SBF2 Reboot Boogaloo! March 1st

mechanicmom

Good morning!
I hope no one has started this yet. I'll try to post fast.

We had a good weekend. I played tennis for two hours so that was a blast. I'm not sure if I burned more calories playing, or giggling with my sis! I need to find a local partner so I can go play more.
We got our paper work sent off to our agency but my doc's office screwed up on part of it (again!) so we are having to get that fixed. I hope what we sent in was enough to get the court date though. We hope to have a date in the next couple of weeks!
And today is M's birthday! She's seven today! I can't believe I'm going to have a seven year old! How did that happen?

Today is getting back to the routine: cleaning, school, working out and then chilling. This week could be interesting with new appointments and errands to run. I may also try to get some work done on the cars. One is WAY over due for an oil change. And I haven't touched my camaro in months! We'll see how the weather goes.

I'd better get breakfast and get to work.

Up in the air boogaloo!
MM

lotusfromthemud

Morning pebbs,

I weighed in this morning (can't believe it's actually March) and I've lost another pound. Pretty good considering I'm probably retaining fluid from being sick and I'm premenstrual. Woot! (amazing how any downward number excites me). I was sort of hoping to be back in the 140s, but, well...progress is progress. :drinker:

My big goal today is to leave the house. The coughing is much more, well, normal now. Also, I'm bored out of my skull. Don't know how long I'll last but would like to see the sky. I think I'm starting to feel less icky in general, so I'm hoping the anti-everything drugs I'm on are working. I want to approach normal soon. (or at least my normal).

Last night was pretty crazy up here in T.O. I could hear the gold-medal hockey celebrations going on over a kilometre from my house (and it was apparently one of the smaller celebrations). And people were driving around honking and hooting and hollering and flag waving. The police had to close down a lot of the major intersections. Hockey's a big deal, eh? The entire nation may be hung over this a.m.

O Canada boogaloo!:flowerforyou:

yoginimary

Hello March. Wait, I still want more winter. For me, Spring means yard work.

But it also means bike rides. I'm a little sore from yesterday's 8 miler - sad really, even if it was windy. More biking this week for sure. Today - yoga, walking, and Ethiopian stew.

Husband had a great time on his retreat. Now I want to go to the Omega center in NY for the "Being Yoga" thing in August - Rodney Yee and his wife will be there as well as some other big names. I think I have to decide if I want a vacation or a yoga vacation. Though if the cats continue like they have, we'll be lucky to take any vacation.

Spring, boogaloo.

cp005e

Hi all. I can't believe it's March already. I took the weekend to just chill out, which was great - but now I'm starting to think of all the things I have to do at home. I am still a bit tired today but planning to get back into a semi-normal eating and exercise routine. No more junk, and no desserts until the weekend. Exercise-wise, tonight is running and push-ups. I'm starting to think about half-marathon training again and am wondering if I should draw up an actual schedule/training plan. There are lots of different plans online, so I think I will probably cobble something together from a few of them.

Congrats on the pound, V. I saw the end of the hockey game - I felt bad for the US, but I knew that Canada as a nation would probably savor the victory more. MM, I'd like to play tennis - I'm just really not good at it. But I try from time to time. Have fun with your stew, Mary! Are you making that spongy Ethiopian flatbread to go with it?

Back on track, boogaloo.

Bobbie145

Hi, everyone! I made it to spin this morning. I have just logged my food for so far today. It has been a nice day. A little on the chilly side, but that will be gone and it will be way too hot before we know it.

Spin, boogaloo!

Bobbie

yoginimary

Why do I hate men? My husband lost 7 pounds during his meditation retreat - it was a week long (he's not a big guy, some of it had to be the lowered salt intake). My response was, oh, so that's where we are going on vacation then, right? Maybe I have to eat more mindfully - and stop looking around for something to read - especially during the desserts.

Today - having a guy come work on the house, so I'll be home all day, so yoga and treadmill. I might try the Rodney Yee advanced again, just to see.

Mindfully, boogaloo.

lotusfromthemud

Didn't make it outside yesterday, so that's once again the goal. I did shower and put on clothes that weren't pajamas, so that's progress.

Amazed at the butt-kick of this illness. Must practice patience with my body. I don't like practicing patience.

Today I have to start my enormous pile of marking that I had to put off due to coughing and codeine. I'm not looking forward to it, as my colleagues are telling me they take about an hour a piece to mark (there are fifty of them). Ah well, the glamorous life.

Also, it's my intention, if I feel up to it later in the day, to try a very light yoga practice just to get the body moving. It's starting to seize up on me a bit.

Better days a comin' boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

Bobbie145

Hi, Boogloos!

Back to rainy and chilly again. Oh well. It will be yucky hot before we know it!!

Worked out to a DVD this morning. Planning on spin tomorrow morning.

Still going down even with BBQ ordered from my home state and delivered to my front door. Boy, was it good!!

BBQ Boogaloo!!

mechanicmom

Hey ladies!
I wasn't going to post today, but here I am. I was sore from working out yesterday and my back is giving me fits again, so I didn't get much done today. I was on the wii for about 30 minutes. I also did bad and bought Oreos today. I don't know why. I just did. I haven't eaten the whole box yet so that's progress!
I've been busy filling out adoption grant paper work this afternoon. We've applied for at least ten so far and been turned down for every single one. Maybe one of these will work.
Had a dream I was riding in a hot air balloon and started feeling nauseated and the balloon was spinning a bit. I woke up and realized that I did feel nauseated. I have had too much dairy the last several days. I think that will be a goal for the coming weeks:less dairy.
I guess that's it for today. May not get a work out in tomorrow either. Busy day. Either tomorrow or Thursday I hope to change the oil in the car and rebuild the carburetor for my camaro. I love it!
Elbow grease boogaloo!
MM

cp005e

Hello all. I forgot to post yesterday. I am still sore from Monday! I ran ("only" 3 miles because I forgot my sports bra and my blister prevention stuff), and then jumped right back into pushups at the same week and level as before. Oof. I had to rest for about 15 minutes before doing my last set, and then I had to pause about 5-6 times to finish the last 10-12. Chest and abs are sore from that, legs and feet are sore from running. And I am experiencing my standard "I didn't gain weight while I was eating badly and not exercising, so let's gain 2 pounds once I start working out again" pattern. Oh well. It's good to be working out again.
I also went to dance class last night. New-to-me teacher, though she's one of the studio owners - not as enjoyable as the one I had last session (or the one before that), but obviously a very experienced dancer. It's good to switch teachers around, though - I'm sure different people emphasize different things.

Anyway, today I'm going to an all-day meeting where they're probably going to question my sense and expertise. :huh: Yay. Hopefully I'll be able to go to the gym after that - I'm thinking a few minutes of intervals, and then a jog. Oh, and I guess it's pushups again tonight. Eek! :laugh:

Hi Bobbie! Good luck with the grant-writing, MM, and grading, V. Mary, I'm sure your husband is a lovely man, but 7 pounds? That's obnoxious. Of course, I was the one talking one of my male co-workers off the ledge last week because he said he gained 10 pounds on his vacation. I said no way, at most maybe a pound or two is real. Weight as a measure is both helpful and not helpful.

OK, time to go, boogaloo!

yoginimary

So guy that was supposed to work on the house yesterday, is coming today. Also, I'm getting a crown today :grumble:

I will get a walk in before going to the dentist - even though that will ensure that I will be starving when I get home and have a numb mouth - and yoga tonight. If house work guy leaves early, I will get a bike ride in this afternoon.

Dentist - not boogaloo.

For CP - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226214350.htm about running 1/2 and full marathons

lotusfromthemud

Just checking in.

The sun is out today, so that's good! Also, today I get to take the last of the kicking my butt antibiotic drugs, hooray!

My going into the world goal of the day is to attend a concert my husband is playing. To save my energy for that, nothing else on the schedule today.

Can resting be exhausting? I think I'm just bored and frustrated. I feel like I've been sidelined so much, and I was going like gangbusters and loving it. Boo, germs, boo!

Visualizing a powerful immune system, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

Good morning. It's a gorgeous day here.
CP it's good to feel sore right?
v, I'm glad you are starting to feel better but are still taking it easy.
Mary, a crown? Yuck. I hate dental work.
Bobbie how is the Jenny Craig working for you? That's the one you are doing right?

We are at horse therapy. Alex (and I) got the biggest laugh out of watching a white horse roll around in the mud. It was great! There is a sweet dog sitting next to me. Lol.
My lower back is really hurting me again. I hurt it six months or so ago and when I work out regularly it starts to hurt. It was hurting so bad last night that I couldn't hardly sit. It doesn't hurt when laying down so I did sleep good. Today is a day off so mYbe that will help.
A new goal us to try to eat a fruit or veggie at each meal, maybe two;)

Alex is done so I will go!
MM

mechanicmom

Checking in twice on a day that I did not work out. :huh:

It's been a frustrating week. The adoption paper work is kicking our patooties. We overnighted the papers to the agency only to find out that they aren't good enough and we have to get the doctor's office to redo them. :grumble: We are not going to do that. Instead DH is going to take another day off work and we are going to Alex's doctor 3 hours away who is totally awesome and adopted 6 kids from Russia. I'm sure we will not have to redo the labs but he will have to do the paper work and get it notarized. Also we got some really discouraging news about the FBI background checks. They had no record of them, which doesn't mean they are lost yet. It probably means they haven't processed them yet and it's been 8 weeks. People on the web have said it could be 12 weeks or more to get them done. Things just aren't working out as smoothly as they were. Our adoption paperwork that we did for the first portion of the journey expires at the end of May, so we have to hurry up. If things don't hurry up, we will have to redo all that paper work (and spend anther $1000 on it ) and it could be fall before we bring M home. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I usually have faith for such things but I'm just worn out. We're weary and frustrated. Please pray for us.
On the bright side I planned out our meals for the week with one to three fruit/veggie servings with lunches and dinners. Breakfast will have one fruit serving. So I am taking a step in the right direction. I'm also praying for a treadmill.
I'm really not doing too horrible. I guess I just needed to vent about the paper work. DH was upset about it yesterday and I kind of blew him off, like it's no big deal and it will all work out. It hit me today I guess. Now he has that chance to blow my emotions off and tell me everything will be okay. I think eating better and somehow getting exercise without hurting my back will help me be able to handle all the stress. I'm done. Thanks for listening.

Vent over,
MM

cp005e

Sorry you are having such a tough week, MM. Struggling with bureaucracy is no fun for anybody.

I managed to get both running and pushups done last night. I did 4 minutes of 30 second sprint/jog intervals, which tuckered me out, and then I ran another 3 miles. Whew! And the pushups were super hard because I was still so sore from Monday. I am proud of myself for getting back into things, though.

My eating, on the other hand, has not been so good. I have had both dessert (3 times! :embarrassed:) and diet soda (once) already this week, but I am not going to beat myself up over it too much since I have done pretty well with the exercise. I heard a story recently where they were saying that stress and having a lot of things on your mind actually short-circuits your ability to make good decisions - they did a study where they asked people to remember some numbers, and then they went down the hall where they could choose a healthy snack or an unhealthy one. If the test subjects only had 2-3 numbers to remember, they were more likely to choose the healthy snack, but if they had 7-9 numbers to remember, they would usually pick the unhealthy one. It's intuitive, but it is interesting to see the evidence for it.

Off to work, boogaloo!

yoginimary

Good luck, MM - remember, exercise helps with stress.

I heard that study too, CP. - I love that stuff - how our brain and bodies work - even against our better judgment.

There's a little black kitty in my house that I'm ready to de-meow. He has had enough with all these closed doors, so anytime he sees one, he sits by it and howls. The two of my other cats are still going outside the box. One cat must be separated from another cat. Then the fourth cat is still vomiting and is going in for an ultrasound tomorrow. I'm ok with one at a time - this is too much.

Anyway, need to get my walk in and get a move on, as we are going out to eat and then to see Kevin Smith tonight.

Finding ways to relieve stress, boogaloo!

lotusfromthemud

Morning, pebbs.

The sun is out and my energy levels are better. I discovered last night venturing into the cold outside air that I'm still sensitive in the lungs. Coughing ensued. Then, my genius husband said "pneumonia is a serious business." True, I guess...but my impatience to be better is pretty hardcore. My current goal is to try a light elliptical or bike session on Saturday, just as an experiment, now that germs are not a factor. On the decidedly positive side, the concert was awesome. I'm sorry I can't go again tonight.

I definitely get that decisions/stress thing. I find I have a threshold of organization/feeling in control, and if that gets overwhelmed, I go into what I call cascade failure...and my brain/judgement/patience stop working. I'm trying lately to recognize when that's happening and let my weird decisions happen in non-food ways (bad TV for a few hours, a walk outside, a manicure, a bubble bath) anything that feels like I'm taking a break from the current situation. I think defiance of the rules is a coping skill for me, so I try not to break the food rules if I can help it. And, yeah...exercise helps. I miss it.

The goals for the day are an errand walk (just a few blocks to the grocer/produce market) and more marking. Also, resting up for the first day back teaching (luckily, I've been off on a break...because I would have had to call in sick)

Mary, that sounds like kitty overload right now. Between the meowing and the puking and the litterbox ignoring...that's just got to be a mess in all the ways. MM, paperwork is a drag. I hate it, too...but it's a necessary evil. CP, you're hitting it hard again.
Bobbie, do you spin every morning? Or just most? I want to live vicariously through you!

Sunshine and slow walking boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

CP, way to get back at it!
Mary, I'm sorry about all the kitty problems! That's got to be hard! We have to leave our bedroom door open, otherwise the cat will body slam the door. DH had to rig up something so the door would close behind her when she comes in and out. She's spoiled.
V, take it easy. I know what it's like to not be able to do things (remember I was on bedrest for six weeks a year ago) and it's not easy to sit still. But you don't want to overdo it.
Trying to decide what to do today. It's absolutely gorgeous out! I wish I could go for a run without pushing the big heavy stroller with a 33 pound kid in it. I might give it a whirl anyway. I bought much needed sports bras this morning so that should be some motivation, right? Besides the fact that I just had some Oreos. :blushing: I am really struggling in the sweets department.
If I don't walk/run then I will do a DVD. My back is feeling a little bit better today.
The paperwork went back to the doctor so hopefully they will get it done right, especially since DH stuck some money in there to get it done. I am taking Alex to his doc on Monday for his check up. I am looking forward to it because his doc is awesome! But it's a 3 hours drive one way. I am hoping a friend can go with me. I haven't been on a trip like that by myself in awhile.
I guess I should stop rambling.
Things looking up? boogaloo!
MM

lotusfromthemud

Warning: venting ahead.

I just got an official "thanks but no thanks" from the choir I applied for the conducting gig with.

I'm fighting very hard not to send an "Oh really? I hadn't assumed this despite the two+ weeks of no communication from you. Also, I apparently had a raging bacterial infection when I met (three times in the course of a week!) with your six-member search committee. So, if any of you have developed a cough, you should really get that checked out. Anyways, thanks for the consideration."

I try my best not to be ugly, but they could have communicated with me sooner, and the whole thing is just rude and disheartening. Also, I'm cranky because walking two blocks and back to the grocer's felt like a spin class (I was literally dripping with sweat and breathing hard on my return.) Boo!

Breathe in, breathe out, let go of resentments, and move on.:bigsmile:

yoginimary

I just read your signature V. The class I went to in January ended with the mantra, "may we live like the lotus at home in the muddy water".

mechanicmom

Ahhhh! I got my walk/run in this morning before DH went to work. I was able to run a few times so that was a confidence builder.
It's going to be a beautiful day! I have a lot to try to get done this morning before Bible Study. I'd like to work on the cars this afternoon but it may have to wait until tomorrow, which is fine too. Maybe I will clean up the garage this afternoon so I have room to work on the cars tomorrow. :happy:
I am getting better about exercising but the food issues are harder to get under control. I am hoping the exercise will help me with that area too.
I guess that's it for now. I'd better get started on my list of things to do. I hope you all are having beautiful weather too!
Spring is coming boogaloo!:bigsmile:
MM

lotusfromthemud

I just read your signature V. The class I went to in January ended with the mantra, "may we live like the lotus at home in the muddy water".

Yep, I put it in my signature to help myself remember. Lately, I've been cranky about my mud, feeling like there's too much mud and not enough lotus.

Discovered last night that I was more sad than angry about the job. It's the first thing I've wanted badly for a while, which was a cool emotion...until I didn't get it. This was complicated by the fact that I feel I wasn't treated respectfully in the process (attended three meetings and then they stopped communication, after telling me I would be on the podium to try out at the next rehearsal, so I had a week of anxiety/planning that...only to not be contacted at all). I feel like it was their bad manners that upset me more than anything (hey, I'm southern, remember... very sensitive to manners.) Instantly after getting their email, I had a desire to eat ice cream for dinner. Then, I said (out loud) to myself: "don't eat it. feel it." Ooof. So, I ate my sensible dinner and then watched movies and cried. Still sort of sad, but at least I didn't eat it, right?

MM, when I can exercise consistently, I find that my desire for gross/bad for me food is far, far less. For me, it's all stress. Nobody needs a cookie, right? We want them...and for me I want them because something hurts. Progress!

Today I have to go teach, which should prove, um. ..interesting. Fortunately/unfortunately my students have to do presentations today. Goal of the day: to be kind. (I've been bad at this lately...if crass comments were a moneymaker, I'd be rich!)

Be kind boogaloo!:flowerforyou:

yoginimary

It is really hard to be kind after someone is rude to you - but quite effective.

Ok, need advice. I got a new Policies and Procedures thing from the gym. They say we are required to be in class 10 minutes before the start of class (I almost always there early, so it's not an issue), but we are not getting paid for this time. Should I mention that this is illegal? I even have the pdf from the government. I think they should be aware of this, but I don't want to be the one that tells them :laugh:

They also mentioned that any classes with fewer than 10 people will be cancelled. I've never had a class with 10 people or more. We'll see.

Today - well, teach my class and get a walk in this afternoon. Also - worry about my kitty getting an ultrasound at the vet.

Legal, boogaloo!

lotusfromthemud

Ok, need advice. I got a new Policies and Procedures thing from the gym. They say we are required to be in class 10 minutes before the start of class (I almost always there early, so it's not an issue), but we are not getting paid for this time. Should I mention that this is illegal? I even have the pdf from the government. I think they should be aware of this, but I don't want to be the one that tells them :laugh:

They also mentioned that any classes with fewer than 10 people will be cancelled. I've never had a class with 10 people or more. We'll see.


Legal, boogaloo!

I'm not sure about the second one, are you under contract to teach a class, or do you just get paid to be there by the hour? (this makes a diff...if you're under contract, they have to pay you anyway. usually.)

I'm the WORST person to ask for advice about workplace legality/fairness. I am always the one saying "but, that's not legal. ..according to the office of blah, blah, blah...", calling the union, registering a formal complaint and starting a pointless battle. I may have missed my calling to be an angry person with a bullhorn. "I'm V...and I'm here to recruit you!"

Also, just because I'm cranky...I hate it when gyms cancel classes because they're not popular enough...my schedule is weird, and especially in a yoga class, I like it not too crowded. My favorite spin class when I lived in the states was at 4 in the afternoon. It never had more than five people in it (mostly teachers on their way home). That was the plus of the Y...if you took a class, you paid extra for it, so they made their money.

Uprising, boogaloo.

yoginimary

I get paid to teach by the hour (though when I sub the 45 minute classes, I get paid for an entire hour).

Iggy got back from the vet and has not stopped vomiting. The vet said it could be IBS or Lymphoma - yikes! IBS is fairly common in cats (he would be our second cat to have it), lymphoma is less common but it's fatal - quickly so. I gave him steroids this morning; I'm waiting until they mostly digest before feeding him again. Husband leaves for a conference today :frown:

Had a great yoga class yesterday though - I had 11 people :laugh: 10 stayed for the restorative. It was a hard class. I had two classes written down, but the first class only took 15 minutes - whoops. I got a walk in too. It always amazes me how much better I feel after I start walking - it's like watching stress melt.

Today - more of the same.

Good juju for kitty, boogaloo.

lotusfromthemud

Morning, pebbs.

High of 50 degrees today! And sunny! I will go outside! (I am excited.)

No big plans today, except I'm going out window shopping around town. (so I'll get to slowly watch some stress melt!) I'm thankful that the weather is cooperating with my desire to cure my cabin fever. This is the first day I've felt close to normal in weeks.

Mary, if you get paid by the hour, but they're paying you for an hour for a forty-five minute class, then it's kind of a gray area. It all depends on your relationship with the managers there...but maybe you could inform them of the legality of their request. Not in a trouble-making way, but in a "thought you should know" way. Only you can gauge how they'd take it.

So sorry about Iggy! Really, really, really hope it's not lymphoma. Poor little guy. and poor you, being such a busy kitty mommy lately.

Looking for robins, boogaloo.:flowerforyou:

mechanicmom

V, I am so glad you are feeling better and have good weather to get outside and do a little walking/shopping. :flowerforyou:

Mary, so sorry about your kitty. I can't imagine dealing with that. Poor kitty and poor you.

CP, are you still kicking rear?

Bobbie, how are you doing? How's spinning?

I got my walk/run in this morning! I was sore when I got up this morning so I took that as a good sign. My buns may have felt sore because they bounced so much yesterday when running. :laugh: Sorry for the visual. My ankles are hurting, but I am assuming it's from not doing it for awhile. Since I am able to get out in the mornings I do not feel the desperate need for a treadmill like I did last week. I still want one eventually.
MIL is coming in today. I have a LOT to do before she comes. I have to clean, do another load of laundry, and bake some things(since smelling foods makes her sick). She is going with me to Longview on Monday and then Austin on Tuesday to drop off the perfect doctor paperwork that my Dh put together. Either Wednesday or Thursday I will set up an eye appointment for Alex. It's going to be a crazy week. I probably won't get much exercise in until at least Wednesday.
Have an awesome Saturday!
On the go boogaloo!
MM

lotusfromthemud

Also, new blog boogaloo.

mechanicmom

Oh, V, there have been robins all over the place down here. I'm not sure I've seen this many in a really long time. One of the first times this year I saw them was in a small grass field and there was probably 20-30 of them! It made me very happy to see them! I hope you see them soon!

Today has been a weird day. Lots of spiritual warfare if that makes sense to you all. Weird things happening. I did manage to get the house cleaned up, a couple of meals cooked, and changed the oil in the car. So today was productive.
I'll try to check in over the next few crazy days!
Come on spring!
MM

cp005e

Hello all! I had a really nice day, even though I had to work. Oh, oh, oh - and I went to an amazing concert last night. If you like three-part harmonies, I can't recommend the band Girlyman enough - I absolutely love them. The only bad thing was that I ended up having cake for dinner because we had to drive to Syracuse for the show, and wanted to get there early enough to get good seats, so we didn't have time to eat actual dinner. And they only had desserts and coffee. :blushing: But, it was tasty!

Today was fun, though - I actually ran outside! For four miles! In the sun! I was really proud of myself - my pace ended up being almost exactly the same as on the treadmill, which is cool since I figured I would be slower outside. So that's 10 miles for the week. And then we ended up going over to our friends' house just to pick something up, and stayed for several hours - which was really fun, but now it's late and I don't know if I want to do my pushups. I guess I'll do some because I'm not totally exhausted yet.

Mary, I really hope Iggy starts feeling better. I don't have any good advice on the gym situation, though. MM, way to go on getting outside for walking/running two days in a row! V, great blog - that's a real breakthrough. (And, by the way, I showed one of your blog entries to a co-worker of mine a while back - and now he usually tells me that you have a new blog before you do. You have a fan! :laugh:)

Late night pushups, boogaloo!

lotusfromthemud

There's a yoga class on my gym schedule that is called "gentle" this a.m., so I'm going to try it. I'll share my situation with the teacher before we start. I just need to walk through the gym door, before it becomes a fear issue for me. (Not sure that makes sense, but I don't want to get stuck in the mindset of "no, I'm too sick for the gym!")

I'm actually sore from walking around town yesterday. I did walk for about 5km, I discovered after I got home to google maps. I did sleep like a little baby last night. Depending on how I feel today, I may go out again. It's going to be a little less sunny today, but still warmish. I want to take my new bag out. Also, I love it when spring comes here (even if it's a teaser round) even the bus drivers were smiley yesterday.

Awesome with the running, CP. It's my dream that this summer I'll do couch to 5k outside. Tell my fan I said hi...or is that weird? I've never had a fan before.

Gentle boogaloo.:flowerforyou: