hours, but I will refine that as I train.

Speaking of training, the first thing I need to train for is the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th. That will be a great base for ramping up to the half. I need 14 weeks to train for the half, as long as I have a 10k base, so the timing is really perfect.

And, as I lose weight, it will just get easier and easier, and more and more fun to run. I can see myself, fit and trim, running a half marathon. I may cry with emotion at the finish.

Eat This, Not That

This book was written by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding. This book is a must-have for everyone.

First of all, it is very well-put together, and the pictures are awesome. These guys have condensed everything you ever wanted to know about the foods we eat into a small book that is easy to tote around...most especially to the grocery store.

The book is broken down into sections:
Getting to Know and Love the Supermarket
The Produce Aisle
The Meat and Fish Counters
The Refrigerator
Pantry Staples
Snacks and Sweets
The Freezer Section
Drink this, Not That!
Your Save-Money Shopping Guide

Each section contains colorful photos of the common things we see at the market. No fancy stuff that you don't normally buy. They compare calories, sugar content, trans-fat content (and trans fat is SO BAD for you...I really try to stay away from things with trans-fat, but it is hidden in things that advertise that they are trans-fat-free. The limit for trans-fat per day is 2.5 GRAMS. Anything above that is really bad for your heart. Suffice it to say, cooking fresh is the way to go), saturated fat content, fiber, protein...some of the comparisons will surprise you: Multi-Bran Chex and Raisin Bran cereals have ALOT of sugar, and Whole Grain Basic 4 cereal has trans-fat!

What this book does is allows you to plan your shopping trip so that when you go, you don't have to stand there reading every label.

I highly recommned this book! You can get it Amazon for around 10 bucks. I paid 18 at Barnes and Noble 'cause I had to have it NOW!!!

Six Sticks of Butter

I went to WW this morning, and lost another 0.6 pounds. I am consistent...I have lost this amount every week for the past three weeks! If you add it all up, it comes to about 6 sticks of butter, so I'll take it. My total weight loss is 7.8 pounds for this month - not too shabby!! I have heard that you should lose weight the way you will maintain your weight, which makes sense. If you starve yourself, or make yourself eat foods that you don't like just to lose the weight, or stop going out, as soon as you stop eating this way the weight will just come right back on.

I already feel more energy, and I am not depriving myself at all. In fact, I went out to eat three time this week, and did fine. I try to make smart choices, and always log in what I ate. I find that if I blow off the tracking, I then just pretend I didn't eat it!

There are 17 weeks until E's graduation. I think by then I can be WELL on my way! I am hoping that I have lost a total of 25 pounds by then. I am certainly going to try.

Obedience

This is the title of the latest book I have read. The author is Will Lavender.

When the students in Winchester University's Logic and Reasoning 204 arrive for their first day of class, they are greeted not with a syllabus or texts, but with a startling assignment from Professor Williams: Find a hypothetical missing girl named Polly. If after being given a series of clues and details the class has not found her before the end of the term in six weeks, she will be murdered.

At first the students are as intrigued by the premise of their puzzle as they are wary of the strange and slightly creepy Professor Williams. But as they delve deeper into the mystery, the boundary between the classroom and the real world is blurred and the students wonder if it is their own lives they are being asked to save.

This book was a really easy read...it grabbed me from the first sentence and I could not wait to see what happened next. This is Will Lavender's first novel, and he did a really great job of developing the characters and keeping the suspense going.

If you are looking for an entertaining, easy read that keeps you guessing, then this book is for you!

98 Things

Below is a list of 98 life experiences...the bolded ones are the things I have done/experienced. I have alot left to do!!!

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5.Watched a meteor shower.
6. Been to Disneyland/world
7. Climbed a mountain.
8. Held a praying mantis
9. Sang a solo
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Taught yourself an art from scratch
14. Adopted a child
15. Had food poisoning
16. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
17. Grown your own vegetables
18. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
19. Slept on an overnight train
20. Had a pillow fight
21. Hitch hiked
22. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
23. Built a snow fort
24. Held a lamb
25. Gone skinny dipping
26. Run a Marathon
27. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
28. Seen a total eclipse
29. Watched a sunrise or sunset
30. Hit a home run
31. Been on a cruise
32. Seen Niagara Falls in person
33. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
34. Seen an Amish community
35. Taught yourself a new language
36. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
37. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
38. Gone rock climbing
39. Seen Michelangelo’s David
40. Sung karaoke
41. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
42. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
43. Visited Africa
44. Walked on a beach by moonlight
45. Been transported in an ambulance
46. Had your portrait painted
47. Gone deep sea fishing
48. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
49. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
51. Kissed in the rain
52. Played in the mud
53. Gone to a drive-in theater
54. Been in a movie
55. Visited the Great Wall of China
56. Started a business
57. Taken a martial arts class
58. Visited Russia
59. Served at a soup kitchen
60. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
61. Gone whale watching
62. Gotten flowers for no reason
63. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
64. Gone sky diving
65. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
66. Bounced a check
67. Flown in a helicopter
68. Saved a favorite childhood toy
69. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
70. Eaten Caviar
71. Pieced a quilt
72. Stood in Times Square
73. Toured the Everglades
74. Been fired from a job
75. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
76. Broken a bone
77. Been on a speeding motorcycle
78. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
79. Published a book
80. Visited the Vatican
81. Bought a brand new car
82. Walked in Jerusalem
83. Had your picture in the newspaper
84. Read the entire Bible
85. Visited the White House
86. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
87. Had chickenpox
88. Saved someone’s life
89. Sat on a jury
90. Met someone famous
91. Joined a book club
92. Lost a loved one
93. Had a baby
94. Seen the Alamo in person
95. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
96. Been involved in a lawsuit
97. Owned a cell phone
98. Been stung by a bee

Long Overdue Post

Life has been very busy lately!! The kids are just busy in general, work is VERY busy, and E had her wisdom teeth removed yesterday, so I have been playing nurse for the past two days. I don't care what these oral surgeons say...this surgery sucks. If they say it should be easy or if they say it will be difficult, I think it is all the same...DIFFICULT (and to me, it seems like they TELL you it will be "easy" to prevent anxiety before the procedure, then you get hit with the pain afterwards and think, "What the heck, I thought this would be easy???"). E is so swollen today, can't open her mouth very far, but the pain is manageable with just Aleve, which is awesome. She is a real trouper (like she has been her whole life). Her surgery was "easy", and mine three years ago was "the hardest one I have had for years" (according the the surgeon at my one-week re-check), and it all looks the same to me in the end...I remember very clearly being in the same position she is in after my surgery! Anyway, she is fine and will never have to think about this again. Next year, it may be A's turn!!!

So, you may think that I have forgotten to enter some exercise days...uh, nope, I have just been awful at getting my exercise in. Just awful, no motivation, by the time I get home from work it is so late, it is too cold, blah blah blah. I am not going to beat myself up about it. I will get back into the routine. Oh, and I never did try that Pilates DVD. :)

However, my eating has been GREAT. Even with alot of stress this week at work and E's surgery, I have not used food for comfort. So, yay me for that.

Tomorrow is my weigh-in, and hopefully it will be trending in the right direction.

Blogs

On the right side of my blog I have listed two blogs that I read pretty often. Matt, Liz and Madeline is one of my favorite blogs. I stumbled upon it one day while reading parenting/childbirth boards (just because I love this sort of thing) right after his daughter Madeline was born last spring.

Matt, Liz and Madeline is a blog written by a man who originally started writing to keep his family who lived far away in the loop about his wife Liz's pregnancy. Liz was put on bedrest at around 30 weeks of pregnancy. His baby, Madeline, was born 7 weeks early. Liz had not even held Madeline due to a c-section and continued complications from her 3-week long bedrest, and on her way to see Maddy for the first time, she felt lightheaded, passed out, and never woke up. This blog is so wonderfully written, and really demonstrates the power of love. Yes, it is very sad, but this father, Matt, did not curl up and give up on life despite horrible grief. He had a newborn to get up for every day, and he decided to keep his blog going for Madeline and Liz. He is giving Madeline the life that he AND Liz would have given her. He loves her enough for both of them. He travels, sees friends, takes this baby everywhere. Maddy looks like the happiest baby on earth - you can tell he is doing a fantastic job of raising her on his own. His photography is really great, too.

The blog has grown to great things. He has started a foundation in Liz's name, and you can make donations to a charity that provides needy kids with the things they need. He is also featured in People Magazine this week. Matt is such a brave person, and the way he has given to others and reached out to make other's lives better despite his own personal sadness is amazing.

Check out this blog, you won't regret it!

I Need a Maid

Seriously.

By the time I fight my way through the ridiculous traffic to get home, it is 6pm or later. Curves closes at 7:30. And dinner needs to be made and cleaned up, the dogs need care, things need to be picked up around the house...so you see, I really do need a maid or a helper of some sort. I don't know if the term "maid" is offensive. All of this seems so much easier when it stays light out longer, too. I don't remember feeling so overwhelmed during the summer and fall. I can't wait for the time to change! And, I need to get my mini-me's to help out more.

So anyway, tonight I was really hungry when I got home but did not want to wolf down dinner to make it to Curves on time, so I drank some skim milk before I got BACK in the car to fight my way through more traffic to go to Curves. I almost didn't go. I got soooo tired on my way home, but I thought, it is already the middle of January. I have to keep focused here, I cannot let time slip away. It goes so fast, just get your butt to Curves and stop whining!

So I did it. There were three women there who I think were just there to socialize. That really bugs me for some reason. They are not working hard at all, just laughing and yukking it up, and just playing on the machines. I know, I know, I just need to focus on myself and not be judgemental. It just breaks my concentration and is irritating. There was also a woman there who I see alot. She is the size I WANT to be, and she works it when she is there. I like to be there with her. She motivates me. And she doesn't even know it!!

Onward...

Random Things

Happy Monday Everyone!!!!!! This Monday came up fast...the weekend just flew by.

Today I had to take E to the oral surgeon...she needs her wisdom teeth out! This poor kid cannot catch a break. The surgeon was nice, and said that it should only take about 20 minutes to get them out because they have not grown roots yet and her bones are still soft, unlike me when I had MY wisdom teeth out at the age of 40 with my hardened bones and deeply embedded teeth - that was NOT pretty. I am hoping her recovery is easy and relatively pain-free. This will happen on January 22nd - a week from this Thursday! YIKES! No time like the present, I guess.

I went to the library tonight - always a dangerous thing for me. Seriously, there are so many books and simply not enough time. I always come out with a huge, unrealistic stack of books.

Anyway, I got a Pilates DVD. I am going to try it on Wednesday night. Why not tonight? you ask??? Well, my run yesterday left me very sore (but hey, I CAN run, so I do not regret pushing myself at all!) and I want to give my muscles a chance to heal. Tomorrow night is Curves, so Wednesday it is for Pilates. I will give a review of the DVD after I go through it.

Off I go to do some work...:)

Sunday

Today was a good day.

I went for a run (2 miles!) then came home and got ready for work. Went to work, went to Target, Petsmart and Publix, then came home to chill.

I have been upping my protein for the past few days, and it is really helping me stay satisfied. I have 3 points left for today, and I am full! I may have a little bowl of Edy's Double Churned Low Fat ice cream later. It is really good, does not taste low-fat at all.

Not much to say today. I am actually really tired today.

So I am going to sign off until tomorrow!

:)

Movie and Dinner Night

I just got back from seeing "The Reader" with my mom. It was SO GOOD! The casting was great, which only made the story that much better.

"The Reader" is a movie based on a book by the same title. A 15-year-old boy falls in love with a much older woman, and they have a brief, and very intense, affair. She ends up leaving abruptly and with no warning to the boy, and the rest of the movie is about what happens next. I won't give away the whole story in case any of my many readers will see it! :) It was one of the best movies I have seen in years. Really. I basically have stopped going to the movies because I feel it is a waste of my money and time. This movie was so worth it, I may go see it again. It was that good.

For dinner we went to Chilis, where I had the Guiltless Black Bean Burger, and once again I was not disappointed. It was totally delish, and I did not feel deprived at all. My mom had Margarita Chicken and she liked her meal as well. The waiter at Chilis told me that I looked just like a person he knows. Guess I have a twin out there!

Today felt like a perfect day to me. I spent time at home with my dogs, got to putter around and collect my thoughts, and spent some time with my mom doing perfectly fun and relaxing things. Tomorrow I need to go into work for a little while - ugh.

It is pouring rain outside right now, literally pouring buckets. I just took the dogs out real quick to pee. I was just noticing that something smelled...it is a wet Lexie, lying here next to me. She smells great dry, but a wet dog just does NOT smell good! Baxter is not here..he must be getting into trouble somewhere. Better go see where he is.

More later!

Hunger

I got waaaayyyyyy too hungry this afternoon! Not good! I ate lunch at around 12:30, then left work a little before 5 and it took me 1.5 hours to get home. I had an apple in the car, which helped a little as I creeped and crawled my way toward home. But an apple has no protein, so soon my stomach was growling pretty insistently.

Anyway, I made it home and had a yummy dinner, so all is well.

The week went by really fast!!

:)

Success

Today I ate out twice and made good choices both times!!

For lunch, my boss and I went to Applebee's. Not usually my favorite place (I like the Marietta Diner!!!!), but they have WW stuff there, and I could be sure of how many points I was having. I had the Chili Lime Chicken salad, and it was actually really good! It was grilled chicken on a bed of fresh spinach with grilled red peppers, some red onions and mushrooms (which I picked off) and a spicy dressing.

Then for dinner we went out to El Azteca for dinner. Uh oh, the dreaded Mexican food. Well, I was so busy talking to the kids that I did not eat any chips and didn't even miss them, and I had two barbecue soft tacos to eat.

So, I am proud of me...I went out to eat twice, did not go over my allotted points for the day, and did not feel deprived or like I was on a diet.

Hmmmm, am I going to be successful this time?? :)

1 Mile in the Humid, Windy Dark - YUCK!

Yes, it was just fantastic. I will be glad when it stays light out longer, because this one stretch of the route is very dark and it creeps me out. Also, there is not much space (nor a curb) between the sidewalk and the road where people drive waaaay too fast, and I am always afraid of a careening car running off the road and killing me. So 1 mile was all I could squeeze in, and yeah, it was pleasant.

A totally off topic note from today is that Lexie keeps getting sick. I just talked to the vet tech, and he says not to worry too much at this point. I need to go get her some white rice and plain chicken and feed that to her for a couple of days to calm her stomach, and if it gets worse I need to bring her in. She is drinking fine and still acting fine, so maybe it is nothing, but still, if someone in my house, even my dog, does not feel well, I worry. Ugh.

My Book for the Week of 01/03/09-01/10/09 (edited)

I am reading Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan this week. It is about a teenage girl who goes missing one summer night, and the fallout of this occurrance on her friends and family. Her friends know a secret that I have yet to find out, and her family's relationships and the issues between them become more obvious as a result of the teen being gone. This book also highlights what happens after the initial rush of volunteers, media attention, etc. is gone, and what is left behind.

This book is moving a little slow, but I think this is serving to build up the characters so that you feel as if you know them. I am about halfway through it. But, it is good overall and an easy read. I sometimes have trouble dropping a bad book, but this one is worth getting through. I need to find out that secret her friends are hiding!

I would recommend this book. Stewart O'Nan wrote another interesting book called Wish You Were Here. I would recommend this book as well.

Back in the Groove

I joined WW (again) on 1/3/09, and today went back to Curves. So, totally on-track. It felt good to go to Curves. And a little humiliating. They know how long it has been since I have been there. November 13th, in case anyone was wondering.

So, I just need to keep up the routine.

I also re-realized something today. My points allowed for WW ARE enough for the day. As long as I get in my milk and oil for the day, I am satisfied. Just need to remember that. Also, when I get that empty, bottomless pit feeling, it is okay to eat a few extra points. If I choose filling healthy foods, I should be okay.

So, here I go. I am doing it.

Challenges

So, we all know that weight loss comes with challenges, and the mind can do funny things when confronted with them. When I have a misstep, I tend to throw up my hands and think, "See, this is too hard. I will never reach my goals. I keep making the same mistakes again and again.".

I think this is really common, and I am not alone in this thinking. Also, I have proof that missteps do NOT completely derail me all the time...once when I was really entrenched in WW, every now and then I would eat whatever I wanted, points be damned. But I kept losing. And the reason?? I did not keep overeating for the rest of that day or week. I kept on with my plan. Nobody is perfect. Nobody can keep their life completely stress-free, sometimes we want to go out for Mexican and eat as many chips as we want to :)...sometimes life gets the better of us and we make a poor choice. But that does not mean giving up.

What am I going to do when I am feeling my motivation wane, or I "slip up"? The list of options is below:

1) Go for a walk.
2) Work on my puzzle.
3) Make a cup of yummy tea.
4) Go onto some great websites, like the WW website or Sparkpeople.
5) Read my current book!!!

That is all I can think of for now. I will add to my list as I think of more ideas.

Blog Name Change

So, I have changed the name of this blog, because this is more accurate, and will allow me to do more with it! Since I am such a bookworm as well as wanting to lose weight, I figure, I can write about both of the things I am focusing on this year. I want to read 50 books, and lose 50 pounds in 2009. I will document all of that here.

Right now I am finishing a book I started in December called The Practice of Deceit. It is about a man who falls in love with and marries a woman who is not what she portrays herself to be. It is just an okay book.

Tomorrow I am going to go to Curves. Need to get back in that routine. Once I have been doing that religiously for 2 weeks, I am going to start walking 3 days per week. That is my written plan.

As for eating, I am going to add more protein to my diet, and cut down on the carbs, and when I do eat carbs, they will be whole grains. Also, reduce and then eliminate Splenda and sugar. Whew. Big goals, but doable.

Next post will be about how to get past the challenges that I know will come up for me. If I have a plan, I may be able to hurdle them without getting derailed.