What Vacation?

I made it home safely, but it feels like I've been on the go since I returned. Between the laundry and the errands and the housework that didn't get done before I left, it's been a blur.


Good news: I managed to lose a half pound or so while I was on vacation (97 pounds total!), which just goes to show that an illicit corn pup never hurt anyone. :) Also, I worked out with Trainer Kevin on Friday, and I was able to complete everything pretty well. The hit-and-miss approach to training I used on vacation seemed be enough to keep me on the right path. I used the stairs a lot and got in some good walks here and there, as well as doing the odd set of squats or lunges or pushups. I had planned more, but in the end I didn't drive 15 hours to spend my time in the fitness center or up in my room doing squats. The ultimate goal was to spend as much time as possible with my friends!

Today, I finally got to haul my bicycle to the riding trails, and I enjoyed it so much I'm going back tomorrow. The full trail is only 6.2 miles, and my goal tomorrow is to ride it twice. I may even shoot for three times, if the legs hold out. It's that much fun.

I'll never catch up with my reader, but I'm looking forward to trying. I apologize in advance for any comments I make on your blogs that expose my ignorance. :)

Almost Home

Greetings from Knoxville, TN. The mountains will soon be behind me, and as much as I've enjoyed their beauty, I'll be glad to drive on flat land again. (Remind me of that this afternoon when I'm driving across middle Tennessee farmland.)

My Maryland trip was a blast! Unfortunately it is now also a blur. I know that there was a lot of sugar involved (cookies AND cake!) and that I had to keep re-introducing myself to people. Meals were healthy, snacks were not, and I can only hope that repeatedly climbing the stairs to my fourth floor room offset some of the excess. And if it didn't? So. what. I had fun.

But the fun didn't stop in Maryland. On Tuesday night, I met Dietbook and WVSooner (I saw his car before I saw anyfor a yummy (and mostly healthy) dinner. I wasn't surprised to find them both as charming and funny in person as they are on their blogs. But it's still nice to have it confirmed. :) Thanks, V. and WV. , for a delightful evening! (And thanks for dinner, too!) You were both very generous to take time from your hectic lives for a meet-up.

Wednesday was my first rain day and a little unnerving as I careened up and down various mountains, but the destination was worth it: lunch with Deborah! We met in Lewisburg, WV, a pretty little mountain town, and had a healthy and delicious lunch at a local spot before doing a little shopping. Deborah is one of those new friends who feels like an old friend, and I enjoyed our paltry few hours together. I can't be sure, but I suspect we could do some real damage to our pocketbooks if we went shopping together too often. :) Thank you, Deborah, for your generosity and good company!

And now it is time for this chubby girl to get dressed and set out on the last little journey. I've enjoyed myself immensely, but I will be glad to sleep in my own bed!
~

Makeover Monday: DIY

Greetings from...I have no idea where I am, to tell you the truth. My sleep-deprived, sugar-soaked body is on autopilot. :)

Apparently the flash drive with this week's MM post is still in the USB drive at home, so we're winging it for today with a Do-It-Yourself Makeover Monday. Usually I pick some topic I'm interested in, but this week YOU can supply your very own topic.

What's the one thing you'd most like to makeover about yourself, and what steps will you take to accomplish it? Post it here or over at your place, it's up to you (though I do hope you'll come over and give us a link if you choose the latter.)

For myself, I'm going to makeover how I plan and execute personal projects. I do fine at work, with lists and deadlines and such, but I'm not so good at it in my personal life. This afternoon is free-time for me, and I'm going to work on a list I started a while back for home projects by breaking it into measurable "action items", prioritizing said items, and assigning a due date to them.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I look forward to catching up with you.

(And sekret note to WV friends: batten down the hatches, I'm on my WAY!)

~

Greetings from Maryland!

Thank you all so much for the vacation good wishes. So far it's a blast!

The drive up was gorgeous, but I kind of expected that. The Cumberland Mtns, the Smokeys, the lower Appalachians, and the Virginia Highlands all in one day are a lot to behold. But oh my Lord, what a long drive. I've never been sure whether or not to truly believe that driving burns 200 calories an hour, but I sure felt like it yesterday!

Eating yesterday was so-so. I had too many calories, I think (too tired to add them up) but they were all healthy one. Except for that mini-York Peppermint Pattie.

As we expected, the friends I met for dinner last night didn't recognize me. :)

I awoke early this morning, well ahead of my 9:00 departure time for Dulles to pick up a friend, to exercise in the fitness room. For the second time this year, I found myself staring at a weight rack that jumped from 8-lb weights to 20-lb. weights.

Note to hotels: Fit girls like me use 10, 12, and 15 lb weights. Please get some and put them in the rack. NOW.

I think I'll just do cardio, pushups, and squats and call it even. :)

Okay, I'm off to find some breakfast and then back onto the Capitol Beltway. I'll be shuttling between Dulles and BWI today, so I'll be checking in on your blogs via my iPhone. Hope you're all having an outstanding week!

HYC Check-in Week 33

I'm heading off for vacation this afternoon, and I'm READY for it. I'll be seeing people I haven't seen in a couple of years, and I'm eagerly anticipating their reactions to the New! Improved! Cammy. I'll also be meeting a couple of blogging buddies along the way, but more about that later. I'm soooo afraid of jinxing it. :)

For my check-in, I'm 0.6 pounds down from last week. I'm really enjoying where I am, weight-wise, right now, and I'm thinking I have definitely moved into my longer term "goal range." I'd like to lose another 4 pounds just to see that number on the scale for the first time since high school, but where I am now is good, too. I'll take some time to live it for a while and see what happens.

My stair climbing challenge at work is going well. Before I leave this afternoon, I will earn my 4th sticker, meaning I have climbed the St. Louis Arch, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Sears Tower--347 stories in all. I'll be facing the Grand Canyon when I return. Ouch! My co-workers seem to be having fun with it, and that thrills me.

Time for me to get to work. I hope to be able to check in on all of you from time to time, but if I don't have the opportunity...stay strong, stay committed, and stay focused. Oh, and stay away from the Little Debbie's. :)

Have a great week, everyone!
~

Makevoer Monday: Safety First

Something very scary happened Saturday when I was out running errands. As I was driving down the street, a woman pulled out from a parking lot directly in front of me! That's not so unusual here in Memphis, but what made this one stand out were the round eyes of a pre-schooler peering at me over the rear door panel as I slammed on my brakes. I was so close I could see his big brown eyes blink. The driver (his mother, I presume) was oblivious; she was on her cell phone.

While I'm sure none of YOU need safe driving makeovers, I thought a few safe driving tips couldn't hurt. Maybe the cell phone lady will read this.

1) Before you think about getting in your car, consider your condition. Are you too sleepy to drive? Too angry? Too happy (as in, intoxicated)? Too…anything other than attentive? Take a few moments to really think about the fact that you'll be guiding a potentially lethal weapon through the streets. There is never a more appropriate time for mindfulness than when you get behind the wheel of a car.

2) Consider the condition of your car. It's not a bad idea to check the tires before you get in (I learned this the hard way a few months ago.). Once in the car, take a second before cranking up to turn the radio volume to zero. From what I understand, this is especially important if your teenager was the last one to drive the car. Also, check your seat position and that all mirrors are properly adjusted. Finally, check the gas gauge before you leave. I'm always surprised when my little 'close to empty' light blinks on, and even though I probably have a good 30 miles before I go completely empty, I panic.

3) Fasten your seat belt. It's the law. (In TN, and if it's not the law in your area, it should be.)

4) It's a good idea to leave 5-10 minutes earlier than you need to so that you'll have plenty of time to adjust to any delays. I'd rather sit in the car and read People The New Yorker because I arrived early than to have a major stress episode over being late. (One of my pet peeves)

5) Allow plenty of distance between your car and the one in front of you. The proper distance is debatable and dependent on traffic conditions. The three-second rule works for me on highway driving. When the rear of the vehicle you're following (which is what you'd probably hit first if they stopped suddenly) passes some fixed mark on the pavement , count, "One thousand one, one thousand two", etc., until the front of your vehicle passes the same mark. If the front of your vehicle crosses the line first, you're going too fast.

6) Obey Speed Limits. Excessive speed is a big factor in many traffic accidents.

7) Do not talk or text on your cell phone while driving. Please. I can't remember where I read this, but the chances of your being in a traffic accident increase by over 400% if you're talking on your cell phones.

8) Slow down in bad weather. Here's a saying I like a lot: "If the roads are wet, then drive like it's snowing. If the roads have snow, then drive like they're icy. If the roads are icy, then don't drive."

9) Drive with your headlights on, even in good weather. Other cars will see you much sooner and more clearly.

10) Stop signs are not suggestions. They really mean STOP.

11) Don't assume that you have a clear path when a traffic light turns green. Someone who didn't leave for their destination 5-10 minutes early might blow their red light, and it would be a pity if you were in the middle of the intersection at the time. When a light turns green, look left, then right, straight ahead, then left again before proceeding through the light.

12) Keep your eyes moving. Notice what is happening on the sides of the road and check your mirrors every 6-8 seconds.

13) If you're driving on a road that allows parking, stay near the center and be prepared for someone in a parked car to suddenly swing open their door. That's only funny in the movies.

14) You should always have contact numbers and personal information (insurance info, medical needs, etc.) in an easy-to-find location in the car.

15) When an emergency vehicle approaches, pull to the right shoulder of the road and STOP.

This probably doesn't begin to cover all safe driving tips, but it's a start. I wish you safe travels today and always. I know I'll be a little more attentive. :)

[photo by marktrash via Flickr]

They Say It's Your Birthday...

Well, it's my birthday, too! Buh-bye 40s, hello 50! I did it in New Cammy Style by going for a short, but swift (for me) bike ride last night at dusk and welcoming the new day (and decade) by walking a little over 5k this morning. I might have strutted a little even.

This week's Sunday Song O'the Week (evidently a new and random feature here) is These are Days by 10,000 Maniacs, written by Rob Buck and Natalie Merchant.

These are the days
These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you’ll remember
When May is rushing over you
With desire to be part of the miracles
You see in every hour
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you are touched
By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days
These are the days you might fill
With laughter until you break
These days you might feel
A shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It's true
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking
To you, to you

It makes me cry, it makes me laugh, it makes me feel so damned lucky to be where I am right this very minute--gad, I have to go listen to it again!

But before I do, how much do I love that Dana Torres won two silver medals last night? Every headline I've read says, Torres loses gold, but all I'm thinking is that she's 41, she worked her ass off to rebuild her strength and endurance after retiring to have a child, and she WON two silver medals in the Olympics. I love that she smiled and hugged the winner, and if you check out the photo accompanying the article I linked to, you'll see that not only does she have a body to die for, she also has a teensy bit of arm flab. Me and Dana Torres, both older, both committed, both with arm flab--practically twins. :)

Okay, I'm off to celebrate what will possibly be my Best Birthday Ever, which makes me wonder: What was your Best Birthday Ever?

Little of This,Little of That

Some randomness, but important randomness...

I've signed up for our local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes, on October 4th. I hope you'll consider sponsoring me. I've also got a link in my sidebar, if you'd like to think about it for a bit first. No amount too small. :)

On October 15, 2007, I participated in the first ever Blog Action Day, a single day with bloggers all around the world blogging on one subject: the environment. Over 20,000 blogs participated, an amazing number for the first year. The organizers are holding the event again on October 15th this year, and the theme is Poverty. On that day, participants' posts should focus on the issue of poverty as it relates to their general blog topic. Click here for information and/or to sign up.

Moving on, good article on clutter and diet on Unclutterer today.

For non-cooking types like me, check out smartcooking.com. Very basic, with short (and cute) video guides for many recipes.

And that's all for me today. Killer workout tonight, so a nice soaking bath is in my immediate future. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! (Within reason. I can't help you out if you need bail money.)

~

Step Up!!

During some work-oriented link-hopping, I found this creative little acronym, and I like it for the fit-life change especially. Not surprising since it's basically what I've been doing for the past 18 months. Only I wasn't bright enough to create the acronym. :)

STEP UP FOR CHANGE

1. Sense what you need to change for the better.
2. Think creatively of ways to make your life work.
3. Energize yourself to charge up your life.
4. Plan your strategies for action.
5. Use resources and tools to aid you.
6. Perform regular review to improve.

My comments:
#2 & 4 are my favorite parts of the process. I love inventing new challenges for myself or "work-arounds" for situations that usually present problems. For example, I took three vacations last year and lost weight on two of them. I think I would've lost on the third one if I had eaten more calories. (I didn't factor in how much walking I was doing at the BlogHer Conference and most of that walking with my computer bag strapped to my back.)

#3 is HUGE. There's a great quote attributed to Sarah Bernheardt: "Energy creates energy." Every success is a spark and a bunch of those sparks creates a fire, and when you reach that stage, there is NO turning back. All of your attention is forward-focused and you know the results will follow. Sure, there are down times, but when there's that much energy in your body, the negativity just won't stick. (Believe me, I tried!)

#5 for me was Sparkpeople, Fitness Together, this blog, and your blogs. (See sidebar for links.)

#6 made me laugh. IMO, "performing regular reviews" does NOT mean weighing oneself every half hour. ;-)

How is this similar or dissimilar to your plan? Are there elements you would add to it or omit completely? I'm always curious...

~

Follow-ups and a meme

Thank you for all the kind messages yesterday. Your support has meant so much, and I don't say that nearly often enough.


V., I'm definitely shooting for the 100. If I never get there, I'm okay with that, but this close to it (4.2 pounds), I've got to go for it. :)



Miss Merry Mary tagged me with this meme. I'm not so good at these things, but it's interesting to think about:


What’s something you’d love to say to your younger selves of 2, 5, 10, and 15 years ago? (Doesn’t necessarily have to be the same thing each time.)


2 years ago:
I was trying to get this fitness thing going (again), struggling, struggling.
"Stay on the treadmill. You won't always be stuck at 1.8 miles per hour."

5 years ago:
Thanks to a toxic-type friend, I wasn't feeling so good being me.
"What you do is not who you are. You have value."


10 years ago:
I picked up a copy of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.
"This book will change your life. You have a writer inside you. Get out of her way."


15 years ago:
I had lost 40 pounds, but after getting frustrated with a plateau (at 170, for crying out loud), I was slowly putting weight back on.
"You don't have to be thin. Focus on healthy."


Well, that was fun. :)

I'm not tagging anyone. If you want to play, let me know where to find your answers.

HYC Check-in Week 32

As I enter my last week of being a 40-something, I'm especially pleased to report an early birthday present: New Bling! And because it's been a long time coming, I made extra bling!




According the scale monster, I lost 2.8 lbs. this week! To be honest, I wasn't terribly surprised. For one thing, it follows the pattern I've had all along: littlebit,littlebit,littlebit,lottabit. Also, I've been noticing some more positive body changes in the past week. But the number is good, too. And if it bounces back up next week, so be it. I'll count next Monday as my birthday weigh-in. My initial goal was to lose 50 lbs by my 50th birthday, so unless I have one helluva splurge, I think it's in the bag. LOL

In other news, no pictures of the new bike rack yet. I have to get adapter for it so that I can haul around my "girlie" bike. That's okay. It gave me an opportunity to do a Farewell Tour of the subdivision and I managed to cover about 9 miles Sunday a.m. Learned a lot, too, which I need to get down on paper so that I can share with you. Time, time, time...

I forgot to mention that I bought a new "adult-sized" hula hoop over the weekend. Sports Authority had them on sale, so I picked it up for less than $5.00. Woo-hoo! The bigger size does help, somewhat, as I'm up to 10 swivels before the squat becomes necessary. :)

Something else I meant to mention is that Target has it's Championn sports bras on sale this week--$12.99! I picked up two new ones: aqua and Picasso Blue. I so love the C9 brand.

And that's it for me. A good week behind me, and I'm looking forward to another good week ahead. Between the upcoming birthday celebrations and my pending vacation, I need to mind my fitness manners this week.

I hope you have an excellent week! You KNOW that you want to! :)

Makeover Monday: Home Office Edition

Chanda (aka Bea) expressed an interest in home office organizing, and I thought others might be interested as well. Also, blogging about it keeps me focused on my own efforts. Opportunistic, ain't I? :)

Some of us are fortunate enough to have a dedicated room for a home office. Others are lucky to get a corner of the dining room table. Either situation works, but only if they have the common ingredient of organization.

Being organized and orderly contributes to (or detracts from) my whole lifestyle makeover "package", and since I seem to have the eating/exercise portion under control, I decided to focus on the "business" of being me. Thus, I've been spending a little more time lately trying different systems and arrangements in my home office, looking for the perfect fit. As with the eating/exercise, I'm not proceeding without a plan. I've read a million and five articles about organizing over the years, and the gist of them all is what follows:

1) Define the home office space. Is it an unused bedroom that can be totally dedicated to these purposes? Or is it a corner of the guest room? A corner of the dining room table?

2) Define a storage space for files and office supplies. If you don't have room for a file cabinet, consider something like this, which will fit nicely on a closet shelf, or you can use something else, like a hanging sweater bag, an over-the-door shoe organizer, or under-bed storage box. The goal is to have everything in one place, as opposed to scattered around the house.

3) Create a file system. What it looks like is up to you. Consider how you look for a particular file or piece of paper, then create a file system that works for you. You might choose to color-code folders--one color related to household bills, another for medical info, another for "kid stuff", and so on. Or you might choose to file things in different drawers, based on category. For a guide on which papers to keep and how long, click here.

This process might take more than one try (take it from someone who knows), but not to worry. If you don't get it right the first time, you can always reshuffle and try another method. Eventually, you will come up with a system works for you. (Or you could just buy a system.)

4) Shape up your work area. File away papers that aren't needed. Set aside a place for "in progress" work. "In progress" means today, not next week. If you have work that's pending, make a file for "pending" and review it periodically.

5) Organize your cables. Life can get very frustrating if you're tripping over computer cables every time you stand up. Unfortunately, for this one I can give you no tips as I'm still trying to tame this beast. We'll rely instead on the fine folks at Lifehacker.com for their Top 10 Ways to Get Cables Under Control.

Once you have the system in place, you still have to maintain it (kind of like fitness). At the end of each day, take a moment or five to clear your workspace of completed paperwork and other clutter.

At least a couple of times a year, take a few hours to clear your paper files along with your computer files. Clutter is clutter, whether it's tactile or digital. :)

Oh, and one more thing: every home should have one of these. I pray you'll never need it, but you'll be oh-so-grateful for it if you do.

And that's it. A few scattered tips that may help you create and maintain an organized home office. If YOU have any tips, the rest of us would love to hear them.

Happy Monday!

~

Yesterday's Gone

Before I get to the day that was, a couple of follow-up items:

Sagan asked about a horizontal pull-up. I apologize, Sagan; I meant to link to a demo. You'll find a horizontal pull-up demo here that's similar to the kind I'm currently doing. The main difference is that my feet are on the floor, and the guy isn't swearing. :) Also, toward the end of each set, my "ups" get a little more shallow.

Trihardist? Thanks so much for the compliment! You made my chest swell with pride. Lord knows, it needs swelling these days. ;)

And to you, kikimonster, if you even think about coming to Memphis and not letting me know...well, there will be repercussions. That goes for ALL of you. :)

Today was a great day. Almost all my MITs for the weekend are done, I got a great walk in this afternoon, and I received an early birthday gift.

Gift first: my parents gave me a bike rack for my car! No more subdivision! I can go to area parks or greenbelts and see some actual scenery! I've got it on the car now and will load up the bike tomorrow morning and head to the closest bike trails. Film at eleven. Or maybe just photos.

Something interesting happened on today's walk. I realized shortly into it that I'd forgotten to put on my HRM/watch to track my speed. Oh no! The horror! But I didn't feel like coming back to the house, digging out the key from the Top Sekrit hiding place on the patio, finding my handbag, digging for the watch, and then starting all over again, so I decided to let the timing go for today in favor of continuing on. But then I couldn't figure out whether I wanted to do the 2-miler or the 5k (I had about 100 yards to decide.) It was gorgeous weather--a little warm-ish, but a nice breeze. It occurred to me during my intense internal debate that it might be more interesting and enjoyable to simply walk. To forget about time and distance and routes, and instead, to let the music fill the weary parts of my brain, to feel the sun and the breeze on my skin, to appreciate being outside in air that I could breathe. To revel in the joy of walking because I can. What a concept!

I'm not sure I could even map the route I took. I just walked and sang and smiled. It was great. I didn't worry about pace or distance, although I suspect it was very similar to what I normally walk given that I was returned home almost an hour after I left. The only I time I consciously sped up was during Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop, and really who can blame me? The lyrics really speak to me these days and I just have to MOVE when I hear them:

Don't Stop
Written by Christine McVie

If you wake up and don't want to smile,
If it takes just a little while,
Open your eyes and look at the day,
You'll see things in a different way.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

All I want is to see you smile,
If it takes just a little while,
I know you don't believe that its true,
I never meant any harm to you.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Dedicated to the ones I love, for the next time you start raking yourself back over the coals for your behaviors. Singing this song will cure that, especially if you smile while you're singing:

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Like I said, today was a great day. I hope yours was, too! And if it wasn't?

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Gold Medal Workout

If they gave Olympic medals to chubby girls working out, I do believe I could've won the gold tonight. It was one of those workouts, exhausting and exhilirating all at the same time. (30 horizontal pull-ups--yaaay! And some of them were proper form, too!)

I don't know about you, but I'm surely glad this weekend finally arrived! I've got loads on my plate for tomorrow, but the heat wave has broken and I feel like I have the energy to get a good bit of the list taken care of. We shall see. The MITs will get done for sure.

A couple or three links to share before I call it a day:

From wisebread - Two dozen uses for toothpaste aside from cleaning your teeth

From zenhabits - Minimalist Fitness: How to Get in Lean Shape with Little or No Equipment

And for you cyclists who want to take care of your own bicycle maintenance, check out the online bicycle tutor.

That's it--short and sweet today! I hope you all have a great weekend!

The Long-awaited Meme

I think a dozen people have tagged me for this meme, and I apologize for taking so long to get it done. I lost the instructions, but it's the one where you list six things about yourself and then you're supposed to tag six other people and a bunch of other stuff I forgot. This is as close as I get. :)

1. I wasn't born fat, but it didn't take me long to get that way. According to my mother, I went on my first diet at the age of six months, when the doctor took me off of formula. That would've been about 2 weeks after this picture was taken. (Personally, I've seen chubbier babies, so I don't know what their problem was.) I guess the diet worked, because other pictures from throughout my childhood showed me pudgy, but never fat. That came later.

2. While I never excelled at any sports, I was always encouraged to play them. I played softball, basketball, and volleyball in school and then softball again in my late 20s. My mother and grandmother also played sports during their younger years. Mom played basketball and was on the high school track team. (She lettered even!) My grandmother was in a women's basketball league during WWII. They traveled the area, providing "entertainment" to small communities.

3. I've loved to read since my pre-school years. My parents would hear me get up during the night and when they would check on me, I would be on the sofa or in a chair, looking through my picture books. I fell in love with biographies in elementary school: Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Betsy Ross, Elizabeth Blackwel, Annie Oakley, and so on. I also discovered the joys of the case mystery through Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. I still love mysteries, especially those with a female protagonist. Janet Evanovich, Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton, Jan Burke, and Lisa Scottoline are some of my favorite writers.

4. I don't like to fly and will go to great links to avoid it. For my vacation in a couple of weeks, I'm driving to Maryland—15 hours by car. Of course, 11 hours of it is through some of the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen: the Smoky Mountains and the Virginia Highlands. That's what I love about driving. You get to *see* the country and interact with the people who live in the areas you visit. Some drives are better than others, of course. I'm driving to Texas in September and it's mostly farmland and truckstops through Arkansas. :)

5. I have hundreds of pet peeves, but one of the big ones is food noises, or maybe it's "eating noises." Slurping, smacking, crunching, chomping—they all drive me NUTS. Gum popping and ice crunching are the worst! If I get on the elevator and someone's slurping and crunching her way through a JUMBO SONIC cup of ice, I punch the button for the closest floor and get out of there quick. I've left stores without making my purchase just to get away from a gum-smacking sales clerk. I probably need counseling, but I'm trying to hold out for something more interesting.

6. Who can tell me what happened in Memphis on August 16, 1977? (No one is allowed to respond with, "I wasn't born yet.") Okay, give up? That is the day Elvis Presley died here in Memphis. I was on the first day of my first bona fide job (I was a data entry clerk. My only previous job was at my cousin's ice cream shop), and one of my new co-workers came in and told us the news. By evening the city was filling with mourners from all over the world. Believe it or not, many people return each year on the anniversary of his death for "Elvis Week" (locals call it "Death Week") to hold a candlelight vigil, watch old EP movies, and--I'm not sure what all they do, to tell you the truth, but there sure are a lot of them doing it. Needless to say, I do not attend. I grew up about two miles from Graceland, and it lost its appeal by the time I reached puberty. It was always pretty at Christmas, though.

If you made it this far, I applaud you. I have given myself a headache and so I'm off to find some heroin aspirin. Hope you're all having a marvelous Thursday and are getting ready to a fantastic Friday!

~

Swivel, Swivel, Squat

Thanks so much for the comments, tips and suggestions re: the hula hoop! (wvsooner, your comment made me snort diet coke out my nose and it hurt! My attorney will be contacting your...well, you, I guess! *g*)

MizFit, I would love to see your hula hoop vid, but I can't seem to get the fancy-schmancy search button on your site to work for me. Pleeeeease? A link here or your place is a-okay and would be much appreciated!

For now, I've decided to leave those plain, old-fashioned, ordinary hula hoops to other people in favor of the new exercise I have invented: the swivel, swivel, squat. It starts like the traditional hula, but instead of doing boring circles, you swivel your hips a couple of times and then squat to pick up the hula hoop from the floor. I started with two sets of 5 last night, but I'll probably ramp that up to three sets of 10 tomorrow night. (Must take a rest night tonight to give my side muscles a chance to recover.) :) :) (Note: this workout, while intense, does not qualify one for the "extra calorie" exemption of the more traditional hardcore workout.)

Oh, and Pattie? You reminded me that I forgot to post about my jump rope experience last week! I had to do 300 jumps as part of our Walk Across American Challenge at work, and to my complete astonishment, it just wasn't that hard! Numerous rest breaks were required, some to catch my breath, and a few to get my laughter under control. For some reason, I can't seem to do one jump at a time; I require two. I call it the Cammy Couplet. ::) It was still a great workout. I'm definitely going to purchase a jump rope for home!

I didn't get to try out the new kicks last night, but I'm hoping for tomorrow night. (tonight I wear my gym-only workout shoes.)

And lastly, any George Foreman grillin' recipes that find their way here will be mucho appreciated!

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HYC Check In Week 31

If we had awards for boring check in reports, I'm pretty sure I'd win. If you're looking for drama, angst, or controversy, it's not here. I kind of like it that way. :)

For the scale portion of the check in, I show either a half-pound gain or maybe a little more. Or is it a little less? Math escapes me. I'm calling it a flat week, celebrating, and moving on.

I took advantage of the tax-free weekend to replace my worn out sneakers. I've loved my Asics, but I decided to try this pair of Mizuno's for the next while. Tonight will be the first test walk, if I get out of the office in time.

Not to alarm anyone, but I cooked last night. Barbecued chicken on my George Foreman grill. I had a rather large nibble, and I have to say it's pretty tasty chicken. I may try something new this weekend. If this trend continues, I may invest in a newer model grill, one with removable grilling plates. We'll see. I do not need another kitchen appliance to dust.

And finally, will someone please tell me how in the hell to hula-hoop? I found mine in a closet, and I've tried and tried, but so far bending over to pick it up off the floor is the only workout I'm getting. Well, that, and laughing hysterically, which as we learned yesterday is really good for us.

I hope you all had an awesome week! You certainly deserved it!

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Makeover Monday: Lighten Up

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.
~Yiddish Proverb~

Most of you have probably figured out by now that I'm generally a pretty upbeat person. While I do have my days, I'm generally able to fight through most miseries that come my way and motor on, and laughter is usually my weapon of choice in dealing with…well, anything. (My whole family is like this, so I learned from the best. We laugh through everything.)

Laughter is promoted as a means of reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, improving mood, and boosting immune systems. Thus, it can actually help in the fight against, and possibly prevent or reduce, the effects of high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, and ulcers. It does a pretty good number on the weight loss fight as well. Kind of hard to brood when you're laughing your fanny off over your stability ball adventures. *g*

A good belly laugh can also serve as a physical workout, of sorts, just by the systems and muscles it uses. I don't know about you, but I frequently laugh until my sides hurt, my breath is coming in gasps, and a Depends would've come in handy. Very similar to my elliptical machine experience. :) Which is why I chose laughter as this week's makeover topic.

I strongly believe that joy and laughter can be key to the successful lifestyle transformation process, especially for those of us who have (or had) a really long journey to make.

If you think about it, we learned how to laugh before we were even able to feed ourselves or do more than wiggle around in our cribs. Fast forward a whole buncha years, and we're feeding ourselves and doing a new kind of wiggling, but we frequently forget that laughter came first.

From the referenced article, here are a few things we can do to "lighten up":
- View your life in context. Even world leaders realize they have limited ability to affect others’ lives. While we might think taking the weight of the world on our shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy and even egotistical.
- Be less serious. Realize that while your ambitions may be noble, being overly serious about them weighs you down and lessens your chances for achieving them.
- Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
- Dress less seriously.
- Keep a toy on your desk or in your car.
- Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is talk about times when we took ourselves too seriously.
- Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

One of the great things about laughter is that it lingers. The images and sounds that made us laugh to begin with are stored in our memories and can be summoned when life gets a little too intense. (And, Lord knows, the path to The Fit Life can be intense at times. ) We can choose to focus on the negative intensity or to find the funny in it and laugh our way through the storm.

Two memories from my teen years have stayed with me and simply thinking about them will almost always bring a smile and boost my mood. Luckily for me and for you, I found them on youtube! Both are clips from The Carol Burnett Show and are a little dated, but even watching them this morning, 20 years or so after I first saw them, I had a good belly laugh:

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman's Dentist skit and then, Tim Conway reducing the cast to tears with a sad tale of elephants.

I feel like laughing some more. Who has a joke or a funny story or link to share? What makes YOU laugh?

Have a Happy Monday...and lighten up!


*Photo by speechless via Flickr

Catching Up (aka What Thursday?)

First, an apology for not posting yesterday and a big THANKS to those of you who inquired. All was well. The daytime hours were jammed, and last night I simply ran out of steam. :)

Another big THANKS to all of you who shared your thoughts on the LA fast food ban. One thing that occurred to me yesterday was the dangerous precedent for letting one group or entity decide what constitutes "fast food" or even what aspects of fast food are healthy vs. unhealthy. We all know the wide spectrum of viewpoints on the topic even within our own blogging community. But many, if not most, of us agree that freedom of choice—even bad choices—overrides the presumed good intentions of the planners. Information and education are critical pieces of the solution along with ensuring access to affordable healthier foods. (Btw, check out this link for a list of 20 healthy foods to buy for less than $1.).

Huh. Am I the only one to whom it is abundantly apparent that the rest of the world need only check with us first to receive all the answers they need? :)

Winding down, I have no real news report. It's been a great week workout-wise, and an almost great week for eating healthy. Hmm, on second thought, make that a great week for eating healthy, too. We'll count the cake and ice cream I had in the mental health column.

I have my MITs for the weekend ready:
Chores:
Tame the paperwork beast
Clean the car, inside & out
Organize home office, including computer cables

Errands:
Dry cleaner
Grocery store
Post office
Macy's (Tax-free shopping weekend in TN)
Running shoe store (see note on taxes)

Throw in a couple of cardio workouts and at least one good nap, and I'll consider it a great weekend, too!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Hydrate, use sunscreen and don't overdo!*

*(Why, yes, I do feel it is my place to boss you around. I'm a Leo and that's what we do.)

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