This weekend was the memorial for my uncle, my dad's brother. It was a good time. "What?" you ask. A good time? How is a memorial a good time... It was a good time because it was a celebration of his life, and a bringing together of family. We shared stories, shed tears, drank a few beers (cept me, I don't like beer...I had 'real' soda instead). We made fire, and I went mini golfing with some of my cousins. I saw some relatives I haven't seen in perhaps 10 years, some I'd just seen for July 4th. All in all, a pleasant experience.
It was also a good time because I rode my motorcycle there and back. It took about 6 hours each way, but it was nice. The wind on my face (not in my hair because I had a helmet on), with time to just ride, reflect, think.
The only downside to the trip was the copious amounts of food. I always eat way too much when I'm home. I'll just have to work doubly hard this week to keep on track.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Plodding Ahead
We've almost reached one month into this little crusade for better well being. I signed up for the Y on June 30. As of today I will have gone 10 times (though only 9 this month). I need to go 3 more times (not counting today) to reach my 12 times per month. T/W/Th next week you will know where I'll be.
I bought that bathroom scale right before joining the Y. I stepped on it. Yes, and I keep stepping on it. Slowly, ever so slowly, the numbers associated with my mass have diminished. I have almost reached that magical 5 lbs gone. It's not the end, it's barely even a beginning. I don't notice it upon my frame. Still, I'm below the number that scared the crap out of me. I'm back in the range of numbers where I started - two years ago - to 'get in shape'. Yes, the sine wave of my mass is almost exactly the same as it was 2 years ago. I have been up to 15 lbs lighter, and up to 5 lbs heavier in that time. I think it's time to work on staying the course.
Still, the gradual decline in mass is heartening. And, even though it's a small number, it's a maintainable one. I read that about 1 lb per week is a maintainable weight loss. I'm about there. This means, of course that it won't be until Thanksgiving time that I will be near where my goal is. Right before the holidays - but I like a challenge.
So, tonight I'll go to the Y, again. It gets easier, and it will be easier to make my 12 times when 3 nights a week aren't eaten by other sports. Maybe I'll soon be able to run more than 1/2 mile before collapsing. Right now, I swim, walk quickly, and play on exercise machinery. That's enough, for now. I'll just keep plodding ahead, making tiny, reachable goals.
I bought that bathroom scale right before joining the Y. I stepped on it. Yes, and I keep stepping on it. Slowly, ever so slowly, the numbers associated with my mass have diminished. I have almost reached that magical 5 lbs gone. It's not the end, it's barely even a beginning. I don't notice it upon my frame. Still, I'm below the number that scared the crap out of me. I'm back in the range of numbers where I started - two years ago - to 'get in shape'. Yes, the sine wave of my mass is almost exactly the same as it was 2 years ago. I have been up to 15 lbs lighter, and up to 5 lbs heavier in that time. I think it's time to work on staying the course.
Still, the gradual decline in mass is heartening. And, even though it's a small number, it's a maintainable one. I read that about 1 lb per week is a maintainable weight loss. I'm about there. This means, of course that it won't be until Thanksgiving time that I will be near where my goal is. Right before the holidays - but I like a challenge.
So, tonight I'll go to the Y, again. It gets easier, and it will be easier to make my 12 times when 3 nights a week aren't eaten by other sports. Maybe I'll soon be able to run more than 1/2 mile before collapsing. Right now, I swim, walk quickly, and play on exercise machinery. That's enough, for now. I'll just keep plodding ahead, making tiny, reachable goals.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tornados and Monster Maples
I had a bad dream last night. It came in two parts. In the first part, I was at the electrical station - which is where I worked? but I could see a Tornado coming towards town. Apparently this place I worked was up on a hill. I watched the tornado destroy half the town, and half my plant, and then it went away.
Second part, I had to landscape my? house, but it wasn't where I live now. The front yard I had designed to be a gorgeous wildflower garden, with paths and arbors and such. I was going to put my turf in the backyard. But, when I got to the back yard, only a little turf was growing! There was giant maple tree back there, the trunk had to be 3 ft in diameter (yet you couldn't see it over the house...from the front) and the root system was all above ground and nothing would grow around it. And then, there was a small patch of grass just outside the patio that was overgrown.
What in the world?! Well...in the storm yesterday we lost power at our house for 2.5 hours during the day, and then again for 2.5 hours in the evening. And I'm taking a landscaping class. I see where the dreams came from, but wow! I woke up more tired than I went to bed. Not Cool.
Second part, I had to landscape my? house, but it wasn't where I live now. The front yard I had designed to be a gorgeous wildflower garden, with paths and arbors and such. I was going to put my turf in the backyard. But, when I got to the back yard, only a little turf was growing! There was giant maple tree back there, the trunk had to be 3 ft in diameter (yet you couldn't see it over the house...from the front) and the root system was all above ground and nothing would grow around it. And then, there was a small patch of grass just outside the patio that was overgrown.
What in the world?! Well...in the storm yesterday we lost power at our house for 2.5 hours during the day, and then again for 2.5 hours in the evening. And I'm taking a landscaping class. I see where the dreams came from, but wow! I woke up more tired than I went to bed. Not Cool.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Landscaping is fun, you get to play with protractors!
I love gardening. Lots of people know this. I name my plants. I try not to name the ones in the garden...because I'll be eating them. But the house plants have names. So when the announcement for the Landscaping for Homeowners class came in my Northern Gardener magazine, I jumped on it. Trevor also signed up.
We took the first class (of three) this past Monday night. It was very informative. The same class (or a similar one) is taught at the U during a semester. Landscaping 101 - or some such. The only problem with a 15 week class crammed into 3?? The homework is also piled into three. Good thing I have this weekend off :P
This weekend our homework is to create a base plan, a bubble diagram, and a concept map of what we'd like our landscape to look like. This doesn't mean pick the plants. This means lay out where the trees and shrubs that are staying are, make a to-scale drawing of our plot (including house, driveway, outbuildings, etc), and show where we want turf, planted beds, walkways, and trees and shrubs, and etc. I'm excited....I'm also daunted. I have to decide what I want to keep, and what I feel will get ripped out. Not that we're going to get out the shovel and heave to this weekend, but...eventually, I'll have to say goodbye to some plants. I'll get new ones, but...it will be sad. We also have to decide what to do with the easement...do we plant it, do we put in ground cover, do we just mulch it? We have to get rid of the weeds.
Friday night is golf, then Saturday will be work on the homework, pull weeds, and finish pressure washing the deck. I also have to go to the Y twice this weekend. So, this weekend is mostly for the yard - let's hope the weather cooperates.
We took the first class (of three) this past Monday night. It was very informative. The same class (or a similar one) is taught at the U during a semester. Landscaping 101 - or some such. The only problem with a 15 week class crammed into 3?? The homework is also piled into three. Good thing I have this weekend off :P
This weekend our homework is to create a base plan, a bubble diagram, and a concept map of what we'd like our landscape to look like. This doesn't mean pick the plants. This means lay out where the trees and shrubs that are staying are, make a to-scale drawing of our plot (including house, driveway, outbuildings, etc), and show where we want turf, planted beds, walkways, and trees and shrubs, and etc. I'm excited....I'm also daunted. I have to decide what I want to keep, and what I feel will get ripped out. Not that we're going to get out the shovel and heave to this weekend, but...eventually, I'll have to say goodbye to some plants. I'll get new ones, but...it will be sad. We also have to decide what to do with the easement...do we plant it, do we put in ground cover, do we just mulch it? We have to get rid of the weeds.
Friday night is golf, then Saturday will be work on the homework, pull weeds, and finish pressure washing the deck. I also have to go to the Y twice this weekend. So, this weekend is mostly for the yard - let's hope the weather cooperates.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
12 Times a Month
I quit the gym at work. It was hard, because I like the people there. The program directors, those who run the classes, they are all nice. The facilities are nice too - although they could use more fans by the treadmills. It was only 18 dollars a month. So, why did I quit? I quit because I wasn't going. It wasn't even that I couldn't motivate myself to go, although to be honest it was much easier to go when I wasn't the only one going. It was more...I didn't want to be at work any longer than I had to. I didn't want to get up early and go before work...and I certainly don't have time after work with all the after work activities. They aren't open in my building on the weekends, and it's a rather long way to go work out when I can walk around my block for free.
Instead, I joined the 12 times a month crowd. I joined the YMCA. Why the 12 times a month? Because to get my discount from my health care provider, I have to at least sign in 12 times a month. For me, this equals doing SOMETHING active 12 times, as the Catholic girl guilt would get me if I tried to just swipe and leave. Looking at my calendar (and excluding softball and golf) 12 times is 12 times more than I've been going lately. This month I think I have 5 times in...so I had better get on the wagon and get there more in the second half of the month.
That 5 times means I am doing something I haven't in a long time...swimming! And not the swimming that I used to do either. This is far more arduous. I am having Trevor teach me to lap swim for real, and actually pushing myself. I did kick board for 300 yds, and my little legs were jello after! Thankfully, they got better. My biggest challenge with the swimming...OK, two challenges: 1. Finding goggles that don't leak when I do flip-turns. (so far, the Junior sized Speedos are better than the reg sized, but I still have to adjust every 50 to 100 yrs or so.) 2. Breathing only when above the water. Seriously! I have a bad habit of beginning the breath before arriving at surface of water. My lungs have not yet adapted to breathing water. This usually requires me to stop where I am in the lap, cough a bunch, alarm the nice lifeguards, and then continue to catch up on what I was doing. I'm sure I'll get better. (though whether I mean at drinking the pool or swimming I'm not certain!)
Instead, I joined the 12 times a month crowd. I joined the YMCA. Why the 12 times a month? Because to get my discount from my health care provider, I have to at least sign in 12 times a month. For me, this equals doing SOMETHING active 12 times, as the Catholic girl guilt would get me if I tried to just swipe and leave. Looking at my calendar (and excluding softball and golf) 12 times is 12 times more than I've been going lately. This month I think I have 5 times in...so I had better get on the wagon and get there more in the second half of the month.
That 5 times means I am doing something I haven't in a long time...swimming! And not the swimming that I used to do either. This is far more arduous. I am having Trevor teach me to lap swim for real, and actually pushing myself. I did kick board for 300 yds, and my little legs were jello after! Thankfully, they got better. My biggest challenge with the swimming...OK, two challenges: 1. Finding goggles that don't leak when I do flip-turns. (so far, the Junior sized Speedos are better than the reg sized, but I still have to adjust every 50 to 100 yrs or so.) 2. Breathing only when above the water. Seriously! I have a bad habit of beginning the breath before arriving at surface of water. My lungs have not yet adapted to breathing water. This usually requires me to stop where I am in the lap, cough a bunch, alarm the nice lifeguards, and then continue to catch up on what I was doing. I'm sure I'll get better. (though whether I mean at drinking the pool or swimming I'm not certain!)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Start Small, and The Blog Itself
As I mentioned in my last post, I intend to start now with changes to myself and my lifestyle. No more putting it off. I've also learned, though past experience, that I have a Very Hard Time starting something slow. This tends to be a problem because I burn out and quit. For example: I say "I'm going to start exercising more" and proceed to go out and roller blade 20 miles; not 5 or 6 (which isn't far for me as I like to skate long distances), but 20. Or, "I'm going to start running again" and I go out and run 3 miles as fast as I can (which is a long distance for me because I hate running). Then, tired, frustrated at my inability to do well, and fed up...I stop.
Goal 1: Start Small.
It may not seem like a hard concept. Staring small, take a small bite of the pie, and work my way up. For me, though, it's extremely hard. I am not a patient person (and admitting that to myself has taken 27 years). I like things done NOW! I like and hate knitting for that very reason. I love that you see the instant gratification. Finish row of knitting, can see row of knitting. I hate it because you still have 200 more rows of knitting before you can see the final project. The same is true for me of working out, and trying to 'get in shape'. I go to the gym, I work out, I 'feel the burn', but I still have a whole lot more of this before I see the end result. It's worse on working out and etc, because it shouldn't just be a 'lose 10 lbs' or 'one year' goal...it should be a change of lifestyle and an 'always thing'. So. Very. Hard.
So, Goal number one for me is to Start Small. Make a small change, work at small change, when it becomes a habit, move on to the next small change. Also, as part of this, I will be prioritizing the changes, and listing them as 'easier' and 'ouch'. Easier, relatively, of course is something like take my vitamin every day. 'Ouch' are the changes in habit of diet and exercise because, face it...I love food.
Goal 2: The Blog Itself
"What does that mean?" you ask. I am the type of person who can work out by herself. I can make goals. Really. But, I am also the kind of person who will allow herself to cheat. If I don't hold myself accountable, somehow, I will do 9 situps instead of 10. I will skip a day if I 'just don't feel like it', I'll find myself eating that extra snack. I know the only one I'm cheating is me. But that little sentence does nothing to stop it. I'm hoping 'the blog itself' will help with that accountability....I do not intend to be using this space as a 'look at me, look at me! lookey how cool I am.' place. Nor do I intend to hurt anyones feelings if the topic I am discussing seems to...strike home. This is something to help me stay accountable to myself. If you have advise, encouragement, constructive critism, want to play along, that's awsome!! It's always more fun when you are not in this kind of endeavor alone. I also realize that other peoples methods and goals are going to be different than mine. That is cool too. :P (Here ends the 'disclaimer' part of this blog). I mentioned a few posts ago that the reason 'whimsical doodles' has a new look and new name is because it had outgrown its original purpose, and that is true. "the blog itself" is the other reason for the new name and new look. I am not forgetting about the path behind (some parts of it are circular and I'll find myself on them again and again), which is why I didn't sunset Whimsical Doodles.
Originally, I was all gung ho to start a new blog, even a new webpage about life changes and fitness goals and using it to keep myself accountable. (See goal number 1). I sat down to create the blog for it, and...NO TITLE would come to my mind (Recall with Blogger one starts with title and description). I had a few ideas, but they all sounded - wrong - after some thought. Then, when I was finally frustrated enough to stop and think...the idea of changing my current blog came to mind and the process went smoothly. At first I didn't even think about why. I just thanked my lucky stars and got to work. The title - there it was, I found a template that didnt' completely irritate me (although it has some quirks I want to be rid of), I had a new description, found some pictures, and away I went. Then I thought about it. The reason I had trouble with creating a new web page/blog was because it was too big a chunk. I was falling into old traps. (DUH! - but I'm not always the brightest when it comes to my own foibles.)
Originally, I had drafted the first post in my mind, and thought - hey, others might want to join me, I can even make it editable by many people, and we can all use it.... It may get there, someday. Maybe people who read this will like the idea and want to jump on board. We can be like a writing group or book club, except we're clubbing our life changes. Maybe we'll have a website where we each have our own personal blogs linked instead, or maybe we'll have a community elsewhere. I have no idea. But the point is, that wasn't where this needed to start. I was starting in the middle, not at the beginning. I was wanting to be done before I had begun.
I can see that Goal 1 is going to be an 'ouch', but for me, it's a life lesson, one of the quinteciential building blocks of my path...I have found a wa yto help me with my goals, and my path...this, the blog itself. Now, I'll just have to tag this post and reread it often so I don't lose myself on some of those lovely circular paths I have mentioned.
Goal 1: Start Small.
It may not seem like a hard concept. Staring small, take a small bite of the pie, and work my way up. For me, though, it's extremely hard. I am not a patient person (and admitting that to myself has taken 27 years). I like things done NOW! I like and hate knitting for that very reason. I love that you see the instant gratification. Finish row of knitting, can see row of knitting. I hate it because you still have 200 more rows of knitting before you can see the final project. The same is true for me of working out, and trying to 'get in shape'. I go to the gym, I work out, I 'feel the burn', but I still have a whole lot more of this before I see the end result. It's worse on working out and etc, because it shouldn't just be a 'lose 10 lbs' or 'one year' goal...it should be a change of lifestyle and an 'always thing'. So. Very. Hard.
So, Goal number one for me is to Start Small. Make a small change, work at small change, when it becomes a habit, move on to the next small change. Also, as part of this, I will be prioritizing the changes, and listing them as 'easier' and 'ouch'. Easier, relatively, of course is something like take my vitamin every day. 'Ouch' are the changes in habit of diet and exercise because, face it...I love food.
Goal 2: The Blog Itself
"What does that mean?" you ask. I am the type of person who can work out by herself. I can make goals. Really. But, I am also the kind of person who will allow herself to cheat. If I don't hold myself accountable, somehow, I will do 9 situps instead of 10. I will skip a day if I 'just don't feel like it', I'll find myself eating that extra snack. I know the only one I'm cheating is me. But that little sentence does nothing to stop it. I'm hoping 'the blog itself' will help with that accountability....I do not intend to be using this space as a 'look at me, look at me! lookey how cool I am.' place. Nor do I intend to hurt anyones feelings if the topic I am discussing seems to...strike home. This is something to help me stay accountable to myself. If you have advise, encouragement, constructive critism, want to play along, that's awsome!! It's always more fun when you are not in this kind of endeavor alone. I also realize that other peoples methods and goals are going to be different than mine. That is cool too. :P (Here ends the 'disclaimer' part of this blog). I mentioned a few posts ago that the reason 'whimsical doodles' has a new look and new name is because it had outgrown its original purpose, and that is true. "the blog itself" is the other reason for the new name and new look. I am not forgetting about the path behind (some parts of it are circular and I'll find myself on them again and again), which is why I didn't sunset Whimsical Doodles.
Originally, I was all gung ho to start a new blog, even a new webpage about life changes and fitness goals and using it to keep myself accountable. (See goal number 1). I sat down to create the blog for it, and...NO TITLE would come to my mind (Recall with Blogger one starts with title and description). I had a few ideas, but they all sounded - wrong - after some thought. Then, when I was finally frustrated enough to stop and think...the idea of changing my current blog came to mind and the process went smoothly. At first I didn't even think about why. I just thanked my lucky stars and got to work. The title - there it was, I found a template that didnt' completely irritate me (although it has some quirks I want to be rid of), I had a new description, found some pictures, and away I went. Then I thought about it. The reason I had trouble with creating a new web page/blog was because it was too big a chunk. I was falling into old traps. (DUH! - but I'm not always the brightest when it comes to my own foibles.)
Originally, I had drafted the first post in my mind, and thought - hey, others might want to join me, I can even make it editable by many people, and we can all use it.... It may get there, someday. Maybe people who read this will like the idea and want to jump on board. We can be like a writing group or book club, except we're clubbing our life changes. Maybe we'll have a website where we each have our own personal blogs linked instead, or maybe we'll have a community elsewhere. I have no idea. But the point is, that wasn't where this needed to start. I was starting in the middle, not at the beginning. I was wanting to be done before I had begun.
I can see that Goal 1 is going to be an 'ouch', but for me, it's a life lesson, one of the quinteciential building blocks of my path...I have found a wa yto help me with my goals, and my path...this, the blog itself. Now, I'll just have to tag this post and reread it often so I don't lose myself on some of those lovely circular paths I have mentioned.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
On Scales, Mirrors, and Notes-To-Self
I made a huge mistake. What did I do? I stepped on a scale. “Big deal!” you say, reader? Well, it was rather a shock to notice the numbers continued past their time honored end point to a number I have never before associated with my own mass. I stepped down. I checked the zero/tare of the scale; I stepped back up. The same number stared back at me. For the sake of science, I participated in a third trial. Yup – there it was again. The precision of that scale was marvelous! I wasn’t sure about the accuracy though, so I went to find another measuring instrument. The result was similar to the first scale. This scale, too, has marvelous precision. My self esteem could not handle repeating the experiment a third time, on yet another scale.
This caused me to take a long hard look at myself in the mirror. Mirrors are funny things, for though they create a reflection of you, a mirror-image, the way you perceive that image depends on many factors. Are you in a good mood that day? Is the lighting good? Is the mirror surface dirty or flawed in any way? What did you have for dinner that evening (this is a confounding factor). The image that stared back at me was not the image I would have liked to see. I have been grumping at said image for quite a while. Months have passed where I have perused my person after a shower and made a mental note to ‘do more sit-ups’ or ‘attend to my posterior’. Said mental notes tend to fly out of the brain the second the clothes are donned. For you see, the clothing that I have owned for the last few years still fits. It’s stretched with my own image. It’s old, and wearing. As I sit in the chair and write this, though, I notice the bulges on my tummy that used to not be there (or not as prominent, anyway). Yes, the clothes still fit, but not as well.
The scale and the mirror are in agreement, something is changing. Perhaps that change isn’t rapid, and that is probably the worst part. These changes have been sneaking up on me with every meal eaten out, every day of missed or neglected exercise, and each forgotten a-for-mentioned note-to-self. I need to do something about the scale, and the clothes, and the mirror. And I intend to start now.
The Path Forward...
Where did Whimsical Doodles go? They are still here, the website for the blog didn't change - mostly because that would just confuse the crap out of everyone. However...I looked at my blog...my doodles haven't been so whimsical lately. In fact, most of my blog has been about life's little changes and challenges. The path I'm taking. So, it was time for a change. I had thought about starting a new blog, but that's always tricky. Then you have two to post too, and inevitably, one dies out. Besides, I didn't want to lose the posts on this blog, just...change direction a little.
So here you have it. Undoubtedly I'm not done tinkering, And even the template may change a few times until I'm happy with it, but for now...welcome to the path forward
So here you have it. Undoubtedly I'm not done tinkering, And even the template may change a few times until I'm happy with it, but for now...welcome to the path forward
Monday, July 07, 2008
Fire!
It was Fourth of July this weekend. Most people shoot off fireworks, have cook outs, watch parades. We light big fires!
Here is Trev w/ the pile. He helped my dad, uncle, and cousins make it. He got to light it. He's an Eagle Scout. It took one match.
The fire really got going, and then the wind picked up. If you look below the major flames in this picture, you can see the grass starting to burn. That was A Bad Thing. Trev, my dad, my uncle, and I got shovels and started thwacking grass fires. (Don't worry, they were little smolders.)
After the first major burn, the fire settled down some. Here it is impersonating a fire bird or phoenix.
We saw many animals in the fire and coals that night. Turtles, an eel, an anaconda, a human hand and shoe (shoe not truely an animal), an aligator (who got cut in half), etc.
The fire was still burning the next day. Only a few ashes left. For those who missed it, don't worry...we have plenty of wood left.
It was Fourth of July this weekend. Most people shoot off fireworks, have cook outs, watch parades. We light big fires!
Here is Trev w/ the pile. He helped my dad, uncle, and cousins make it. He got to light it. He's an Eagle Scout. It took one match.
The fire really got going, and then the wind picked up. If you look below the major flames in this picture, you can see the grass starting to burn. That was A Bad Thing. Trev, my dad, my uncle, and I got shovels and started thwacking grass fires. (Don't worry, they were little smolders.)
After the first major burn, the fire settled down some. Here it is impersonating a fire bird or phoenix. We saw many animals in the fire and coals that night. Turtles, an eel, an anaconda, a human hand and shoe (shoe not truely an animal), an aligator (who got cut in half), etc.
The fire was still burning the next day. Only a few ashes left. For those who missed it, don't worry...we have plenty of wood left.
