SBF, Boogaloo, Mar 7

yoginimary

Howdy Pebbs!

Spring Break starts this week, which means Austin becomes a zoo of visitors for SXSW. As long as I avoid downtown, it won't effect me much.

I had the chocolate cake again last night. This time I warmed it slightly. Yum. It's going in the trash tonight. We watched the first part of "Kings of Pastry" last night, so it seemed appropriate (it's a documentary on a guy trying to win a pastry prize).

Today: teach and take yoga, get a walk in, do homework.

Austin zoo, boogaloo.

mechanicmom

Good morning Pebbs,

I am focusing on getting cabinets and closets cleaned out this week. I cleaned out the medicine cabinet already. Next is the hall closet. Then I have general cleaning to do, school, a work out, and I need to get some recipes together. A friend of mine has a little boy that's allergic to: nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, corn, soy, wheat, and I was thinking there was a couple of other things. I have some recipes that I can send her. She lives in a small town so special foods aren't readily available. It made me thankful that Alex is only allergic to wheat and milk, and that even with those things he can have a little.
I discovered Free on Demand yesterday on our cable and I found an exercise channel. They have Billy Blanks on there so I am going to look at his work outs and the boot camp channel and see what those are all about and maybe try one today if I have time to check it out before I need to work out.
I'm also back to logging and trying to cut out the snacking. I haven't been letting myself get hungry lately. I don't like that feeling when I haven't allowed it in awhile. Once I am hungry for a few days then it's not so bad.

Spring is almost here boogaloo!
MM

tungaiunwa

I would love to go to sxsw someday.had a chance to play there years ago but couldn't get the time off work.

lotusfromthemud

Morning, pebbs...

Had a great time at the conference, and I got to meet CP! She is awesome. I realized as my train was pulling out of the station that I wanted a picture of us together and I forgot. Oops. Next time. Also, the train was an excellent call, as it was slushy gross snow all day, all the way back to T.O.

I have goals this week, as I think I just need to sort of get on track with everything. I feel deadlines sort of breathing down my neck, and I think if I get organized and on top of one thing, I can get on top of everything.

So, goals for the week are:

1. Back to logging food. But, I've made my diary private. I have days where I can barely eat, and that is just the way it is. I can't take the scrutiny right now, but I need to keep track, so that's my current compromise.

2. Four workouts a week (I have to get up and go work out in about five minutes)

3.Three of my 45 minute work sessions every day, serious writing, and pressuring my committee to help me. It is what it is, I need them to help me, because I need to finish. This conference sort of drove the point home that I'm ready to "cross over" from student to faculty. The time is now! I cannot allow myself to hold me back, so I can't allow my committee to do the same. I need them to hold up their end of the bargain. Whew, I feel better just typing that.

That seems like enough.

Time is now, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

cp005e

All in all, I had a really nice weekend. Dinner with friends, breakfast/hanging out with V (who is just as wise and funny in person as online), and not working for four days straight! I even worked out 3 out of those 4 days. And after yesterday's slush, today was beautiful and sunny - I spent a lot of time reading in a coffee shop, and then I spend some more time reading on my (enclosed) porch while my kitties watched the birds. Just what the doctor ordered, I think.

So, now I just have to try and keep this not-"stressed out to my eyeballs" state going. The plan so far is dance class tomorrow...hmm, that's all I have. Logging my food. How about this: leaving work by 5:30 every night. And, MM, your cleaning is inspiring me, too - I will try and sneak some cleaning in there somewhere, too.

Yeah, V (on your boogaloo)! Is there any chance that you can get different advisors to serve on your committee if the current ones aren't going to be available/responsive?

Keeping sane (and so grateful for sunshine), boogaloo. :flowerforyou:

lotusfromthemud

Morning,

Up too early to get some marking in before I go teach. Realized that I only have three (I think) more until it's " summer ". Mind. Blown.

Other than that, I would like to get some housecleaning in, and invent chapter titles for the diss. And do a short legs workout. (yesterday was upper body and yoga). I had to raise my med dosage yesterday, and felt pretty weird, so I worked out at home. I'm trying to be consistent but flexible, two concepts that feel mutually exclusive to me.

Yeah, as far as committees go, the turnaround problem is departmental (too many students, not enough faculty) and my people are the best for my topic. The sad truth I've come to realize is I need to be my own advisor to a large extent. The thing this has taught me (that I wish I'd embraced earlier in the process) is to ask for help. I stalk people who are slightly ahead of me in the process and say "hey, how did you do 'x'?"

Ask for help, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

lotusfromthemud

But wait, there's more. . .

Also, I'm seriously considering giving up bread for lent. I haven't given up anything for years, my pants are too tight and wheat just doesn't make me feel good.

hmmmm....pondering.

Also, I've decided to re-join the gym I quit. I miss the option of "I'll just go and jump on the elliptical (or spin bike or treadmill, etc) for an hour because I'm stressed". It's worth the extra money to me for now. (see also "pants are too tight", above.)

mechanicmom

CP, Yay for time off and relaxation! The last two mornings my cat has been "talking" to the birds and squirrels a bit. It's so cute when cats do that.
V, I *should* join you on the no wheat for lent. I will have to ponder that as well. It doesn't make me feel good either. Just maybe I'd realize I don't need/want it as much as I think.

I got the hall closet and the medicine cabinet cleaned out yesterday. I need to find another one to clean out today that isn't too time consuming because it's a full day. If I don't get to it then no biggie. I'll do it tomorrow.
I do good logging my food until evening, which is when I tend to over eat. I will try to log all my food today, over eating or not. And I will just try not to over eat! And I will try to get some work out in today. I did taebo yesterday.
I also need to call my doctor about getting the cyst on my wrist removed/aspirated. I am tired of the pain and it limits me in my work outs. I want to get back to push ups and lifting weights. And maybe we will hear something from a distant land today. I can always hope right?
Horse therapy day boogaloo!
MM

yoginimary

Keep sane, keep going, keep hoping (CP, V, and MM respectively)

So in a way I celebrated Fat Tuesday on Monday. I made chocolate chip cookies. Why did I make such a temptation you ask? Well, Charlie found this recipe for chocolate chip cookies from "Cook's Illustrated" (some high brow magazine that has an app on itunes and scientifically proves how to make the best of everything) - he wanted to make them. Charlie has troubles boiling water. In order to save my kitchen from impending doom, I made the cookies. But here's the thing, I also ate the cookies. "Cook's Illustrated" has some interesting thoughts on portion size. A recipe was supposed to make 16 cookies. I made 18 very large cookies - almost the opposite of what I normally find with recipes. They are out of the house now, so is the cake.

I also made lasagna, but that is relatively healthy. I skip the cheese between layers and use spinach and artichokes instead - then just have some mozzarella on top.

Alas, we leave for Dallas tomorrow, so more desserts will be pushed toward me.

Today: good walk and yoga - does it ever change?

Fat Tuesday, boogaloo.

mechanicmom

Update:

I tried a new work out today. I don't really like Jillian Michaels' 'tude, but I do like her work outs. I did Shred it with Weights level one. It was pretty good. My other goal is to get the downstairs bathroom clean. Still need to do that.
I am going to the doctor tomorrow to hopefully get my cyst drained and get my thyroid and nose checked. I have been going to this office for 5 years and I have never met the doctor before. He was a real jerk about signing our adoption paper work last year. Why haven't I changed doctor's offices? Because it's an extra $100 for new patient, and they are a cheaper office than most. One of these days I hope I can switch. For now it's just to get the necessary done. When I need a more thorough check I will go somewhere else. I just hope I get full use of my wrist again tomorrow!
Gonna make dinner for friends tonight. The momma is really sick and has two little ones and one on the way. I'd better get started on it and then get the bathroom cleaned!

MM

lotusfromthemud

Morning:

Mary, I love Cook's Illustrated, but the way its written always makes me think of that old SNL sketch "cooking with the anal retentive chef". Their recipes are always labour intensive and just sort of fussy. I will admit that they pay off, though. . .and the portion sizes are huge. When they say "four servings" they mean "four large farmers who just worked behind a plow for 150 acres" I think.:laugh:

On deck today:
Work session, dance class at nine, another work session, finish unpacking, a therapy appointment downtown, another work session, setting up an accountant appointment for taxes (I mean it this time ) and some tidying. I also need to fit in a trip to the grocery store, a bill paying session and dinner prep. And a trip to the gym to re-instate, as I didn't make it yesterday (walked outside in the cold sunshine instead).

Yikes. Good thing I'm up early.

Lots to do, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

Good morning,

So glad I am going to the doc to get my wrist looked at. It's been hurting something fierce. Hope they can fix it!

Today: school, general cleaning and bathroom (didn't get to it last night), doc appointment, hair cut (thinking about long bangs), and church tonight. I don't know if I will get a work out done today. Depends on time, but I imagine it will be lower body if I do.

Full day boogaloo!
MM

yoginimary

Off to Dallas today after this morning's class.

So I've decided what my 40 day challenge is going to be: no bread with butter (sandwiches are ok as is plain bread) and the only snack I can have is fruit.

I hope to get a walk in tonight when I get to Dallas.

40 days, boogaloo.

mechanicmom

Update:

Wow. I had an interesting doc appt. He was actually really nice and helpful! The eye twitch I have had since August could very well be related to my thyroid! He said the T4 levels are good but the T3 level, even though in range, is borderline. He said if I am losing hair (yes), tired (yes!), having trouble losing weight (yes!), etc then it could be that it's too low. He said by raising it my metabolism should go up. :bigsmile: Yay! He's going to test it for a month and see how I'm doing. This could explain my weird cycles (maybe even miscarriages?). Also he said I have an infection in my nose and he checked Alex as well. He gave prescriptions for the whole family. Apparently it's contagious. Problem: the meds are $77 a person! :noway: So I am going to see if they can give us a cheaper one. He also hit me, literally. Twice. He smashed my cyst with his medical book! :laugh: It hurt and still does but he said he got it. I have to keep it wrapped all day and put ice on it tonight. He said I should be fine by tomorrow. I hope so.
On the way home the check engine light came on in the car and it's running horrible. Thank God we have a money cushion right now. It was suppose to go towards debt. Oh well.
About to go get my hair cut. I'm a little nervous but it will be good.
MM

mechanicmom

P.S. Talked to doc and he said my thyroid being off could very well be why my cycles are screwed up and possibly the cause for the miscarriages. So there's hope for me yet!
MM

yoginimary

I hope it helps, MM!

I didn't get any exercise in yesterday. We were hungry when we got here and needed to go to the store and cook dinner. I slept well last night so I'm ready for the day. Have a good yoga class lined up tonight and will walk this afternoon.

Beautiful day, boogaloo

lotusfromthemud

Morning,

Slept in (all the way until 7:30) so now I feel like I have a late start.

Off to Zumba in a few minutes. Other than that: work sessions, a study date/draft feedback exchange with a colleague, some tidying up around the apartment (It's getting a bit out of control again) and more working in prep for a meeting with a supervisor. Busy, busy busy and getting busier. Must remember to work but not panic. Goal for the next year: less fear-based motivation.

No fear necessary, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

I hope you all have a beautiful and wonderful day!

I am about to head to the grocery store. Then there's school to do and cleaning since I didn't get any done yesterday. My wrist still hurts but not as bad. The bump is still there but feels different so maybe it will be okay. I will probably baby it today. I also have laundry to do today in prep for the women's retreat this weekend! It's half day tomorrow and then Saturday. I'm looking forward to it. I always have a good time.
I will get some kind of lower body work out done today I hope.
I think I said enough yesterday so I'll keep this one short.

Getting some movement in boogaloo!
MM

mechanicmom

Sorry to hog the thread, but we got news that they have another little girl for us. She's four. That's all we know and won't find out any more until Tuesday. Our agency told us to go ahead and get our visa paper work together but not to have it processed yet. I guess she feels pretty good about this one if she's telling us that.
I have a bad headache so I am just going to clean for an hour and a half and call it good for the day. The retreat center has a full gym so I plan to take advantage of that on Saturday to make up for today.

Cautiously optimistic boogaloo!
MM

lotusfromthemud

Up bright and early (well, actually not even bright yet),

I am stunned by the terrible news from Japan. We have a friend who is home there right now, so I pray that he and his family are safe. These sort of things do certainly slap me back into a state of gratitude.

Today I have work, (starting to morph the conference paper into an actual chapter) a workout (trying a class at the new/old gym) and then a supervisor meeting. I have really been pondering the idea that all my motivation is fear driven (this was pointed out to me at my last therapy appointment). For example:"if you don't go to the gym, today you won't go tomorrow either and them you will weigh 235 pounds again before you know it!" instead of "the gym is sort of fun." I'm going to start looking for new spins to put on this. I've been trying to notice joy during workouts (and have usually been succeeding) but it would be good if I didn't have to scare or guilt or shame myself into going to the workouts. Also, I'm pondering weekly "mini-challenges" goals, because I'm bored.

Anyways, that was long.

State of gratitude, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

Praying for the people in Japan and other countries that were hit.

For some reason I shut down yesterday and barely got anything done. I did finally clean the bathroom. I also dozed outside in the sun while Alex played. Must have been tired.

I have a very busy morning ahead. Laundry, packing, making bread for Alex and meals for them to eat while I am gone. I am also picking up people to go to the retreat with. This past week has been a gentle testing of getting over some fears, or at least getting through them. It has made me realize the stupid things I have been afraid of and also how I don't need to be afraid of everything. It's been a good week.
I will try to check in tomorrow. I don't know what the schedule will be like. It's usually busy but I think there's some quiet time in the afternoon. But I will be at the gym.

A little R & R boogaloo!
MM

yoginimary

Sense of gratitude indeed.

Congrats on the news MM! Have fun on your retreat.

I got a good amount of exercise in: a hour walk and 54 sun salutations - we lucked out and heard the class wasn't going to have the teacher I wanted that night, so we saved a trip to downtown Dallas.

Today we will walk and drive back to Austin.

Compassion for the suffering, boogaloo

lotusfromthemud

Update: slept through scheduled class. Will re-*kitten* after meeting for possible afternoon workout. Body is adjusting to new med dosage, and possible cold/weather change. Gah.

lotusfromthemud

Rallied, and did couch to 5k day one of week one. Holy man, I can't believe how hard it was. Slow and steady. Finished up with ten minutes of high incline walking.

I will celebrate my ability to move.

yoginimary

So I'm guessing the first week of couch to 5k is not "get off the couch"?

I'm off to SA today - my kitties missed us much, so it's good that Charlie will be here. He's going to be silent this weekend (mediation non-residential retreat), so I'm sure they will get some attention.

I just looked at the schedule for this weekend, I may need to get a walk in after all. We'll see how it goes tonight.

Weekend plans, boogaloo.

mechanicmom

How was your drive back mary? Uneventful I hope.
Way to rally Miss V!

I have been reminded to lay off the dairy when I am anxious or nervous. I had a little last night at dinner and my tummy was not happy. Goal for the next three weeks: little to no dairy.
I'm also tired. We were up past my bedtime and I didn't sleep well. Sigh. I will make it through the day. I may just be yawning all day. The gym is three blocks away so that discouraged some ladies from going. I will still go as long as others are going with me. If not, this building has long hallways and stairs that aren't in a stairwell. So I will power walk. Unless of course a nap takes over.
We had to draw questions out of a bucket last night for a game. My question: if you could instantly be fluent in another language what would it be? How appropriate that I would get that question.

I'd better get moving.

Enjoy your Saturday!
MM

lotusfromthemud

First week is 20 minutes of run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds. I was able to do it, but those last two-three 60 seconds periods at 6 mph (my run pace) were brutal. I talk about it in my new blog post. Oh, and the ego is working over time right now. I think that I'm discovering that the language of the ego is fear. Hmmmm....

Anyways, today is yoga at ten (yoga classes were one of the main reasons I missed the second gym) and one more work session (already have done two this a.m....:drinker: ), followed by digging out the tax receipts (nope, still haven't done this:laugh: ) and cleaning up. Then, the accountant comes at 4. Other than that, buying a few groceries to supplement dinner plans and laying low. Had a really good/encouraging meeting with my supervisor yesterday. Now I just have to keep writing.

taxes, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

cp005e

Well, it's been an interesting week. Crazy ton of work, of course. (My "go home at 5:30" goal didn't work out.) And, my husband got a job offer. (Good, but rather stressful decision-making - there went my food logging.) And, there was an earthquake/tsunami. (no, that didn't affect anybody I know, but I still think worrisome thoughts about it) And, one of my closest friends just had a son, delivered by c-section at 25 weeks because of complications in pregnancy. (this is the same friend who lost a baby two years ago) So far, baby is stable - but he is very very tiny and in NICU. This family has been through so much already (their first child was also born extremely premature and with Down's syndrome - although she is doing relatively well now), I am just hoping and praying that everybody makes it through the next few months.

6mph is pretty fast, V! That was about my jogging pace on the road, but I was usually slower on the treadmill. I actually went to the gym with my husband this morning, intending to get on the treadmill (walking), but got a call from work as we were getting out of the car and spent the whole time on my laptop in the lobby while he worked out. Doh. Maybe tomorrow (if I don't get called again - big migration going on this weekend and I'm on-call).

One day at a time, boogaloo.

yoginimary

I am so ready for teacher training to be over. There are parts that I like, but a lot of times I'm bored/uninterested. I also, somewhat foolishly, thought I would make yoga friends. There are many cool people and all, but they have their lives, families, commitments. Or they may feel as weird or pushy as I do by asking me to dinner or an event. I'm sure I'll find my yoga group eventually.

But there are only 3 weekends left! I think by mid June I will have a break from I-35.

Today is a walk this morning and a free yoga class this afternoon.

Take care of yourselves, my pebbles!

Free, boogaloo!

lotusfromthemud

Lots going on in the lives of all my pebbles! Let's all try to stay calm and focused (me, too)

I was very proud of my 6mph. I just thought "I will push the up button and not look, until it feels very challenging and the edge of sustainable." I'd never really "run" faster than around 5.5 so that was cool.

Yesterday, my yoga class was canceled (boo) so I came straight home and did a yoga DVD. This felt like a good achievement toward my "consistent yet flexible" goal. I did log a formal complaint (which felt good towards my "calm yet assertive" goal. . .the new meds seem to be acting as a courage enhancer/truth serum) because this particular class has been canceled very often (at least five times in the past six months) at this very expensive gym. Either they need an on call sub, or a new teacher, or a more efficient class cancellation notification system. OK, vent over.

Today is Zumba at noon, followed by home for my writer's group/potluck. Also, laundry.

Consistent yet flexible, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

I am so tired. I haven't gotten to really relax since Thursday until just now. I slept a whole lot better last night but I still have a deficit. The change in my meds could be causing it too. And my wrist STILL hurts from Wednesday! I hope the doc didn't do more harm than good. I may call tomorrow and ask if should still be hurting.
I never did get to work out. Things just didn't work out that way. So I am looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow. My house is a wreck too. I have a lot of work to do.
We could be in Russia in two weeks! Yeah, I've said that before. I need to start working on my Russian again. IF, a BIG IF, everything goes smoothly then we could have a girl home as early as the beginning of May. I try not to get my hopes up but I really just can't help it.
I am so glad I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow. I need a break.

Wanted: sweet sleep boogaloo!
MM