Oh and did I mention my awesome playlists?
I forgot to pat myself on the back for the awesome playlist that I was listening to while running today.
It’s one thing to make them up and imagine what they sound like in theory, but when you actually listen to them AND they help keep you motivated, I can’t help but want to pass that along.
Check these out for a little extra boost in the caboose when you are dragging out on the track of life….
Combine them for the longest, most effective play. I only split them because I thought it was too much for one post.
This is the list I used today. I was very impressed with me. Such modesty. Anyway, I try to put the lists in a good order; probably a little too much effort if you know what I mean; but feel free to mix them up. I listened to them on shuffle and it was still great.
If you totally think I’m full of it… please feel free to keep that to yourself! Thanks! Hardy har har…
Next Up…RUN WILD!
It’s a 5K at Brookfield Zoo, in Chicago. Only two weeks left not to embarrass myself. The run is awesome! We get to be in the Zoo before it opens and then run the race on the Zoo grounds and then hang out at the Zoo all day if we want! It is going to be so much fun! I won’t win or anything, I just participate as fast as I can.
So I went out running around my favorite outdoor track in the forest preserve. I swear those trails are the best thing the Park Districts/Counties have ever done. I love them. This particular one is perfect for me because it’s 3.6 miles so it covers me for everything. If I can make it around there I can make it….well, you know. After that is the Warrior Dash! 6K Plus. I’m just training to run—I’ll probably just wing it for the rest of it. How do you really train for crawling over cars, or thru the mud? I guess next time I’m at the Forest Preserve I could run through the little swampy areas and then start jumping over everybody’s cars parked in the lot…I’m sure I’d be VERY popular after that. “Hey! I’m training for the Warrior Dash!!” is what I’ll be shouting from the back of the police car. People just don’t understand!
It’s beautiful today. 72 and sunny in the burbs and I just couldn’t sit in the house at the computer, or on a treadmill at the gym. But I’m back now and posting up for the race and then some new scanned in things for another fun post!
We are still following Extreme Fat Smash but we keep getting derailed in the middle of the week. You would think it would be easy to eat pretty much nothing and move on with your life, but less food means more planning. But I’m not knocking it. I think it works really well. I am the same weight as I was last week, and I’ll admit that I cheated on the food and did not exercise to the book. Luckily, if you live pretty well, normally, you can deviate to the dark side somewhat and not throw the whole cart off the path. Another mini philosophy break.
Here’s a mini tip on yogurt eating:
I like to mix in granola, which technically is not on the list but if you work out extra hard and buy a good product with good ingredients, I think its worth the extra calories. Plus it really makes you feel like you are getting a good meal.
Anyway, I like to let it sit a bit to get the granola to a softer consistency, like cookie dough, but with bite. Today though, after I put the yogurt and granola together I got distracted with a phone call and the kids and it sat extra long. IT WAS EVEN BETTER! I mean, like really good. It was almost the texture of oatmeal with lumps. Tasty, delicious, granola lumps. Still firm enough to chew, but with none of the hard edges. Try it and see what you think. If it sounds gross, just try it anyway, you might be surprised!
And I also ate a hard boiled egg. I just love those too.
It’s supposed to be a good week so here’s to 4 more days of running the trails and eating smart. Hopefully I’ll go into this race at my lightest weight since before I had my children. A girl can dream.
Back on the Fat Wagon
And it feels so good…
No, not really. Well, not that bad. Extreme Fat Smash is an awesome plan. Dr. Ian K. Smith is pretty straightforward and the plan is easy to insert into your life. Food planning and exercise. If you don’t exercise already it might be difficult to start but once you do the payoff is tremendous! I’ve talked about it for awhile; Got thru the first 2 weeks but was sidelined by events and fast food. But now is a good time, no distractions until June or so….party wise anyway. Get the book from the library first, then check it out on Amazon where you can buy it for 3 bucks. Worth the money. Give it a go and let me know.
It’s raining here now, but it was nice earlier.
6 am: Stevie and I did an hour of Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser Trainer) workout—for beginners—but it’s also good for those who can do a little more. You can modify it with weights and more advanced exercise positions. I’m aiming for her arms by July. Then in the spirit of more healthy lifestyle choices, I went out to the forest preserve and ran an easy 4.6 miles. Took less than hour in some pretty high winds. I love how when you get out into the open field areas you can barely move forward. More calories burned! And a double workout! Technically, tomorrow is double day, but what the heck…I was going to do it tomorrow too anyway.
I’m finishing up my coffee right now and trying not to think about all those snack chips we have left over from the business fair. Delicious Frito-Lay Chili Cheese Corn Chips. MMmmm. So tasty. You could say I am a little hungry…but I’m sure the brown rice and beans for dinner will be quite filling. Then I’ll just go to bed.
No. I can tough it out. It’s just food. I went out and bought batteries for the scale and then I crazily weighed myself today. It’s not good. The numbers are wrong or something. I think the scale needs like, a two week waiting period before it weighs correctly again after you put in fresh batteries. I’m pretty sure that’s what it said on the box.
I used my Warrior playlist. Part 1 Part 2 It’s still so good; Even if I have to say so myself. You can find it under Music Lists. Or use my handy calendar widget. It really is a cool little feature. (Click on April 6, 2009 ) But I need a new one for today. Thinking about the last few days and the thoughts I’ve committed to internet.., I’ve already done hungry and sunny and fighting and rainy. I was kind of thinking sad or death. I know that isn’t inspiring so much, but it was on my list of ideas and now seems like as good a time as any. Surprisingly, the songs themselves are not all that literally “depressing”. Sadness and death are two very different subjects.
No fanfare here. List Title: “Death Comes Down“
Sunday Night and I have been slacking off…
No cool words. No quotes. No poetry. No movies. No exercise. No healthy foods. Not even any money! Not even ONE stinking penny!
Although if you count yogurt mixed with granola as healthy then I did do that. I like to let it get kind of mushy and then eat it. It gets a strange doughy texture that I find quite appetizing with the cool, sweet yogurt taste…but whatever.
Everyone is asleep and I want to just re-cap the weekend and put up some words.
Saturday: Final week of bowling for the kids! Yeah! They got 4th place for team rank. Not bad for only having 3 bowlers out of five that actually show up, and only playing half the season! I forgot to take the pics of the trophies but I’ll do that tomorrow. They got free pizza and soda and played cosmic bowling for 1½ hours. What more could you want in a league??
After that we drove straight to their very best friends in the world where they were spending the night. Daycare buds from back in the day. Primary school. A brother-sister-sister combo. Picked mine up Sunday afternoon. We see them every few months. Switch off houses to spend the night. Every time they separate at the end of the weekend, it’s like a break-up.
For the adults left behind: myself and the boyfriend, this is what we did:
He went to play racquetball and eat sushi with his friends. I took the kids to bowling and their friends house.
He came home and put floor trim/ base board up around my kitchen! I watched! Finally. 10 years living in this house with the memory of trim…and it took like, 2 hours, tops. It looks so good. Tomorrow I’ll throw some paint on the angle cuts and kitchen complete! You know, for now. Still needs a counter top that fits correctly and new windows and new paint…but one decade at a time people!
Then we went out and got food.
Back home again and watched a movie.
Netflix is nice to have but those red envelopes are like small pieces of movie pressure. You want to get the most for your money–the most movie turnover per month, but you feel obligated to actually watch one to return one. And sometimes there just isn’t time. But that red envelope sits there, accusing, making you feel like you aren’t using your free time wisely enough. We tried to add movies to our list that we have missed over the past 30 years. Or even last year. Like good movies, not just comedy fluff or mindless entertainment. Serious movies. Drama.
But that means when they come in the mail you HAVE to watch them.
So, break out the alcohol. Vodka with Mike’s Pomegranate. Last one though, so I have to plan ahead. I take Stevie’s leftover Strawberry Fruitista Freeze (from Taco Bell) and some of her leftover popsicles from the business fair, out of the freezer. If I am going to add them to vodka they are going to have to melt a little. The strawberry is fine, but which pops to use? I settle on 2 pinks, a purple and a blue. That flavor combo shouldn’t be too gross. But what does that say about me? Problem, anyone?; that I would melt down a slush drink and popsicles because I don’t have anything else to mix with? Drinking straight vodka is just tacky.
Anyway. The movie is No Country For Old Men. Now I know people are going to disagree with me, but I thought the ending was sucky. Unfinished business. It was like Raising Arizona. Except Raising Arizona was good. That dreamy-dream-telling ending felt like the best solution in a discussion on how to end the movie because no one could figure out how to actually end the movie. I checked too. Both movies: Coen Brothers.
Now I’m sure I missed some symbolism or bigger message about life and all that, but still…the movie was intense and well done. I was holding my breath alot. I like the way everyone talked so easy, southern and country. Tommy Lee Jones is always good. Scary concept being chased by someone who will never stop and who will kill anybody in his path and your loved ones just to make a point. But the end. After Woody showed up I was getting a little nervous. Everybody dead in the end–presumably–except Javier and Tommy. Maybe. One walks off, one retires. Is it just a slice of a certain kind of life and that’s all it is? Smarter folks than me can argue that. Maybe I should get the book.
Next up: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. Not sure when…soon. Got to get it back so we can get something lighthearted like Bolt!
After movie time, it was back to TV. Charlie Harper and family. Season 3. Got my vodka mixed with Fruitista and pink popsicle juice (not as disgusting as you would think) and it’s time to play: We drink when Charlie drinks! (See post last weekend–April 19) I am going to be so sad when we are all caught up on this series.
Watched a few episodes. Finished my vodpop. Found a Diet Coke in the back corner, bottom shelf of the fridge. Holy Harper! Back in Bizness. Luckily the boyfriend can drink straight rum so I don’t have to share. Pro. I like vodka though so…Poured it up with the Coke. Watched more. Drank more. Fell off the couch and into bed. An hour later I was asleep. I think I am in love with Charlie Harper. (I am also simultaneously in love with Denis Leary, but that’s a whole other series.)
Sunday: Boyfriend goes to play racquetball. I stay home and drink coffee. Shower. De-hair-ify. Need to stay smooth for the summer. 80+ on Saturday. 70+ today. Need to break out the short pants. Need to stay stubble free.
Boyfriend comes back home. We discuss my hair removal techniques up close and personal, then pack it in and go get the kids.
To distract from the extraction, we are taking them to the pet store to buy some feeder fish. That’s goldfish of varying sizes that you purchase with the express intent to feed them to other bigger fish. 24 smalls were purchased and let loose in a tank with 4 Oscars (had 2 tigers/ bought 2 albinos today to replace the deceased ones from a few weeks back). Time of release was approx. 5 pm.
Kids showered, got re-dressed, took them to Applebees, and came home. Goldfish left in tank upon arrival at 9:30 pm: exactly…one. By morning, probably none. Those Oscar bellies are fat. Just like my kids bellies. They ate everything. stuffed to the grill, so they say. This was our last night of out eating. Back to the strict program in the morning. Modified for them, Hell for us. I am going to be SO hungry. And I have to run too. Exercise anyway—something. I forgot I have a 5K in May. Then the Warrior Dash. And possibly the Half-Marathon. Possibly. I’m going to see if I can run every day for distance and decide later in the month. 13 minute pace MUST be maintained or you have to get off the track. Picked up by the truck that picks up the ones who can’t keep up. I don’t want it to be me. 13 minute miles sounds easy until you have to keep running them over and over again. And I am NOT a professional athlete. I just do it for fun and to fit in the cup. (See post on April 10/Good Morning Weekenders, for explanation).
So that’s it for tonight. Boyfriend just strolled thru to get some water and maybe I better go to sleep myself. I’ll have words and quotes and playlists galore in a few short hours. Back on track at 5am.
Sleep sweet.
Thursday Afternoon and life is just beautiful…
It really is.
The temp is 62°. The sun is shining. I ran a quick 4 miles earlier, outside at the Forest Preserve, listening to my Warrior Music List (Warrior Dash training) and just feeling happy. Only people that live in climates that go from cold to hot and back again can really understand the joy you feel when the weather breaks. And lucky for us it happens really often in Springtime in this part of the country! It was 35° steady a week ago. It was rainy and 40 degrees just 2 days ago. Then it was clear and 45 degrees just yesterday. Today, sunny and 60. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70+!! Next week? Who knows? Probably back in the 40’s. Then back in the 70’s. It is a constant rollercoaster of bad/good weather. And you can count yourself extra lucky if you don’t catch pneumonia by summer! That’s when it will be 90 and everyone is begging for the cold again. So unsatisfied we are.
But, back to the happy. I ran, and I’m done for the day, thank goodness. Now I can concentrate on dinner. Still off the strict-diet wagon, but not all that bad. Luckily my scale ran out of batteries and I don’t know what the damage really is. I still fit in my small jeans so I guess that’s ok. Kids are still gone, but they have a good daddy so I know they’re happy. And the weather in Kentucky is mostly nice all the time!
Went to the old job yesterday to see the people before they have to leave the premises. Kind of sad really. Took the train to the city. Chicago. Over an hour–don’t miss that. Walked another 20 minutes to the Merchandise Mart–housing the company–it was a bit chilly and windy as it always is–didn’t really miss that either.
I actually thought I would take some pictures, because I never do. I just slogged off every day back and forth barely even looking around ya know? Just avoiding the homeless and trying not to get in the middle of any altercations they would be having amongst themselves. Funny story once: a man and woman were fighting over a rolled up umbrella. On the corner of a busy street at 8 in the morning. It wasn’t even raining. And there wasn’t anything else around. No other people, none of their stuff…it’s like they were just walking along together when they decided to start fighting over that umbrella. Just both of them holding onto it, pulling it back and forth between them, both shouting, “Call the Po-lice! Call the Po-lice!” Cross the street, don’t look back.
Anyway, I pull out the camera. It wasn’t really sunny yet, so that’s always better I think for pictures, when, “Crack!” I drop the damn camera right onto the ground. Lens first. Broken. Just like that. Had it for almost 2 years—so that’s pretty good actually. I fiddle around with it on the sidewalk and manage to get the zoom lens things out and back in, although not as easy and neat like BEFORE it was broke. It keeps turning off. I finally get it to come on, open and even take 3 pictures, but now I feel bad and kind of sad that I broke it, so I just put it away. I didn’t even tell the boyfriend until much later, like much later…after 8 pm and vodka…no, he was fine. It was his present and all–just a point and shoot–not anything REALLY fancy, but now I have to get him a new one. I’ll post the picture I took and you can see. It still works. I figure I can use it or the kids can. Now we don’t have to worry about them breaking it. Ha! Thank you, ME.
Anyway, really off track here…all my old friends seem ok. Sad but surviving. Everybody has the summer off so that’s kind of a good thing! And we can all find jobs together! School is an option being thrown around alot. I highly recommend it. Never too late! So I hung out all day, picked up some cd’s and a mini-chattering-teeth wind up toy and called it a day.
I’ll go back with the kids so we can say goodbye proper. I’ve been bringing them since they were in carriers and they’ll want to see the place and the people they know, one more time before everyone scatters. It really is like a second family (19 years put in for me) and I’m not very sentimental. But it felt like a funeral.
After that, I phoned my lawyer friend and walked over to her offices. Swanky. First time in all the time we’ve been downtown together. That’s funny isn’t it? Then we hustled it to the train—Pit-Stop for StarBux(downtown Starbux)–and rode home.
Went to Portillo’s with the BF, picked up 2½ Men/Season 2 and some chocolate cake and made it a night. Got up this morning to the sing-song call of the cardinals, drank coffee, paid bills and did dishes and laundry until it was time to run. You know the rest. Happy.
FYI: My Warrior Music List Part 1 Part 2 really does rock. I highly recommend it. (Check it out in my Music Lists) I used it today–shuffled up–and it worked great!. I could have run for another ½ mile–ha. I been slacking off on the lists. I’ll get back into it. Got some new music to peruse so we’ll see what I can come up with.
Anyway, wherever you are, enjoy the evening. Hope the weather is fine for whatever you want to do.
It’s almost the weekend! Cheers!
Warrior Dash and all that…
Taking a break from my busy schedule here…no training today. Tired. (yes) Lazy? (little bit) No motivation today. Spent a good portion of my morning (and some afternoon yesterday) attempting to achieve motivation by way of inspirational movies and whatnot. Downloaded Tomb Raider movies…(Angelina)…Wanted (Angelina)…Mr & Mrs Smith (Ang…you get the picture)…onto my portable system for the necessary kick butt, jump kick, kick start….whatever… to better “dashability”. It’s lame and rather sad, I won’t deny it to anyone. I shouldn’t even admit to how MUCH time I have actually devoted to this endeavor. But there it is. I like Angelina, in a tough cool chick way. I know that the stunts are rigged and it’s script and acting and special effects. But I don’t care. It makes me feel like I can be a tough cool chick too. And I can’t just remember the feeling. I have to see it. So if I am on the treadmill watching Lara Croft fighting off giant stone statues that have come to life, or jumping off cliffs and sustaining nothing more than a cut on her arm, and it helps me go a little faster a little longer, then so what?
Added a Fight List here…get inspired!
The problem was the transfer from movie to computer to player. The words kept showing up on the player screen for 2 movies but not the other 2. Even though all the movies in the computer file had no words showing. Very frustrating. And somewhat distracting to the picture. It’s just one of the many anal (possibly OCD) characteristics I possess, that allows me to waste inordinate amounts of time on very trivial things. Problem admitted. Treatment in progress. So here is me all morning: Delete. Download. Sync. Play. Delete again. Re-download. Sync. Play. Wipe them all out. Download again. Transfer files again. Sync. Play. And on like that for some hours.
Finally. Success. All 4 movies. Flawless playback. No words. But now I’m too tired and itchy feeling to go to the gym. PLUS—I was up most of the night with my son. He has a chest cold. He gets them almost every spring. He takes Zyrtec and a nosespray, for allergies that the doc says cause all the mess in his head which trickles down into his chest and sits there until he starts weezing and complaining of chest pain. The meds work. It’s been 2 years since his last chest x-rays. That’s how we measure success. No x-rays for Mason! That’s probably good for alot of stuff. No x-rays. Hehe…anyway, the meds work, but you miss one day and the weather shifts, like it does constantly here, and POOF!, he’s sick. So 2 a.m. we are up using his nebulizer—alleviate the tightness first and then load him up with the cold medicine. Breather again at 4 a.m. and again at 6. He just has to get the gunk out of his chest and he’ll be fine. This one isn’t too bad. We caught it quick. But it still doesn’t change the fact that we were up all night. He went to school because he didn’t want to miss basketball. First practice game! And the last one before Spring Break. He should be fine but he will be tired. That’s not too bad either. Get him fed and in bed. Nice night for me! Oh wait. I still have that other one…haha. (just a joke–calm down) In case anyone is interested, she’s fine.
Being up though did give me the time I needed to re-download all 4 movies onto the computer without having to waste any “day” time. Mason inhaled medicine and I switched out movies. It used to be me just sitting there next to him until he was done trying not to fall asleep, so this is a big improvement!
I am still on the Warrior Path. I should be able to get outside tomorrow and run around and I can probably lift some weights this afternoon, so it won’t be a total loss. And I am mostly sticking to the eating plan. (I have to admit that I suffer terrible around certain times of the month and it’s hard to stay true to yogurt, beans, brown rice and hard boiled eggs.) So it is still Extreme Fat Smash for a few more days. And we will probably keep to it another 3 weeks. It works. Really keeps you clean. Food wise.
My music is solid for now. Inspirational enough and all that. Hopefully you liked the warrior list. I am always open for some new music that will keep me running. So feel free to send a comment and suggestions. The music for today is a little different. Since I was feeling kind of punchy and dazy, and I heard The Safety Dance on the radio, it made me start thinking about songs that are just goofy. Like, they have goofy lyrics or silly words, or are just kind of random. The list below is what I came up with. You never really think about these songs, but when you hear them on the radio, probably driving in your car, you get all happy, and find yourself singing along, loudly; desperately wanting to change the station, but somehow never doing it. And before you realize it, the song is over and you just belted your way back down memory lane in your motor vehicle time machine. Hopefully you are alone—or even better—not alone—and you just had a duet, quartet, trip-let concert in your car, aka Tommy Boy Style, you know what I’m talking about…Don’t you remember you told me about the baby? Baby baby baby baby baby…FUN!
So. Everyone grab a kid–hopefully yours if you got ’em–and get silly! Incidentally, these songs are pretty good for dancing too! The goofier the better! See if you agree with me. And if not. Let me know! Hit me with something even sillier. It’s exercise! Pop, Lock & Drop It to the: “Songs That Are Silly“ List. Bee. Low.
I Am The Warrior….
Well, I am the warrior…and heart to heart you win…if you survive…the warrior…o yeah…well, I’m not the warrior just yet, but I’m hoping to be!
Next up on the crazy workout athletic ridiculous endeavor front: The Warrior Dash. Some kind of nutty 6K + Obstacle Course Race for the insane.
It’s held here in Chicago–Joliet to be exact–in the middle of July–nice and hot–and you basically get to run around outside over hills and cars and fire(!), and through swamp and mud and tunnels and logs and who knows what else! WarriorDash.com. Fun stuff (it looks like). I got my sissy to sign up AND her husband. This is what we’re doing for HER birthday! Trying to get the boyfriend to go to… C’mon baby…
This is just in time too! Thanks to the wonderful ebb and flow of new type management in old places…one of the athletic events we participate in every year—GO Vertical! Chicago—has been canceled. It is THE tallest stairclimb, 103 floors inside the Sears Tower, benefiting the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. The management team for the Sears Tower, has decided that this year they will not have it. Doesn’t fit into the schedule I guess of changing the name and painting the building silver. I know I’m not the only one who feels sad about it. But what can we do? Anyhoo–on to bigger and better right?
So, switching gears. We are finishing up with EFS. Week 3 Day 1. Back to the grind. Exercise and all that. Eating lean. Need to get stronger and faster for July. I’m not really sure how to train for this…outside to start and with running for sure. After that, I’m going to do some weights, crawl around stuff at local parks and not worry too much. Kids will have a blast “helping”, at least. It should be fun and I probably won’t win anyway. Not really a hardcore athlete so to speak… I like to stay in shape and exercise in new and unusual ways. And if you can get a little dirty, drink beer at the end and get a cool t-shirt and viking warrior helmet?? furry even??—well I’m all for it!
Of course, I’m going to need a playlist. Music for the Viking, Soldier, Gladiator, Spartan, Ninja, Samurai, Zulu fighting types…
Plain and simple. (I’m actually going to need ALOT of playlists, but this will be a start) Can’t listen to music on the course anyway–not going thru mud and gunk…ooh…so excited!
FYI Update: Kitchen Nook is awesome. I love it. Kids are sitting at it doing homework as I type. Floor is superclean. Hands and knees people. Took 4 hours. You could literally eat off the thing. That doesn’t say much about my normal cleaning skills I know, considering my kitchen is obviously small enough that a regular kitchen table and chairs is too much to have. But in my defense I did do the utility room too and wash all the throwrugs and kind of help with the construction. AND, I went and picked up dinner. In a rainstorm. On foot. Uphill. Both ways. Haha. Old joke. But it was raining and storming pretty good in prep for the nasty wet sleet snow attack we did get a few hours later.
All jokes aside. The boyfriend is 99 % responsible for my new kitchen set being put together and usable. Thank you honey!
And as for the food part, we worked out in the a.m. Me for an hour and him for over 2! We earned the one meal we ate! So quit it!
Music is below! (Songs with the literal “warrior” spirit and songs that just make you want to keep going. Started small–grew big. So I split it into 2 parts. Keep moving on.)
just shy of pretty 