Wow...17 bags of leaves and 2 days later, I finished the yard. I then went and soaked in the local pool hot tub for a while...I'm glad I did. I'm super stiff and I bet I'd have been completely seized up if I hadn't. It was so nice, and I'm glad the yard is ready for winter for another year.
I stepped on the scale today and I am 134. So, I'm using that as a start point. I'm going to try to be down to 130 by New Year's Day. Given my creaky status I didn't work out today, but tomorrow it will be up and at them. I already feel less creaky and I'm sure by tomorrow morning I will be good to go...I was having trouble putting lids on containers last night I was so stiff...heh. I figured I'd better give myself a break after all the crazy raking. I spent the weekend catching up on lots of home stuff, and feel rather sane again...sometimes you just need to be home for a bit, you know?
After the Santa Claus parade yesterday I really feel like the holidays are here. I spent the day with family having a belated birthday dinner and it was nice, going to peek at J's brother's family's new house that's being built. I'm very excited for them. Plus, our provincial team won the western football finals yesterday so they'll be in the Grey Cup this year. I swear the whole province is nuts and coated in the team colours. I confess I don't follow football, but even I will likely get sucked into watching Grey Cup this year with the Roughriders in it. Rider pride is contagious...even I, an avid sports ignorer, am being dragged into it :)
Must be off...lots to do. Have a good day :)
I'm a genius!
I have figured out how to make my own version of Udon soup here at home. I have made it 2 nights in a row because it is so delicious. Veggies...noodles...shrimp...yum...and pretty healthy too.
Want some? My recipe is here.
Want some? My recipe is here.
Body for Geo
OK, this weekend J will be away, so besides doing lots of work to finish up my MSc stuff, I plan on cleaning the house (it really never ends...) and, yes - working out. Don't be shocked. It is true. My ass will be moving. Not sittign reading and eating popcorn. Oh no, I'm building a list and I'll check it twice.
I was looking at photos from a friend of mine, who recently lost about 20lbs and thought..."man. She looks amazing!" Then I looked at myself and went "meh". Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of alright, but I'm not in the best shape of my life like I was a few years ago. I want to get a hold on organizing my life so when grad studies start I get in my exercise and eat well with as little stress as possible. I want to pick away at the last 10ish Lbs I keep carrying around now that my body has plateaued at my new weight. Not only will it give me more energy, happy juice and feed my brain and help me sleep, but it will give me a stress relief I get no other way.
After cleaning and halfass organising my house this weekend (as parent are coming to visit for over a week to help renovate in December) I will get on planning my kitchen panel windows and then start working on a menu plan and exercise plan for next month. I am cringing about the exercising, as I know it will mean getting up at 5:15 (ick) but I did it before. All the time. It was so much simpler when J was up at that hour for work...it's much harder knowing I'll be int he shower before he even cracks an eye, but I know I can do it. Beacause I *have* done it. I need to get it as a part of routine before my routine ramps up even further. And the thing is, right now the weather is fantastic...all the snow melted and it's ~-5. For mid november that's positively tropical. I should at least be walking.
After a week I'll feel fanfreaktastic and the stiffies will ahve faded....and I hope by Christmas to have lost 3Lbs. That seems reasonable right? It's a good way to start and a small goal is doable. In a week or so I'll be getting next month's groceries, so if I have a weeks food plan by then I can really relieve my stress that way. Scrumpy suggested doing that and the more I think about it the more I like it. If nothing else, just having a list of 2 weeks worth of meals purchased and written down in a book will save me. I love to cook, but hate deciding what to make...this takes the pain out of it all. Less stress.
You know, a part of me would really like to do Body for Life. A friend of mine did and wow - she looked incredible. But it fades if you don't keep it up...and I don't want to go to a gym-I want to be able to do it at home. I enjoy it, but I know me. If I can't fit it in to my morning it ain't gonna happen. Plus I want a workout I can live with...not just do for 10 weeks and then wonder what's next. I think I may design my own "Body for Geo" plan and use their base plan to set up workouts I can do at home with my ball, freeweights and elliptical. I'm looking at picking up some resistance bands this month too- my Woman of Power workout from Fat Chance Bellydance has a section where you use a pole and elastic resistance band...and I want to do it for one of my workouts...so I will get on it. It is a good solid 45 minute all over workout...a good place to start. I just haven't been home at all to do this stuff. I make my life too busy...then get behind. Plus in a fit of delerium I made a promise to enter a winter half/full marathon in February...heh heh. Yeah.
Time to relax, recoup and pull on my adult pants. :)
Beacuse I know that most of all I need to look after me. I go slightly nutty when I get busy and put myself last...and the sanity gets worse from there on in. If I can figure out what I want and then do it...well I bet it will be a very good thing :)
Tonight's workout is to rake half the back yard...then finish all the raking up tomorrow. I have to get it done before snow comes...here's crossing my fingers...anyone know how many calories you use up raking??
I was looking at photos from a friend of mine, who recently lost about 20lbs and thought..."man. She looks amazing!" Then I looked at myself and went "meh". Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of alright, but I'm not in the best shape of my life like I was a few years ago. I want to get a hold on organizing my life so when grad studies start I get in my exercise and eat well with as little stress as possible. I want to pick away at the last 10ish Lbs I keep carrying around now that my body has plateaued at my new weight. Not only will it give me more energy, happy juice and feed my brain and help me sleep, but it will give me a stress relief I get no other way.
After cleaning and halfass organising my house this weekend (as parent are coming to visit for over a week to help renovate in December) I will get on planning my kitchen panel windows and then start working on a menu plan and exercise plan for next month. I am cringing about the exercising, as I know it will mean getting up at 5:15 (ick) but I did it before. All the time. It was so much simpler when J was up at that hour for work...it's much harder knowing I'll be int he shower before he even cracks an eye, but I know I can do it. Beacause I *have* done it. I need to get it as a part of routine before my routine ramps up even further. And the thing is, right now the weather is fantastic...all the snow melted and it's ~-5. For mid november that's positively tropical. I should at least be walking.
After a week I'll feel fanfreaktastic and the stiffies will ahve faded....and I hope by Christmas to have lost 3Lbs. That seems reasonable right? It's a good way to start and a small goal is doable. In a week or so I'll be getting next month's groceries, so if I have a weeks food plan by then I can really relieve my stress that way. Scrumpy suggested doing that and the more I think about it the more I like it. If nothing else, just having a list of 2 weeks worth of meals purchased and written down in a book will save me. I love to cook, but hate deciding what to make...this takes the pain out of it all. Less stress.
You know, a part of me would really like to do Body for Life. A friend of mine did and wow - she looked incredible. But it fades if you don't keep it up...and I don't want to go to a gym-I want to be able to do it at home. I enjoy it, but I know me. If I can't fit it in to my morning it ain't gonna happen. Plus I want a workout I can live with...not just do for 10 weeks and then wonder what's next. I think I may design my own "Body for Geo" plan and use their base plan to set up workouts I can do at home with my ball, freeweights and elliptical. I'm looking at picking up some resistance bands this month too- my Woman of Power workout from Fat Chance Bellydance has a section where you use a pole and elastic resistance band...and I want to do it for one of my workouts...so I will get on it. It is a good solid 45 minute all over workout...a good place to start. I just haven't been home at all to do this stuff. I make my life too busy...then get behind. Plus in a fit of delerium I made a promise to enter a winter half/full marathon in February...heh heh. Yeah.
Time to relax, recoup and pull on my adult pants. :)
Beacuse I know that most of all I need to look after me. I go slightly nutty when I get busy and put myself last...and the sanity gets worse from there on in. If I can figure out what I want and then do it...well I bet it will be a very good thing :)
Tonight's workout is to rake half the back yard...then finish all the raking up tomorrow. I have to get it done before snow comes...here's crossing my fingers...anyone know how many calories you use up raking??
Chemical Brothers ft Richard Ashcroft - The Test
Not much to say today...this song has been in my head all morning. It's an old favourite of mine.
Listened to this CD driving home late on the highway on sunday...and felt quite nearly perfect :)
Have a great day!
My weekend trip to Endor
Wonderful weekend.
Once again drove away to see friends, stay up late making decorations, and then spend all the next day turning a rugby hall into Endor and Deep space, all pimped up with Star Wars decorations. Yup - a Star Wars party. We covered the ceilings and walls...totally transformed the place. And then we had some great DJs play music all night...I dressed up like Luke on Dagobah, in khaki pants and tank top with lightsaber and Yoda on my back (yes I have a Yoda backpack. I'm a nerd.). Then after it was all cleaned up after the party ended at 4AM...and then we hung out with friends and caught up on life the universe and everything...
Haven't stayed up all night having fun like that for ages :)
One thing I'm glad for is we were able to hang out with our friends Mel and Bari. I was wondering how it would be, as they used to be a couple, but are now just "them"...but it was still good. It can be awkward when friends break up, but luckily, they remained friends, and so it was OK to all hang out together. It was so much fun to help out and be a part of something huge and fun, and be there and do it with a bunch of friends. All good people with shiny hearts...I do so wish they lived closer to us. Special thanks to Mel's Mom who made us bacon and eggs...you rock Mom!
And then it was drive home and sleep 13 hours...and now I am back at work, after having taken the morning off.
Tadah!
Like a little time warp. It was fun.
Once again drove away to see friends, stay up late making decorations, and then spend all the next day turning a rugby hall into Endor and Deep space, all pimped up with Star Wars decorations. Yup - a Star Wars party. We covered the ceilings and walls...totally transformed the place. And then we had some great DJs play music all night...I dressed up like Luke on Dagobah, in khaki pants and tank top with lightsaber and Yoda on my back (yes I have a Yoda backpack. I'm a nerd.). Then after it was all cleaned up after the party ended at 4AM...and then we hung out with friends and caught up on life the universe and everything...
Haven't stayed up all night having fun like that for ages :)
One thing I'm glad for is we were able to hang out with our friends Mel and Bari. I was wondering how it would be, as they used to be a couple, but are now just "them"...but it was still good. It can be awkward when friends break up, but luckily, they remained friends, and so it was OK to all hang out together. It was so much fun to help out and be a part of something huge and fun, and be there and do it with a bunch of friends. All good people with shiny hearts...I do so wish they lived closer to us. Special thanks to Mel's Mom who made us bacon and eggs...you rock Mom!
And then it was drive home and sleep 13 hours...and now I am back at work, after having taken the morning off.
Tadah!
Like a little time warp. It was fun.
Ching ching!
Last night's class was so much fun. I've been taking both beginning and intermediate bellydance classes but I have dropped back to just beginner for a little while, as I haven't had the time to practice for the intermediate level stuff as much as I'd like. Plus I'm still learning a lot of beginner things, and it has been a nagging feeling to feel like I'm "behind" all the time. So last night, it was just the 1.5 hour beginner class. It was great. There are a few girls from my old bellydance troupe in this class now, which is nice. I'm very comfortable dancing with them and Tribal dance is a lot of group work with mostly improvised choreography, based on following whomever is leader of the duet or trio group you are in. Last night we practiced trio and duet work fro the first time for a good long time, as well as learned a very cool looking torso twist and turn 
move. It was nice to dance with people I know.
We also got to learn a bit more of working with zills.
Zills are finger cymbols, and when they are played properly really add a lot of flair to your dance. In tribal there is less variation in zills, which I thought I would find restrictive, but it really does make it easier to learn them. I can play around more later :) The basic zills patterning is quite easy to pick up and by the end of class we were doing some basic shimmy moves together with trio zill patterns. I have picked up a nice set of brass zills for $30 and they sound so very nice-a nice low tung sound. There were some prettier ones, but they were too tinny for my taste...
I am still getting used to how tight the elastics have to be on your fingers to play them properly (the tips turn a bit blue), but it is so much fun. Definitely not quiet or shy! I ended up taking them out at home later to play them a bit - J was quite impressed (cats...eh not so much...:) ) Last night after class J and I just relaxed together and talked, watched a bit of Venture Brothers and it was so nice to just spend a bit of time together. It's been a busy few weeks. I heart my J.
This weekend some friends of ours are putting on a Star Wars themed costume party dance so we're helping them out with decorations and at the party itself. It should be a whole lot of fun...and after that...hopefully nothing for a while outside of home. I need to get to some organising and planning out the glass panels for the kitchen I need to make in the next few weeks. Dad is finally coming in December to revamp the kitchen...it's getting down close to the actual time of it now. It's all been in my head for months and months...but the times have arrived. Now I need to pick up a faucet and arborite and Dad will help us refinish the counter top with it and switch out the taps (seeing as they'll be off anyways and they're ugly as hell) and put up a tile back splash and rewire and install (meep) our new gas stove and range hood. With any luck the side panels for the stove will actually be here by then. (grrr). I also want to pretty up the cupboards a bit by sanding them down and re varnishing them. We need to close in the top of the cupboards to hide the venting for the range hood so I want to make a few art deco style glass panels to go up there in the wood...just cause I think it would look beautiful...and cuz I can. I'm sure it will take me a little while to get the doors back on the cupboards at the end and the new handles on, but we'll have a revamped kitchen for not too much $$$. I'd love to gut it and knock out a wall and do all kinds of things...but this we can afford. And it'll look great.
I addition to this I really have to finish up my MSc application papers and get them all in by next week so I can start in January... whew.
Anyways...must be off to the lab to do my thing.
Have a good weekend everybody!
image source
move. It was nice to dance with people I know.We also got to learn a bit more of working with zills.
Zills are finger cymbols, and when they are played properly really add a lot of flair to your dance. In tribal there is less variation in zills, which I thought I would find restrictive, but it really does make it easier to learn them. I can play around more later :) The basic zills patterning is quite easy to pick up and by the end of class we were doing some basic shimmy moves together with trio zill patterns. I have picked up a nice set of brass zills for $30 and they sound so very nice-a nice low tung sound. There were some prettier ones, but they were too tinny for my taste...
I am still getting used to how tight the elastics have to be on your fingers to play them properly (the tips turn a bit blue), but it is so much fun. Definitely not quiet or shy! I ended up taking them out at home later to play them a bit - J was quite impressed (cats...eh not so much...:) ) Last night after class J and I just relaxed together and talked, watched a bit of Venture Brothers and it was so nice to just spend a bit of time together. It's been a busy few weeks. I heart my J.
This weekend some friends of ours are putting on a Star Wars themed costume party dance so we're helping them out with decorations and at the party itself. It should be a whole lot of fun...and after that...hopefully nothing for a while outside of home. I need to get to some organising and planning out the glass panels for the kitchen I need to make in the next few weeks. Dad is finally coming in December to revamp the kitchen...it's getting down close to the actual time of it now. It's all been in my head for months and months...but the times have arrived. Now I need to pick up a faucet and arborite and Dad will help us refinish the counter top with it and switch out the taps (seeing as they'll be off anyways and they're ugly as hell) and put up a tile back splash and rewire and install (meep) our new gas stove and range hood. With any luck the side panels for the stove will actually be here by then. (grrr). I also want to pretty up the cupboards a bit by sanding them down and re varnishing them. We need to close in the top of the cupboards to hide the venting for the range hood so I want to make a few art deco style glass panels to go up there in the wood...just cause I think it would look beautiful...and cuz I can. I'm sure it will take me a little while to get the doors back on the cupboards at the end and the new handles on, but we'll have a revamped kitchen for not too much $$$. I'd love to gut it and knock out a wall and do all kinds of things...but this we can afford. And it'll look great.
I addition to this I really have to finish up my MSc application papers and get them all in by next week so I can start in January... whew.
Anyways...must be off to the lab to do my thing.
Have a good weekend everybody!
image source
PMS ahoy!
Heh heh...I didn't do too badly yesterday. Every month the hormonal munchies sneak up on me and tapdance on my head. This month was not too bad, but still a challenge.
Other than a bunch of (OK package of) baked rice crackers I came out of things OK. I had healthy lunch and supper...and a Guinness, but I drank tea to try and combat my food cravings. And so...I ended up drinking 2 full frigging pots of tea. Yes. I'm sure I'm still retaining a gallon of water now, but it helped fend off ridiculous munchies to a reasonable point. All that and I was still hungry. Crazy.
I made fresh buns too, but only ate one. This is indeed a victory. I likes me my fresh baked buns...I honestly had trouble not eating food "because it was there". With me being home for a holiday that was a challenge with the munchies going on but I kept busy with chores and getting some grad project application stuff together.
In between chores I got to watch a few documentaries on the Korean war and the Canadian troop involvement in the battles in WW2 in Italy. You hear so much in Canada about Vimy Ridge and the battles in France but so very little about the fighting that went on in Italy. I know embarrassingly little about WW1 and WW2 and I really enjoyed the documentaries. It helped me be mindful. J was busy all day putting the Remembrance ceremony on TV (they had a live mobile of our local ceremony on air on his channel that day) and then he had his live music show that evening, so he was too busy all day....not a "day off" for him at all.
And now...a long day with some bellydance lessons at the end. This weekend is our last weekend of lots of "stuff" to do for a while and I'm glad. I could go for a week or two of nothing in particular...I'm feeling busy and hectic again. Soon, comes the chill time. I can't wait :)
Other than a bunch of (OK package of) baked rice crackers I came out of things OK. I had healthy lunch and supper...and a Guinness, but I drank tea to try and combat my food cravings. And so...I ended up drinking 2 full frigging pots of tea. Yes. I'm sure I'm still retaining a gallon of water now, but it helped fend off ridiculous munchies to a reasonable point. All that and I was still hungry. Crazy.
I made fresh buns too, but only ate one. This is indeed a victory. I likes me my fresh baked buns...I honestly had trouble not eating food "because it was there". With me being home for a holiday that was a challenge with the munchies going on but I kept busy with chores and getting some grad project application stuff together.
In between chores I got to watch a few documentaries on the Korean war and the Canadian troop involvement in the battles in WW2 in Italy. You hear so much in Canada about Vimy Ridge and the battles in France but so very little about the fighting that went on in Italy. I know embarrassingly little about WW1 and WW2 and I really enjoyed the documentaries. It helped me be mindful. J was busy all day putting the Remembrance ceremony on TV (they had a live mobile of our local ceremony on air on his channel that day) and then he had his live music show that evening, so he was too busy all day....not a "day off" for him at all.
And now...a long day with some bellydance lessons at the end. This weekend is our last weekend of lots of "stuff" to do for a while and I'm glad. I could go for a week or two of nothing in particular...I'm feeling busy and hectic again. Soon, comes the chill time. I can't wait :)
I am woman. Hear me waffle
Waffle waffle waffle
waffle waffle waffle...
No I don't crave one. Right now I am one. I am Wimbly incarnate.
I keep thinking "OK girl. This is it. No more wimbling - get to this diet and exercise thing! You have no reason now to not do it. You know how good you feel when you keep up with it. You LOVE it. Come on!"
And then I sleep in...or I make a yummy meal and eat too much of it, or I get busy with Life, the Universe and Everything and blink and a week has gone by with no workout other than my belly dance classes. I'm not knocking that, but 3 hours a week on one day does not make for a level fitness program!
I know part of it is the fall, less sunlight blahs, and part of it is trying to adjust to my husband's new morning schedule (I get up before him now. WEIRD...and I am not a good companion early in the AM. Shared breakfasts is wierd. Lets just say I exude...erm...morning...crank. Yes, that's a good word...I'm missing my morning solitude). I'm trying to make my new life fit me and not make me crazy and I'm not sure what to do next. And part of me is freaking out at it all, because very soon it will ramp up even more.
Why?
Well, I'm probably bursting my big announcement bubble I'd planned once all the paperwork was officially dotted and signed, but it looks 98% sure that starting in January I will officially be a graduate student. Don't get me wrong -this is really exciting for me. I'll get to work on a Masters project that will directly impact patient care and improve breast cancer diagnosis. I will help make people's lives better. Help fight cancer in my own little way. Yes - it's a really freaking fantastic opportunity, and my boss is even kind enough to let me work full time while I do this. And that is the thing - I will soon be working full time AND be doing a Master's program at the same time...and I'm already challenged with fitting in my workouts. There's a little panicked 5 year old voice in my head going "Aaaaaaaah! How can I do this! I'll never fit it all in! I'm gonna fall on my face!".
Now don't get me wrong. I know I can do this. Everyone - my supervisors, my lovely husband and my family believe I can. *I* know I can pull it off. It just really scares the ever loving shit out of me. Honestly and truly. And so I'm trying to get my act together so that when January rolls around I'll have a bit of a routine to follow to stay sane...and I don't really know where to begin. For me that's always the hardest part. I'm a great planner...it's the jumping in with both feet and a raincoat that scares me to death. I'm prepping for 2-3 years of insanity...
Eep.
Please humour me over the next little while as I try and make my life a more sane, fit world to be in. If you have any advice for me please, chuck it my way. Right now I could really use some advice...
waffle waffle waffle...No I don't crave one. Right now I am one. I am Wimbly incarnate.
I keep thinking "OK girl. This is it. No more wimbling - get to this diet and exercise thing! You have no reason now to not do it. You know how good you feel when you keep up with it. You LOVE it. Come on!"
And then I sleep in...or I make a yummy meal and eat too much of it, or I get busy with Life, the Universe and Everything and blink and a week has gone by with no workout other than my belly dance classes. I'm not knocking that, but 3 hours a week on one day does not make for a level fitness program!
I know part of it is the fall, less sunlight blahs, and part of it is trying to adjust to my husband's new morning schedule (I get up before him now. WEIRD...and I am not a good companion early in the AM. Shared breakfasts is wierd. Lets just say I exude...erm...morning...crank. Yes, that's a good word...I'm missing my morning solitude). I'm trying to make my new life fit me and not make me crazy and I'm not sure what to do next. And part of me is freaking out at it all, because very soon it will ramp up even more.
Why?
Well, I'm probably bursting my big announcement bubble I'd planned once all the paperwork was officially dotted and signed, but it looks 98% sure that starting in January I will officially be a graduate student. Don't get me wrong -this is really exciting for me. I'll get to work on a Masters project that will directly impact patient care and improve breast cancer diagnosis. I will help make people's lives better. Help fight cancer in my own little way. Yes - it's a really freaking fantastic opportunity, and my boss is even kind enough to let me work full time while I do this. And that is the thing - I will soon be working full time AND be doing a Master's program at the same time...and I'm already challenged with fitting in my workouts. There's a little panicked 5 year old voice in my head going "Aaaaaaaah! How can I do this! I'll never fit it all in! I'm gonna fall on my face!".
Now don't get me wrong. I know I can do this. Everyone - my supervisors, my lovely husband and my family believe I can. *I* know I can pull it off. It just really scares the ever loving shit out of me. Honestly and truly. And so I'm trying to get my act together so that when January rolls around I'll have a bit of a routine to follow to stay sane...and I don't really know where to begin. For me that's always the hardest part. I'm a great planner...it's the jumping in with both feet and a raincoat that scares me to death. I'm prepping for 2-3 years of insanity...
Eep.
Please humour me over the next little while as I try and make my life a more sane, fit world to be in. If you have any advice for me please, chuck it my way. Right now I could really use some advice...
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