24 March 2007

Oh, what a night......

Late September back in '63. What a very special time for me. What a lady, what a night.

Okay, if you remember that song your age and bad taste in music is showing :)

Do other people think in music like I do??? I can put music to almost every major event in my life. I hear certain songs and I can conjure up a memory I haven't had in years and years. It's almost like music is a electrode stimulating my brain. I can remember words to songs I learned when I was 6 years old. I can tell you the first record I bought (Three Dog Night - Jeremiah was a Bullfrog). I always assume other people are like this too, but now that I think about it - I bet not. Music really is the soundtrack of my life.

Okay, sorry for that little tangent there, but sometimes that's how my mind works - scary huh???

So last night! Ugh!! First of all we have an opportunity that is just unbelievable. I am hoping and praying it comes through. Hubby has a regular full time job but he also has a part time job at a tennis club. The tennis club has a house on it where this person lives. This person does a little maintenance but mainly is there at night when the club is closed for security. Well, that person has turned in his notice - he's moving out. The club manager immediately called hubby and asked if we're interested in moving in. It would mean hubby would go on salary for the club since he'll be kind of "on duty" all the time. It would also mean no rent.

This would be so incredibly awesome on so many levels I can't even begin to imagine. First, we could get away from the murdering, drug dealing as*hole who, I found out, will probably never go to jail for dealing drugs because he wasn't busted with enough. It doesn't matter that he's a convicted murderer, this is his first drug bust and that's all they look at. I've gotten so I hate coming home because that as*hole is always around. I'm not afraid of him like I was in the beginning, just pissed that our system is so screwy he can still be walking the streets. So, yeah, I want to move.

Second, all our money issues would be history in literally months. I could have the IRS and the Socialist State of California paid off in like 3 months. Then I could put some serious money away and next year at this time we'd be in a perfect position to buy a house.

There's other reasons but those are the 2 biggies. The only drawback is they have a no dogs rule. Hubby told the manager there's no way we're giving up the dogs. Manager said he's pretty confident he can get the board to change the rule. The board members love hubby. In the year he's been there he's done amazing things with the club and everyone is so happy. So manager is going to talk to the board and let us know. Keep your fingers crossed.

The timing could not be better since our lease at this place ends on April 1. We could give our notice next week and move at the end of the month. I am so ready for this, you have no idea.
So I was thinking about that all night and very excited.

I had a hard time getting the birdies to bed. With 2 moluccans the noise level is a little high and they kind of keep each other going. I finally got them settled around 10 and went off to bed. I was so tired last night. Around midnight, Nala-the pit bull, go up and she needs help getting back into bed because of her hip dysplasia. So I got up to help her back to bed. Then around 3:30 all of a sudden Xena, the warrior moluccan, started screaming and flapping her wings. I came flying into the birdie room to find her on the floor of her cage all freaked out. I had to calm her down and get her settled. That must have taken 1/2 an hour. I couldn't find anything wrong or any reason for her freak out so I decided either a) she had a bad dream, or b) she fell off her perch during her sleep and scared herself. So that was my night. And, because of the birdies, I couldn't sleep up. They get up with the sun. This morning I'm tired and would just like to go back to bed, but that's not going to happen. Maybe a nap later.

Xena just chewed through a box and got a toy out. She's so proud of herself, shaking the toy and showing it to me, such a smart birdie.

Okay, so keep your fingers crossed that this all works out. It's the law of attraction, I'm putting out the positive energy that this will occur.

23 March 2007

This will be a weekend.

Well, it's double Moluccan weekend here at the homestead. My boss is doing the Run to the Sun tomorrow on Maui and I'm babysitting her Cockatoo. If you know anything about birds you know Moluccans are the largest of the cockatoos, about 12 - 14 inches tall (not including their crest) and the loudest. They are flock birds so when you get more than one of them in a room the noise increases exponentially. I'm taking my bosses bird to work with me today but tomorrow will be 2 birds all day. This will be interesting. Right now they are sitting say HI back and forth to each other.

Well, I guess I'd better get my butt to work. It's going to be an interesting weekend.

22 March 2007

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

So, yeah, health and fitness, right.

Well, it's been a good week after the whole bread incident. I've been avoiding processed carbs like a fiend and it's working out well.

So, Monday I missed working out. Tuesday I did weights and ran for an hour at lunch. Wednesday I did my intervals. This morning??? Nothing.

Hubby went and played poker last night so I had the house to myself. I made some dinner, puttered around, got some financial stuff done, watched some TV, it was nice. Finally, after falling asleep during Criminal Minds, I headed off to bed. Of course, as soon as I got there I was wide awake. I lliedthere reading for a while and decided that I needed to get to sleep. I turn off the lights and just start to fall asleep when the murdering-drug dealer's dog starts whining. Now the dog does this every night and usually they move the dog to the other side of the house, but last night they weren't home. UGH!!!!

To make a long story very short, the dog didn't quiet down until after 11 and just as I'm finally getting to sleep Hubby comes home and the dogs get all excited. So I didn't get to sleep until after midnight. My alarm went off at 5 and there was no way I was getting up. When I finally dragged my butt out of bed at 6 I discovered my plantar was in full bloom. I couldn't walk. It took almost 15 minutes before I could stumble along half way decently. So I've decided to take the next 3 days off and really work on the PF. I'm going to stretch 2x a day (more if I remember), ice and ibuprofen. I'm not doing any activity until my marathon clinic on Sunday.

So there you have it. My life in 1000 words or less. Hope everyone else is having a good week.

Trying something new.

I got a lot of comments on my global warming piece and it got me to thinking. I really hate posting stuff like that here because this is really about health and fitness. My health and my fitness, but health and fitness just the same. So I've decided to give something a try. I've started a new blog, The Dark Meanderings of the Mind, and I'm going to try and keep the political stuff over there. I will reserve this blog for my journey to Honu 70.3, no, I haven't forgotten about that. I've gotten a little sidetracked but that is my ultimate goal. Not this year, maybe next. If not 2009. Oh, wait, I just realized I'll be 50 in 2009. Oh, yeah, I'm doing Honu 70.3 that year. Oh my god, what a great way to celebrate 50. Okay, see, this blog needs to focus on fitness. So, check out my new blog, leave your comments, tell me what you think.

Just one more word on global warming.


Actually, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

The real cause of global warming.

21 March 2007

Totally not related to working out or weight loss.

What is wrong with people??? Do Americans no longer have the ability or desire to think for themselves???

On the news this morning I was listening to Al Gore testify on Capitol Hill and I swear to God it made my eyes bleed. The truth be damned, Al's going to try and ride this global warming thing to the White House. What gets me is not so much Al Gore, he's a fruitcake, it's that all these seemingly intelligent people are buying into this crap. People are afraid to stand up and disagree with the global warming issue. It kind of reminds me of early Nazi Germany. People were afraid to stand up and say Hitler was a nutcase. Even if global warming were true (which you may have guessed I don't think) we would need to take drastic action and institute real change. Banning incandescent light bulbs won't do it Al. It really saddens me that people can't think for themselves, that they fall in lockstep to what people like Al Gore say. Please people, use your brains.

Then I hear that the Center for Science in the Public Interest is at it again. This time they are maligning Chinese food. Again, it saddens me that people can't think for themselves. CSPI really pissed me off when they went after movie popcorn. I don't go to the movies that often and the popcorn is a rare treat that I really enjoy. They had to stick there nose in and screw it up. Anyone who thinks that popcorn swimming in butter (no matter what oil it's popped in) is good for you really shouldn't be allowed out in public alone cause clearly they are idiots. It's the same thing with Chinese food. Here in Hawaii we probably eat more Chinese food than most places, and while I don't know the calorie count of every dish I like, I do know that if it comes out and it's shiny there's a lot of oil in it. I know that if it's fried it's high in fat and calories. It's not that hard to figure out and it's not brain surgery. Does this mean I don't eat these dishes, no!!! I eat small quantities of them and eat more of the steamed veggies stuff. It's not rocket science.

Seriously, what has become of the people in this country. They seem to have absolutely no ability to think for themselves. If the government or some watchdog company isn't telling them what to eat and think and do they are lost.

I read the newspaper everyday. Every single article I read I can find either flaws in the logic used to reach their conclusions, or the words that indicate the slant of the article. Words that would cause people not aware to really believe something the article isn't saying. It really makes me think I'm the smartest person in the world.

And the folks who end up in the news, please don't get me started. 'Journalists' (and I use that term loosely) find the most pathetic, weak, sorry examples of Americans and put them on the front pages. Or, it's the whiners and babies who get all the attention.

I hate how something happens, 3 people die because of X, and suddenly X is illegal. Could it be that those 3 people were just stupid and needed to be removed from the gene pool?? I am so incredibly sick and tired of our government, on all levels, city, state, federal. Thomas Jefferson believed that the people would have to take up arms against the government at some point, it's quite possible we have reached that point. Unfortunately, Americans are so fat and lazy, they won't want to bother (at least that's what the papers tell me).

I could go on for days and days and days, but I'll stop here. I realize I'm preaching to the choir here because most of the folks I encounter on blogs are intelligent, thoughtful, and thinkers. So keep it up and please try to influence the idiot seated next to you at the theater or Chinese restaurant.

20 March 2007

Today is much, much better.


Wow, yesterday was tough. I will never eat that much bread in one day again. Not only did my insides writhe in pain all day, I felt all bloated and puffy. Yeah, don't like that feeling at all.

So I forgot to tell you about my brush with fame. Saturday we were having lunch at Chili's and I look up and who's walking out the door?? The guy who plays Hurley on Lost. I grabbed my phone, jumped up and quick got a picture taken with him. Right at this moment Blogger won't let me upload it. I'll try later. Anyway, he was very nice and appeared to be painfully shy. I kind of felt sorry for him.

So this morning was weights. I was lying in bed and I thought, "It's not that hard to get up in morning, but it's really easy not to." I like that and I'm going to have to remember it.

So it was weight day and they felt pretty good. There is this one move where I lay on the bench, raise the dumbbells straight up then lower them behind my head and back up. It works the lats and side. My right side always hurts way more than my left when doing that move. Even now, I can feel my lat on my right side. I hope there's nothing wrong.

That's about it for me. Catch up with you all later.

19 March 2007

How could I have forgotten this.

One thing that really irritates me, I mean will send me off quicker than anything, is the total lack of consideration for other people. I think the reason it drives me so crazy is it's so easy to do and yet so common not to.

For example: there is a grocery store where I live and the parking lot is set up in such a way that if you stop in front of the doors you block 2 parking aisles. People would not only stop there but sit and wait for people there. So the store painted the curb red indicating no parking allowed. People still parked there. They then posted signs saying no stopping or standing. People still parked there. They then put up metal posts with chains between them just in the road enough so you couldn't get to the curb. People still parked there. How freaking rude and inconsiderate can you possibly be????

Okay, so yesterday I'm leaving marathon training and there's this giant SUV parked in a red zone blocking some cars who were trying to get out. Now this is a huge park, that driver could have been anywhere. As I walked past the SUV I just shook my head at their stupidity. As I walked past the rear window I noticed there were 2 child seats in the back and I thought, 'they are really setting a good example for their kids.' As I walked around the back of the SUV I noticed a sticker that said, 'Stupid people shouldn't breed' I think they should have taken their own advice.

Oh, my aching back.

Since I had my plantar episode on Thursday I've been doing a lot of stretching. I have a problem with the right side of my body. For some reason it's much tighter than the left side and I think that is the underlying cause of lots of my problems.

So I've been stretching and trying to keep things loose, when I noticed last night that the right side of my back feels odd. I can't explain it, I've tried, it just feels odd.

I've actually been toying with the idea of going to a chiropractor when I came across this site, Physical Therapy near New York. Yes, I know I'm not in New York but they have some interesting info that has almost convinced me I should see a chiropractor.

Also, my butt is starting to hurt again, on the right side. I think it's time to have this looked at. Maybe a chiropractor and a massage is in order. Now that's my idea of a spa day.

I have got to pay attention.

I have pretty much given up bread. I only eat it once in a while and then I'm careful not to have any other refined carbs the rest of the day. Well yesterday I made a mistake and I'm paying for it this morning.

I came home from my marathon clinic and was hungry. The only thing to eat around here was left over corned beef. Since I wanted to get some things done and go grocery shopping, I just threw a sandwich together and went on about my business. We hubby got home from work around 2:30, he was hungry and asked if I wanted a sandwich. I was hungry and not really thinking so I said sure. I had another sandwich. Finally, for dinner we had soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Um, yeah, another sandwich. I was pretty busy yesterday and honestly never thought about the fact that I was eating 300 times the amount of bread I normally do.

In the middle of the night my gut woke me up, it was not happy. This morning has not been pretty at all. It was supposed to be a weight morning but since I have to stay close to the bathroom, I decided to pass for today. A rest day is always good. But, ugh, stay away from the bread.

On a better note, my plantar seems to have receded and is back to it's normal dull ache. I don't use custom orthotics (after spending a few hundred dollars, I still couldn't get them to fit right) but I do use those Spenco inserts. Someone recommended them years ago and they really work well for me. Anyway, as I was running yesterday I realized that I haven't bought a new pair in a long time. Blink, the light bulb went on. Could that be the problem with my foot???? I'm thinking it is and I will be buying a new pair very, very soon.

Alright, I better get ready for work.

18 March 2007

I apologize for this

but I just have to. The whole global warming thing just pisses me off and I have to do this.
If you have any interest in global warming watch this: Global Warming Swindle.


It's a long one, a little over an hour, but very interesting and offers some clear science, not Al Gore Hype.

The Global Warming Bullshit is a racist agenda designed to keep the poorest of the poor in this world down. They push a no development agenda which affects Africa more than any other country. It's a totally racist agenda.

Marathon Training Part 2

This morning was the 2nd meeting of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic. It was good. After last week's slowness with the beginner group, I decided to kick it up a notch and move to the intermediates. Actually, that decision took some time to get to. I was debating the whole drive over which group to go with. My plantar had been so bad on Thursday I was seriously considering the beginner group again just because I knew they'd be slow. On the other hand, my foot was feeling much better, and I wondered if my excessively slow running last week attributed to my problem. Can you see my dilemma?? I went back and forth the whole way there. Finally I just decided to go for it. If my foot hurt, my foot hurt. I did not want to run that slow again.

So I hooked up with the slow intermediate group. They run around 12-13 mins/mile which is a pace I can sustain for a fairly long time. The next group goes at 11-10 mins/mile. After I've been running consistently for a while I may be able to join this group.

We had a good run. It was about 4.5 miles in 1:16, that time includes water stops along the way. One of the water stops took almost 10 minutes. It was fun. A good group and I think I'll enjoy this :) Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Conversation with Hubby

 So yesterday morning I presented my idea of working out at home to the Hubby. Once I presented it to him, he said he was in. I told him I h...