You Will Be Catalogued

I was listening to The Tin Dog Podcast episode on The Sontaran Stratagem & The Poison Sky this morning, when the host took a break from his discussion to play this song. I love it! The episode with the Judoon on the moon is one of my favorites. The little old lady with her blood sipping straw wasn't the best of the villians I've seen in my growing fascination with all things Doctor, but the rest of the story was pretty darn good.

This past Christmas, my younger son (B2) received a sonic screwdriver & psychic paper set from his grandfather, and old-school Doctor fan. The screwdriver has the blue light and makes the sound, and has an invisible ink pen nib which can be swapped out for the ball point end. B2 has, on more than one occasion, gone around the house, giving hugs or handshakes as part of a not-so-subtle plan to mark our hands or arms. This is followed by a later "sorting" of the family. The pets are marked by a post it note to the collar, which usually ends up stuck to the couch or nearest doorframe. I usually end up catalogued as "non-human". I think it's so I can be hit up for a snack, to bribe my captor into letting me sneak away.

If you haven't listened to the Tin Dog Podcast, it's pretty good. He reviews all the new shows, but also goes into the history of the Doctor, the various baddies and does a great job summarizing the adventures of the previous incarnations. Thanks to him, we've been enjoying the very first Doctor... which reminds me... it's about time to order the next set. We'll have these finished soon, now that summer's here. The later bedtime will mean we'll be watching two or three of the episodes at a time, instead of just one. Ack! I'll be ordering a set every 2-3 weeks. Maybe it's time to join Netflix?

iCing Transformation Challenge, Day 27

Gala Darling's iCing Transformation challenge is up. For the past 27 days, I've worked toward the goal of two days per week of raw food goodness, and exercising 20 minutes (or more) each day.

Of the 27 days, I've exercised 24. Took one day off after a twisted ankle, one day with a sick child, and one day where I was totally swamped with a project. It was a bit tough at times to break away, but the 20 minute bar I'd set made it easy to reach. Even on the busiest (or rainiest) days, I found myself cheerfully spinning or running past the 20 minute mark. I now look forward to exercising every day, which is nice. Granted, the beautiful May weather is helping.

The goal of eating fully raw two days each week wasn't quite met. I am managing one day completely, with the two days following being 2/3 raw. Lots of salads, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, and juices. I'll need to read up before I try to do more than I am. I learned the hard way I need a more substantial breakfast before heading out on a three hour ride. Berries and banana on a bowl of steel cut oats and soy milk gets me a lot further than berries and banana alone. So, not as raw as I'd hoped, but a darn sight healthier than I'd been before.

I may not have met my goals exactly as I set out, but this 27-day challenge has helped me form a couple of very healthy new patterns in my life. I'm taking the next four weeks to get them firmly established. I'm keeping the exercise mark exactly as it is, and will reward myself at the end of the 28 days with a lovely new running dress from SkirtSports. That's right, a running dress. If I'm going to run like a girl, I might as well flaunt it!

Thanks for the extra motivation and support, Gala. You were a big help on this.

Catching Up

Meant to post this a week ago, but lost track of the days. This was my view on the Silver Comet Trail last week, for approximately 8.5 miles. Streamers and pony tail fluttering in the breeze. No Trail-a-Bikes for DD any longer. She is officially on her own. She's been able to ride on her own for a year now; her bike was just too small to go much faster than, well... anything. This is an official big kid bike. Never had training wheels, never will.

One wipeout. She was distracted by a bicycle riding turtle pinwheel in a yard which borders the trail, and lost balance at the pavement's edge. A few minutes of recovery, a splash of water to brush dirt of scraped hands, and we pedaling off for the last couple of miles.

I'm so proud of her. We turned back after four miles. Didn't want her to burn out on the first big ride. She wants to do it again, and to go to our normal turn around spot next time around. That would be a 12 miler, and I'm thinking we might to add just one or two miles each of the next few trips. I foresee a summer of late morning picnics on the trail... assuming we can get her slightly bigger brother on his own bike.

Summer Activewear

I picked up this skort from REI last week. $29. Have worn it twice already, once with sleeveless polo, and once with a tee. It's very comfortable, lightweight, and absolutely perfect for kid friendly activities where a skirt just won't cut it. The wrap skirt allows for more freedom of movement than did the Columbia skort I tried. The length is just right, and the skirt portion doesn't fly away while I'm on my bike. The zipper back pocket is just the right size for phone or iPod and a couple of small essentials. I can attest to the stain-resistance; dumped a cup of cold coffee on myself in the kitchen Sunday afternoon, and it rolled right off.

In case you can't tell, I'm a fan. Might go get the darker version I saw at the store. Didn't see it available online. Just have to figure out what I'm replacing, since I'm going on a one item in, at least one item out policy.

Running Bunnies...

...I mean Buddies. 51:55 was our time at the Atlanta Susan G Koman Race for the Cure on Saturday. Not great, but also not bad, considering the 5k course was packed to the point where staying together while walking was a challenge, let alone finding enough space to run together for more than a minute at a time. We walked most of the course.

My oldest (B1) was away for the weekend, so he missed the thrill of traveling through Midtown with mom & siblings in bunny ears. B2 had a great time, but was happy to give the shirt to his sister, who is more than happy to have two oversized shirts with pink ribbons.

All in all, a great start to Mother's Day weekend.

It's the little things

This week has been tough. Crazy work schedule. Crazy kid schedule for the crazy kids who are almost finished with the school year. I've been giving up an hour or two of sleep most nights to work, just so I can get outside for a bit during the day. I'm not quite to the point of pulling out my hair and screaming, thanks in part to the brief moments of pure bliss which pop up when you least expect it.

First, a confession. I'm a peanut butter fiend. Not just your run of the mill fan, I'm partial to a particular moment in the life of a jar of peanut butter. I live for being the first person to scoop from the just-opened jar. I have been known to open a brand new jar when I need a fix, knowing there's a perfectly good open jar sitting right next to it in the pantry. I think, that's fine for the kids, but mine must be perfect. With apples, on toast, or just straight from the spoon... yum!

This morning, in the middle of fixing breakfast and packing apples, yogurt and pretzels into three lunch bags, I realized I was about to hit the jackpot. When it came time to make the sandwiches, I would be opening brand new jars of both crunchy and creamy peanut butter. Woo hoo! My whole day has brightened. I still have two site plans, a stack of change requests, errands to run, and two classes to read to later today. Right now though, I have two spoons of extra fresh peanut butter and a sliced granny smith.

Life is great!

April Mileage

Run: 42 miles (approx 7-1/2 hours)
Bike: 133.7 miles (approx 10 hours)
Kid Walks: 5 miles (1-1/2 hrs)


Total mileage for April: 180.7.

With the warmer weather, racking up the miles has gotten much easier. For May, I think I'll add a time category. Goal is bumped to 125+ miles; and 24 hours.

Since I hit 19 hours in April, it should only take a few extra trips to store / bank / starbucks to make up the difference. I'll also be bumping my 25-30 mile long ride to 30-35 miles, which will help.

My Easy Run Is Getting Easier

I have a route through my hilly neighborhood which is my short / easy run for either a recovery day or a really busy day. When I was pretty evenly balanced between running and walking, it took 27-30 minutes. As my 2:2 became a 3:1, it got down to about 25 minutes. Still good, since 25 minutes, plus a bit of warm up and cool down stretching.

Today, I passed my driveway at 22:18. Had to keep going past four more houses and back to make my 25 minutes. I'm going to add an extra loop to my easy run, starting Thursday.

iCing Transformation Challenge

Gala's challenge:

I wanted to let you all know about something I’m planning to kick off soon. It’s called the iCiNG Transformation Challenge, it will run for a month & it revolves around us taking control of our lives & our bodies in a concentrated way! It’s like weekly resolutions but amped up in a way that would make even Victoria Beckham exclaim, “MAJOR!”.

The iCiNG Transformation Challenge (iTC) will run from the 21st of April to the 18th of May. It would probably make more sense for it to start at the beginning of a calendar month, but that’s so far away & I am impatient!

I recently decided I wanted to commit to a month of really looking after my body, to see what kind of results I could get. I often find it hard to stick to an exercise routine, just because it feels really aimless & sometimes the thought of exercising every couple of days until the end of my life freaks me out! By giving myself a task that lasts for a month, I find that much less of a mental hurdle & far easier for me to grasp. The idea is that I will realise how great I feel when I put effort into my physical well-being, & will want to keep it up.

The reason I’m announcing it is because I also thought that if we commit to this & do it as a group, we’ll all feel like we have lots of support & love helping us achieve our goals!

27 days. Less than one month. Heck, it's less than four weeks. I can stick with anything for 27 days. I signed on. She's put together a discussion thread for everyone to post their goals, progress, setbacks and encouragement. I've been reading a bit this week, but haven't posted my update yet. There's a great group of people there. I'll be joining the discussion today; it just took me a while to put my goals together. I started the challenge on Monday, but spent the first week honing in on what I was trying to accomplish.

I wanted to make sure they were reachable, while still being a stretch out of my comfort zone. These are all challenges I'd like to continue past the 27 days, so I want this iTC time to be used for the formation of new habits.

Here's my original personal challenges, along with the tweaks I've made throughout this week:

1 - Eat at least one balanced raw food meal each day. (Became 2 full days of raw food)
I already do meet my original goal most days, with either whole fruit and flax or a homemade smoothie for breakfast. I even eat raw for lunch several times a week. To take it to the next level, I'm now eating raw foods for the entire day, two days each week. This will help me learn to plan for my nutritional needs and to fit it into my daily schedule. I'm hoping to add an extra day in another month; this should make it a smoother transition.

So far, it's going really well. By spacing the two days, I was able to make sure I had everything I needed the day before. No panic at meal prep. Since I already had the ingredients in the house, I even had a mostly raw day the day after each of my official raw food day. I could get used to this.

2 - Exercise at least 20 minutes each day. (Became at least 20 minutes of cardio)
I've been an every other day fitness person. Or three days on, two days off. If I want to increase my speed and/or endurance, I need to be more consistent. I picked 20 minutes as my minimum to give myself a kick out the door. Twenty minutes is the time it takes to run to and from the bank, or to ride my bike to the store and back. Or the time it takes to walk the dog and kids around the park. At the very least, I can do one of my regular daily errands on foot or bike for a quick burst of cardio.

This minimum requirement is working great so far. I had a 25 mile ride on Saturday, cut short by the anticipated thunderstorms; and a multi sport day on Thursday where I rode 15 miles, followed by a two mile run. A couple days of 30-minute runs, and one day where I was pressed for time & took the dog on a quick 20-minute, two mile lope (his pace), then hopped on the bike for a quick grocery trip. One of the 30 minute runs was completed while I was waiting for my bike to be serviced at the Silver Comet Depot.

There have been so many great comments on the discussion threads over at iCing, and I'm really looking forward to adding mine while catching up on the last day or so from the other participants.

Two Tiny Changes

Following the lead of Steph (Back in Skinny Jeans), here's my two tiny changes for this week, along with a report on Tuesday, the first day of the changes.

1. Replace coffee with tea.

Used to drink coffee through the entire day. Was pretty close to two pots per day. Managed to cut down to less than one cup of coffee per week. Over the last two months, I'd returned to my old habits. Yesterday, I had three mugs of irish breakfast tea and one of jasmine oolong, spaced through the day instead of coffee. No caffeine headaches so far.

2. Make a To Do list each night for the next day.

This morning was pretty smooth. That's not necessarily a list benefit, as the early morning routine of lunch making and breakfast cooking was on par. I was more relaxed than normal though. Having the list means I don't have to worry about what I may be forgetting, even first thing in the morning. It's possible I start off stressed just because I'm churning the afternoon activities in my brain. Who needs to be picked up early? Today is ___, so that means it is which kids day for which activity?

I'll have to see if the calm carries over to the next few days. I'm not putting a lot of pressure on myself to get everything on the list completed every day. There are too many variable in a house with three children to expect everything to go perfectly to plan.

Next up on the list? Work on one section of a restaurant locator map, a cup of jasmine oolong (adagio), and a late morning run.

Setting Goals

Eat healthier.
Exercise more.
Get a handle on finances.
Be more organized.
Get rid of "stuff".

Everyone's big goals. When worded that way, there's no way to fail. Of course, there's also no way to succeed. Nothing to measure. No box for that little gold star.

Making a list of specifics is tough. It can be scary, too. As soon as you write it down, you're accountable.

I've been guilty of the vague goals for years. Not just in that New Year's Resolution sort of way, either. I'm not good with daily checklists. I make a mental list, and get much of it done each day. The kids get to school with packed lunches, I make progress on my mapping projects, and everyone has clean laundry to put away each evening after a home cooked supper. [Almost] Daily practice for weekly music lessons is done. (Drums, guitar and piano, all at once. Each from their own corner of the little house.) We make it to dentist and doctor appointments. My clients get their proofs on time... mostly.

Sounds okay, but it's stressful. I'm always reviewing that mental list, trying to remember if I'm thinking about the right day, and wondering what I forgot. And I do forget things. There are many nights I'm up until midnight, doing that last load of laundry so the red uniform shirt is clean for spirit day. Baking oatmeal muffins for breakfast because I failed to notice the batch of waffles I made over the weekend has run out. Or scrambling to put together the last few layers for a map due the next morning.

I read so much about the difference a list makes, yet I never quite get around to trying it myself. I know specific goals work. It is easier to get myself out the door on foot or bike knowing I have the Spring-5k / Summer-10k/Thanksgiving-half marathon goal. (Yes, I did run/walk a 5k in March. Am signing up for May's Race for the Cure, so I'll have two under my belt.)

I'm going to try expanding the goal setting into my daily routines. Thanks to a few blogging ladies, I don't have to do it alone. I'm going to be reading these three for a bit of inspiration over the rest of April and May:
Gala's iCing Transformation Challenge (April 21-May 18th)
Steph's Two Tiny Changes, a weekly series at Back in Skinny Jeans
Daily Deliberate Changes from Tia at Living Deliberately

I came up with my personal goals for the transformation challenge and my two tiny changes this past weekend. Started on my written checklist yesterday. One of the things I'm working on is prioritizing. As such, it's time for me to start on two weeks' worth of paperwork, filing and invoicing.

Will post my goals and weekly changes this evening.

Flirting With Raw Foods

I've been a regular reader of Gala Darling's iCing blog for about a year now. I love her perspective. She is one of those people who take great joy in life. From her, I've been hooked into Etsy, the online community of artists and craftsman. It's a great place to find the perfect gift for... anyone.

A few months ago, she wrote about raw foods way of life, and linked to We Like it Raw. I read a bit of their website once or twice a week. Have tried a few of the recipes. I think 'yea!' and 'yummy!' about 3/4 of the time, and 'ugh' the other. I have learned honey, molasses and maple syrup are not the only alternatives to sugar; and how to make cashew milk. (Cashew milk would be one of the Yummy! items, in case you were wondering.)

For the last two months, I've been working on an entry into this way of eating. More veggies, less meat isn't a big change for me. I eat red meat less than once per week, with maybe one or two servings of chicken or fish. Veggie curries with brown rice and various combos of spinach/mushrooms/tomatoes/yellow squash/onions/broccoli with basil and olive oil are regular evening meals. I know those are better choices than burger and fries, but still not as good for me as it could be. Hence, the desire to eat more straight off the cutting board.

I started with breakfast. Sliced strawberries and bananas with a handful of blueberries and a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed is what I eat most mornings. If I'm up early enough, I'll toss everything in the blender with soy milk and make a yummy smoothie.

Then, this way of eating spread to lunch. Sliced avacado and grape tomatoes (or mango) on mixed greens with sunflower seeds and cilantro, topped with fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil.

And now, I crave big bowls of veggies for dinner. Figured this out in front of the meat counter at Whole Foods last Wednesday. Headed back to produce to grab heirloom tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers and extra avacados. Drained and rinsed black beans, did some chopping. Lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, sea salt and roasted garlic. Mixed it all together for dinner. (Photo stinks, but I'm working on that.)

It was delicious. I was completely satisfied, and didn't feel any of the normal hankering for munchies during my evening mapping. Even when I sat down for a bit of television time. No ice cream. No crackers. Just a cup of tea.

Next day, swapped out mango for the heirloom tomatoes, added cucumber, chickpeas and sunflower seeds.

I'm not comfortable trying out a major diet change for the kids. I can experiment on myself. If I get the protein and vitamins wrong on me, I can adjust. I won't risk their healthy development. Chicken, fish and beef are still going on their plates. What I have been doing though, is expand the side dishes at dinner to include sliced fresh fruit, and to pull vegetables out of the steamer a little earlier in the cooking process. They've always been resistant to some vegetables (zucchini and asparagus are great examples) but have been great about trying [barely] blanched yellow beans, orange cauliflower and broccoflower. The yellow beans and yellow carrots were harder to sell than I expected. I try to have something yummy for dessert in the wings for the nights they willingly try anything new, especially if contains leeks, mushrooms or lima beans.

So far, so good. There have been a couple of times the crunch green bean and baby carrot combo have received a positive reception. There are fewer requests for plain old peas or corn. The grocery helper for last week picked up the yellow carrots and vidalia onion for me to mash into the potatoes. And, I'm getting requests to pick up the purple cauliflower as soon as it's available in the store.

Mileage Update - Mid April

As of my 20 minute run this morning, I'm officially over 100 miles for April. 101.6, to be precise. Every mile from now until April 30 is gravy.

Playtime starts this afternoon, with another family ride on the Silver Comet Trail. Or maybe in 15 minutes, if I can't find the coffee and need to pick up a can at Trader Joes.

Now that Spring is finally here it's so much easier to stay outside.

I have a couple of posts I started earlier this week, which will be going up later today.

Spring Break

This past week was chock full of relaxing. Got in quite a bit of mileage. 10 miles on foot; 52.5 miles of cycling. That 62.5 miles - more than half my goal (100 miles) in one week!

Two of the rides this week were with the whole family. Started at the Silver Comet Depot so we could rent the Trail-a-bike. I couldn't snap a photo of Dottie's favorite part of the journeys. She loves to hold her hands out to the side and pretend she's flying behind me when we get up to wind-whistling-in-the-ears speed. I do have this photo from a water break:
I don't really want to add another set of wheels to the storage area (5 people, 6 bikes), but I'm starting to think seriously about purchasing one of these bike extensions. It's another couple of year before Dottie's ready for more than 3-4 miles on her own, no matter how much she swears she would make it on a longer ride. We have such a good time on our 10-12 mile treks; I think it's probably worth it. Time to start comparing brands. She'll still have chances to ride the shorter distances on her own when I'm taking the dog for a run by the river.

Also did a bit of slow running with kids a couple of days. Was more fun than I feared it would be. We ran for two mins., walk ed for two mins. for 30 minutes; and follow it up with plain old playtime on the playground. The kidlets get to take turns in charge of either the dog's leash or the stopwatch. Only complaints generally came from the kid who was not in charge of anything. I thought cycling the two jobs through the three kids would work out so someone always had a 'break'. Guess I need to come up with a third job.

Great week last week. Lots of outside time. Lots of video game battles and board games.

Today, I'm enjoying the quiet after everyone is off to school. It's time to get caught up on all the work which piled up while we were out playing.

Racing Butterflies

It's been a busy week. Managed to get in a couple of runs, some errands by bike, and one nice little ride. On Wednesday's run, spring was out in full force. Swatted my first mosquito for the season; crossed into a spider's drag line. Plus, just when I thought I was running at a nice pace, I was passed by a butterfly. Loved every bit of it. Sunshine & 65 degrees. Yea!

On the 12 mile ride, I learned something new. Must keep mouth closed while smiling up at falling cherry blossoms. Petal inhalation is not as pleasant as you might think.

Did a bit more bike commuting than usual. The truck was in for some brake & transmission 'stuff', so Thursday and Friday were two-wheeled days. It's only a few miles, so I made the trips in street clothes. I'm used to having motorists zipping by me without leaving much elbow room. Was amazed how much more clearance I was given in jeans and heels. Had my helmet on, so that wasn't what made the difference.

Two-wheeled Timesaver

I've been riding my hybrid (commuter) bike to and from Trader Joe's for smaller grocery trips for about a year now. The route I take is 2.5 miles, round trip. I have a basket mounted to the front post/handlebars which holds a TJ's shopping bag (reusable) snugly on the the ride home. It takes about 35 mins, including the shopping. When I'm on my road bike, groceries in backpack, about 30 mins.

I didn't think I could make a car trip much faster, so I've been testing. Using the slightly longer route I take in the car, I've been timing the last few trips. I limited myself to the one shopping bag of goods when in the truck, just so I didn't throw the time off by spending more time perusing the aisles of goodies. As of today's trip, I have three to five trips of each transport, so here's the round-up:

3 miles, 1 bag (or backpack) of groceries.
Hybrid: 33-37 mins.*
Road: 30-35 mins.
Truck: 35-42 mins.*
*Longest trip times were Saturdays, when traffic was great, but store/parking lot was packed.

That's right. Taking the truck is slower than bike. It's not the time on the road, since the car is faster than my pedaling. I don't do anything crazy at intersections, either. I wait at the red lights, just like everyone else.

The time saved is the time I do NOT spend engaged in the parking lot shuffle. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both have the typical congestion you'd find at any strip mall. Especially around lunch. On the bike, straight down the aisle, hop off at the sidewalk, walk the bike over to the cart return and chain. Takes a minute or two.
Same thing when I'm on the way home.

I'm really glad to know this. No more excuses about not having time to exercise.

Wait. I just took away my last excuse.

Running Errands

Just ended a phone call with "I'll get back to you on this site plan later this morning; gotta run to the bank."

Funny thing is, I am running to the bank.

Wow. My life has changed.

Tax Season Woes

April 15th is less than a month away, and it's time for me to put my life on hold for a week or two. Time to wade through the annual sea of paperwork, just so the IRS can tell me to write them a check. ANOTHER check, really.

Kept all the receipts, everything filed by category. Plugging the information into TurboTax is the easy part. The killer is figuring out exactly which child a particular camp fee was for. If for the eldest, was it before or after his 13th birthday? Wait! What about the actual birthday week? Do I split that in half?

HSA distributions, deposits, insurance premiums... check, check and recheck. Ooh! Go back. Check again. Did the amount spent on dentists, orthodonists, annual checkups and prescriptions total up to 7.5% of AGI? Darn, we're 0.2% shy of the amount needed to deduct medical expenses. Except... where's the Rx receipts for June/July allergy and asthma meds? Who filed these in the Veterinary Bills folder?

This week, I have projects in the works for clients, books to read to 1st & 3rd graders at school, and two or three days with perfect riding weather. All of these things take a back seat to my preparations for that 1040 (and schedules). I know, an accountant could help. Might be worth it. Might not. An accountant would take care of the information which is input to TurboTax. Like I said earlier, that's the easy part. He/she would not be able to take care of the most time consuming, frustrating part of the process. The 12 months of record keeping, the gathering of the stacks of folders, the sorting.

There's too much time spent by too many people on this *$#!%@~! Something about the US tax system has to change. I'm not sure the "Fair Tax" is the answer. A flat tax seems the simpler option.

The president elected in November won't be able to do a thing to change the current mess. He/she may set the tone, but the actual laws are not made by the executive branch. That's the job of the House & Senate. The people we put into those seats make the real differences in our daily lives, and in the plans we make for our future. Question is, will enough people write/call/email their offices, or the campaigns of those running for office, to put real tax reform on the front burner. I plan to, as soon as I find that missing receipt.

Almost ready for my first 5k

The Atlanta Women's 5k is this Saturday, and I think I'm ready. Ran three times this week, 30-40 minutes each time. If I run at all tomorrow (Fri), will be a short run, without the hills. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous, so I'd like to get in a 10-15 mile ride, and take a rest from the running.

I'm going to be seriously cranky Saturday morning. I don't like getting up at 6:00 a.m. during the week, but I do it. I prefer sleeping in until 7:00 (or 8:00) weekends. This Saturday, I'll be up and on the road by 5:50. Yuck.

I suppose it's possible I'll run faster than usual, just to get back to my car for coffee... and back home for a nap.

Color Coordination

How silly is this? I am upgrading to an iPod Nano from the behemoth I've carried for four or so years, and my biggest consideration was not price. It was not size. It was color. Very soon, a lovely iPod like the one you see on right will be the finishing touch on my running & cycling gear. (The color in the photo is actually slightly more intense than the real thing.)

Why was the green important? Because it goes beautifully with my road bike. The minty green paint which accents my Bloo, along with the tape & saddle.

I feel like such a dork.

Anyway, the bright display will be delightful; no more squinting with the b/w contrast at full on my 2g. Lightweight, so I won't have to worry about the waistband on my running skirts slipping. Yea!

I did it!

I finally finished replacing the strings on my guitar! I only have about 30 mins to play when I pick up guitar before either being swarmed by little people, or having my 'to do' list chase me back to work. As a result, it has taken me a week's worth of play time to get the strings swapped out. I still have long bits of the strings sticking out from both ends, though it's not easy to see here with the scratches on the bench.*

Last night, I was able to start tuning. I say start tuning, because strings 6-3 were tuned when I put them on last week; they have since dropped in pitch BIG time. E-1 and B-2 are both tuned up - for now. Today, I'll work on the others. From what I've read online, I'll be tuning a lot more than usual for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes it'll even be in the middle of songs.

Once everything settles down with the strings, I can drop E-6 back down to D, and get back on In Sorrow's Wake. (No, I don't play it anything like that... and I probably never will. But I'm having a blast learning about harmonics.)

*Oh dear. I hadn't noticed how scratched up the piano bench is. Not bugged by it, as it's to be expected from 80+ years of rear ends sliding across it. Might be time for me to try out my novice sewing skills to make a cover for this.

A Tale of Two Skirts

The sun is shining, the temperature is in the high 60s, and my mind has turned to thoughts of... skirts. I'm shopping for something pretty and practical; but mostly pretty. My personal shop at MyShape (I'm an 'M') has been updated with many new options for spring/summer skirts. I narrowed it down to two, and here's the pros/cons:


Lilly Pulitzer's Private Party Pleated Skirt, in Navy.
Pros:
Cotton/silk blend, fully lined (no slip needed!),
and a delightful blue/white pattern
Cons:
Dry clean only (I can live with that), $248

I could do several combos, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost on a price per wear basis.


Charlotte Tarantolas Sloan Print Skirt.
Pros:
Fully Lined (yea!), slant pockets (double yea!). It's white with faded black, gray, pale yellow and a touch of rose. It's good for casual, paired with tees & tanks I already own; could be dressed up a bit with heels and a camisole/cardigan.
Cons:
At $72, it's still a bit on the pricier side for me. Will not likely have the staying power past a summer or two that the navy/white skirt would. I'll need to figure out how flexible the color combos will be, in order to figure out the PPW.

On a wardrobe staple note, there's this Tadashi silk chiffon skirt for sale ($99). This is separate from the spring skirts, but it fits in well with this shopping expedition.

I know I said $72 was pricey, but this is the type of skirt which I can wear for decades. My grandmother had a similar one which she was able to wear for 30+ years. It was her ultimate 'go-to' semi-formal base - paired with silk blouses, sleeveless satin or cashmere or angora twin sets, depending on the fashion of the time.

February Wrap Up

81 miles. Not the 100 hundred I'd hoped for, but better than 50 miles for January. The last week or so has been a bit hectic, both schedule and weather. Big storms and wild temperature swings, combined with finalizing a city map and school projects, meant shorter rides and runs. I still made it out most days. More than one planned 10-12 mile ride was shortened to a 2.5 mile trip to Trader Joes; a couple of five mile runs were cut to 30 minutes, so I'd have time to read to one of the classes, make a dentist appointment, or to pick up supplies at the fabric store.

Fabric store? Yes. One of the many school projects going this week was putting together a roman and/or greek costume for my 8-year-old's class musical "Dig It!". (Archaeology, with a catchy beat, and a bunch of 3rd graders in costume.) NO, I did not use a sheet to make his toga. I know it's the 'normal' way to do it; we're not normal though. So, four yards of 'really red' broadcloth, a few safety pins, and one silver buckle later:


Anyway, also have a history project in the works for one child, and baked goods for two.

I realized while running this morning, if this had not been February, I'd have made my goal. A run today, and a 90 minute ride tomorrow would have put me well over the 100-mile mark. Oh well. The 20-25 miles I rack up this gorgeous weekend will put me well on my way to hitting the mark for March.

Third time's the charm, right?

I'm a wimp!

I cut my ride a little short on Saturday. It was gray and chilly. 46 degrees and windy. The first 10 miles on the Silver Comet were straight into the wind. I turned around at that point. With the wind at my back, the trip back to the car went a bit faster. Still cold though.

My face didn't thaw until after my fish-n-chips & beer refuel. A hot shower was necessary to get my toes past the numb phase.

I'm really looking forward to spring.

Dottie's Chicken Soup

A few weeks ago, Dottie's class spent some time creating their own soup recipes. She's been very eager to try it out. We've been waiting for the right day to make it. A rainy, icky, don't-want-to-do-anything sort of a day.
Today was that day. It's stormy. She has a cold. We're all feeling a bit tired & cranky.


A few modifications were made to the original. We used chicken stock with minced garlic, onions & parsley (freezer), and a box of pasta stars, instead of noodles. We also added a 1/4 cup of frozen corn, just to make it look happy. I love my little Dottie B.

According to big brother, this soup falls on the "every other week" list for foods he likes to eat. For him, that's fairly high praise.

Government 'Gifts'

Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson called the stimulus package a "gift for the middle class." What kind of a gift is it, though?

If you haven't tried it yet, PBS has a calculator to figure out the amount of your 'gift'.

According to what I've read at CNN and several of the personal finance sites, the 'gift' is based on the 2007 tax year, and your tax return must be filed to be eligible. (Not to mention the other income eligibility requirements.) So, would that mean the money received is an additional refund of taxes paid in 2007? I wouldn't exactly call that a gift. That's more like a mail-in rebate.

This "gift" isn't a rebate though. It's based on 2007, but is actually a pre-bate of money we'll be paying in taxes during 2008. Except, we have to report it in our 2008 tax return, and pay taxes on it. I'm actually a bit fuzzy about whether it's counted as taxable income, or if it will be deducted from any refund amounts / added to taxes due next year. Again, not much of a gift.

The AGI caps for the stimulus checks are $75k for an individual, $150k for a couple, filing jointly. If this is truly a gift, shouldn't it be something for every single person on the tax rolls?

From what I understand, millions of retired and lower income individuals will also be receiving checks as part of the stimulus package, even though they have little or no tax liability at all. I've heard this called relief from payroll taxes. I'm pretty sure that was the reason for the Earned Income Tax Credit, wasn't it?

For the person who has no tax liability to offset, and who will not be required to pay taxes next year, the stimulus package may be called a 'gift'. Or, maybe not. Considering this is an election year, and the politicians adjusted the stimulus package until it included the maximum number of voters, I think the proper term is bribe.

Mileage Update - Mid February

Went for a spin on Bloo (road bike) today. Not long, about 15 miles. It felt great to be zipping along, fast enough to hear the woosh of the wind past my ears. Most rides over the last couple of months have been the 2.5 mile roundtrip Trader Joe's runs, or slow rides on the Silver Comet with child(ren) in tow. That's all done on the hybrid. Comfy, slow, and practical.

Today reminded me that riding is FUN!

Anyway, with the slightly longer rides last week and this, I'm right around 50 miles for the mid point of February. (The actual number is 48-point-something.) If I can stay healthy for the next couple of weeks, the 100 mile cycle/run goal is looking good.

I need to start keeping my camera on me during rides. Today I missed a great shot of geese stopping traffic. They don't move out of the way of the cyclists any faster than they do for cars. They aren't slower about it either. The geese just squawk at the oncoming bikes like a bunch of grumpy old folks.

Cutting off your nose...

...to spite your face.* That is one phrase which has never made sense to me. I'm sure I wasn't the only kid to hear it and think it was the dumbest things I'd ever heard. I mean, really. Who would do something that stupid?

The answer? Us.

Michael Shermer, at the LA Times, has written about envy, evolution and economics.

Would you rather be A or B?

A is waiting in line at a movie theater. When he gets to the ticket window, he is told that as he is the 100,000th customer of the theater, he has just won $100.

B is waiting in line at a different theater. The man in front of him wins $1,000 for being the 1-millionth customer of the theater. Mr. B wins $150.

I would like to be Mr. B, with $150. I could do some sensible or fun stuff with $150. The next part of his story surprised me though:

Amazingly, most people said that they would prefer to be A. In other words, they would rather forgo $50 in order to alleviate the feeling of regret that comes with not winning the thousand bucks. Essentially, they were willing to pay $50 for regret therapy.

Regret falls under a psychological effect known as loss aversion. Research shows that before we risk an investment, we need to feel assured that the potential gain is twice what the possible loss might be because a loss feels twice as bad as a gain feels good. That's weird and irrational, but it's the way it is.

It's not a human thing, it's a primate thing. It's something they've found in the behavior of monkeys, too. Capuchin monkeys would rather take less fruit, if taking more means another monkey receives more as well.

All the class warfare rhetoric we hear on the news about the evil rich... the calls for salary caps, for progressive (punitive) income taxes, for wealth redistribution... it's genetic?

The story is worth reading. There's a little experiment I may modify by replacing money with hershey's kisses and try out on my children:

Consider one more experimental example to prove the point: the ultimatum game. You are given $100 to split between yourself and your game partner. Whatever division of the money you propose, if your partner accepts it, you each get to keep your share. If, however, your partner rejects it, neither of you gets any money.

How much should you offer? Why not suggest a $90-$10 split? If your game partner is a rational, self-interested money-maximizer -- the very embodiment of Homo economicus -- he isn't going to turn down a free 10 bucks, is he? He is. Research shows that proposals that offer much less than a $70-$30 split are usually rejected.

The idea of turning down 2 good things because someone else will get 3 good things is completely irrational to me. Let's see if that was passed down to my munchkins.

*Since I was crying over spilt milk yesterday, I decided to stick with idiomatic phrases today.

Crying Over Spilt Milk?

Managed to get a little over 30 solid minutes of run time yesterday. For the first time since being sick, I did not feel there was an elephant sitting on my chest every time I breathed in.

Tackled the breakfast/lunch making mess in the kitchen when I got back home. I know, I should have changed first. But, I wasn't quite ready to hop in the shower, and it was only supposed to take 10-15 minutes...

...I knocked a half-empty cup of milk over. Directly onto the top of my right foot. That icky sensation when you misjudge the depth of a puddle, and water seeps into your shoe? It was like that, only it was MILK! Yuck.

Peeled off my shoe, and pulled out the insole. Started running cold water through the top, until the water went from cloudy white to clear. I replaced the newspaper stuffing this morning. I think it's almost dry.

No running today. I'll stick my trail shoes in the truck, and go for a walk after I finish being the Mystery Reader in my son's class. Right now, I'm off to search online for a second pair of my shoes. Really hope I can find them. Having an in-store expert help me choose the right shoe was worth it, but I think I can find a backup pair for less than $108.

Morning De-Stress

Yesterday was an amazingly busy day. I knew this going into it. So, I dressed in running gear right out of bed, and was able to head to the gym directly from school dropoff.

In just over an hour, I made it to the Y, ran a lazy 2.5 miles, and drove back home. Quick shower, and I was opening up the map I'm working on by 9:00.

It went so well, I'm going to try it again today. (Fingers crossed.)

Family Ride

Took to the Silver Comet today, with kids in tow. Literally, since I clipped a Trail-A-Bike onto the back of the hybrid. Fairly easy, 12 mile ride. Was beautiful. Sunny and about 60 degrees. Very breezy, but still comfy.

I completely forgot to take my phone/camera with us, so no photos, but lots of great little moments stored away in my head.

Before heading out, my daughter pointed out that the one wheel trail-a-bike was a unicycle, and that she wished she had a clown nose, so riding would be like the circus. She kept chattering behind me during the ride about how she was riding a unicycle. Didn't think much about it... until a serious cyclist slowed down to smile back at her and say "great balance!"

This is how I learned my daughter had spent the much of the 12 miles with her arms in the airplane position. I love that goofy little clown.

I also learned a 13-year-old goes from being a whiny slowpoke to speed racer when his younger sibling points out that he's slower than the whole family, even [gasp] Mom.

Finally, pulling a 6-year-old on a bike during her balancing act is a very good workout for one's core. I feel like I spent the afternoon doing crunches.

10k Delay

I was okay on Monday's slow run for 40 minutes, but it was the only day this week I made it past 30 minutes without major coughing. The bronchitis left me a bit weaker than I thought.

Am going to stick with the 30 minute workouts for another week or so, and start building up again. I may try a 15 mile lazy ride this weekend, since I can maintain a relaxed pace without pushing my heart rate too fast.

Since the Monday morning women's run clinic is half stretching and warm up / cool down, with only about half an hour of running, I should be able to pick back up this coming Monday. That'll help me get back on track, I hope.

40 Minutes!

I made it a whole 40 minutes today without feeling like my lungs were collapsing! Yea!

I was slow. Very slow. According to Runners World's route finder, it was just about 3.5 miles.

But I made it. I even feel well enough that I will try another 30 minutes tomorrow.

I may just be able to run in Saturday's 10k after all.

On cycling:
I seriously need to replace my seat. The one that came on the via narone is beautiful, but it is hard on the bum. I tried a super short ride, to test the padding in my sugoi cycling skort. It's been super cozy during 40 mile rides on the commuter bike, but fails to protect me from the minty green torture device that is my bianchi seat.

Lemon Meringue Cup-Pie

Tia(?) at Living Deliberately has been on a creative streak with cupcakes lately. The cupcakes, especially the lemon-raspberry, started a serious craving for me. Problem is, not everyone in my family is big on the cake part of the cupcake. What to do?

Try Google!

Lemon Meringue Tarts. Recipe was from The Canadian Baker. Instructions for making mini pie crusts using an upside down muffin tin were dug up with another google search. I enlisted the help from the other cake lover by telling her we'd be making cup-pies, just like Chuck on Pushing Daisies. Handed over the official 'hands on' smock, tied on an apron, and got to work.

The mini pie crusts were easier than I thought they'd be. Directions called for turning a 2nd tin over the first to make for easy flipping and less burning, but I only have one 12-muffin tin. So, DD and I fashioned little aluminum foil cups to reduce the chance of burning. When we pulled them out of the oven, we topped the tin with a cookie sheet & flipped. Worked like a charm.

While cooling, we mixed up the lemon filling. DD spooned it into the mini crusts with a tablespoon, and watched the magic of making meringue while the filling cooled. The small casserole dish was used for the extra pie crust & filling. There wasn't enough for a whole pie, so we rolled out the dough and went through the cabinets to find a pan to match.

Quick 15 minute bake, and... behold!

Oh. Wait. DD couldn't wait long enough for me to grab the camera, so our finished product photo is lacking it's meringue. (According to DD, the meringue is just like toasted marshmallows, which are only her favorite thing in the whole world.)

That's okay. The cup-pies were a success.

I now have requests for a chocolate silk version, so I guess it's back to Google to plan an upcoming weekend project.

If at first you don't succeed

My goal for January was 100 miles, running and cycling combined.

I didn't make it. A full week out with the flu, followed by a week of sick children and a case of bronchitis, ACK!

I'm setting the same challenge for the month of February. 100 miles, combined. Since I managed just under 50 miles the half of January when I was able to get out, it's not an unrealistic goal for February.

Besides, this year, I have Leap Day on my side.

Next week is the Chattahoochee Challenge 10k. Barring my mild case of bronchitis turning into pneumonia, I'll be there. (Uh-oh. I just tempted fate, didn't I?)

Growing like a weed

Remember those Stretch Armstrong dolls - sorry, action figures? I'm pretty sure that's what's happening to my 13-year-old son. I swear, he's growing faster than his hair. Really!

I purchased a couple pairs of boys size 16 school pants and jeans for him about two months ago. It was the day he had his last haircut. I made him try them on, so as to be sure they would fit for more than a week.

Flash forward to this morning. I caught a glimpse of ankle. Even if the pants have shrunk slightly, he still has stretched by at least another inch! He must be pushing 5'10". He was shorter than me this time last year!

So, this week's mission is to stock up on pants & jeans... in mens sizes. Hopefully, I can find everything I need at the thrift store. If not, I'll be looking for some serious bargains online.

Life's Little Lessons

You never know when you'll come across a teaching opportunity with your kids. Sometimes, it's when a stranger is yelling obscenities at you in the grocery store parking lot.

I went to the grocery store during peak traffic the other day. There was a decent open space, but it was on the other side of the 2-way aisle. I knew that rush hour shopping was not the time for a 3-point turn to make the space. I drove around so I could come at it from the right side. (Keeping my fingers crossed that it'd be there when I got back around, of course.)

As I'm turning the wheel to pull into the space, a lady coming from the opposite direction punches the gas. At this point, my front right tire is crossing the edge of the white line, yet she turns on her blinker to claim the space. Huh?! I finish pulling into the space.

She waits behind my car for me to step out, with her window rolled down. I got out, to be immediately hailed with a "You took my space. I had on my blinker. Are you blind?"

Wow. My reply "It's on my side. I pulled around to take this spot without tying up the aisle. You came in after me."

Her reply, a little louder this time, "It's 2-way. You have no right to that space."

"You know, I didn't do anything wrong by taking this space."

"You stole my space." A little louder this time.

"No, I didn't. Look, it's obviously way more important to you than me, though,and I'm feeling pretty good today. Tell you what, I'll move, you can have the space." (Wow. I wish I could make that more eloquent, but that's what I said.)

As I turn to climb back in my car and move, she screams out "you're an asshole!"
To make things even stranger, she drove off when I put my truck in reverse. Somebody else took the space, and I moved to the space that had opened 3-4 spaces further down the aisle.

Yes, that's right. At this point, spaces had opened on both sides.

All in all, a strange incident. I can only assume this nicely dressed woman (late 40's-early 50's) in her shiny sedan was having a bad day, and felt the situation called for an avenging angel, ala Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes. That I wasn't an obnoxious teenager trying to be rude didn't fit her scenario, so was skipped over in her fury.

Where's the teaching opportunity? I'm getting to that.

"Mom? Why'd that lady call you that?"

"I'm guessing she's having a bad day, Ben. She thought she ought to get that parking space, so I was going to give it to her."

"But, if you gave her the space, why'd she yell at you?"

"Because the space wasn't what she wanted anymore, honey. She just wanted somebody to yell at."

We headed into the store. In the produce section, near the apples, "Hey mom! There's that lady that called you an asshole!"

"Ben, I told you not to repeat that word." I said as I turned around, to face the extremely embarrassed woman walk off in a huff. She had no idea there had been an audience, apparently.

"I love you, Ben."

We had a short talk during the rest of our shopping about why lashing out in a temper is not a good idea. It does come back to you in some way, just like that cranky woman, who was avoiding aisles when she saw us.

It was also a chance to talk about letting things go, instead of getting angry. The person who lashes out changes their whole day by doing so. By shrugging my shoulders and going on with my day, we were focusing on brownie mix-ins, instead of angry words.

More MyShape

Rebecca emailed me after yesterday's review of the skirt and the MyShape shopping experience. She wanted to know about my answers to the profile questions about fit. She also mentioned the relatively small number of recommendations for her.

I think the recommendations will increase in both number and variety as she adds more information to her profile. I tinkered with the fit preferences several times, first to add information, then to change it after seeing the first round of suggestions.

My personal shop was originally front loaded with loose, flowing bubble tops and other items which would hang right off my broad shoulders. As so many other moms, the last thing I want is to be given the "is she or isn't she" look. I went back into the preferences. I found that a "close fitting" on shoulders and bust moved clothing with empire waists and wraps ahead of the bubbles. Waist-comfortable. Hips-loose. And pants were listed at below the waist (.5-1.5 in)

If you're wondering about the types of suggestions, there's individual items, complete with size recommendations. There is also a section for Play/Work/Going Out outfits. Here are a few of my 'M Shape' recommended outfits:I can see myself in any of these outfits. I like the way they're presented. It's easy to look at these and think about combinations I could make with items I already have in my closet. For example, I have a pair of slightly faded black pinstripe pants which I could use in either of those first two outfits. White tee and black cami are both in my drawer, so the sweater and jacket is all I'd need to finish these off. And... I have a creamy heavier knit shrug which I could use for a cold weather version of the first outfit.

I could easily use my 3/4 sleeve scoop-neck black tee with either those cargos or skirt. I really like the shape & pattern of the skirt ($60), and it's going on my wish list, if I can figure out which skirt(s) would have to go before I brought this in. I like the cargos, and do need to replace my old size 10 favorites, but would probably choose a different material than the silk MyShape carries.


About prints:
I'm not as big on the prints. Of the two above, I'd only wear one. That first photo is of the lovely ABS Hippie Shirt. I would not wear this. Ever. Wait. I have to modify that slightly. If someone I loved dearly bought this shirt and gave it to me, I'd wear it only on occasions when I'd be seeing this person. Then, I'd take away the checkbook, for having the lack of common sense to spend $242 on a piece of "hippie" clothing. It would actually make a beautiful skirt, but I'm not putting that on my top.

I find the second print strangely appealing. It's not just the cut, which I love. It's the fabric pattern, too. The Sweet Pea floral shirt is a happy shirt. At $72, I'm not racing to purchase it, but I'll keep an eye out during the next round of sales.



Now for the dressies, as my daughter used to say. The first dress is by Elana KaHan. It's really lovely. I can see myself in this twirly skirt on an evening out for dinner and the symphony. It's spun nylon, and a beautiful deep green. I can't remember the exact price, but think it's in the $120-150 range. Not bad, if it were to be the official dressy for a few years.

The second dress has a wonderful vintage feel. The cut of the sleeves and the smocked shoulders are both well-suited to me. It's soft jersey (cozy!) and $118. This is probably the better price per wear dress, as it could be dressed up with jewelry and heels, or go to the office with a sweater and flats.

The final item in the photo calls to my inner princess. That should warn me off right there, since I was actually a tomboy as a kid. Kay Ungers Ottoman Coat. It. Is. Beautiful. It wants to be mine. If I had the $462 to spend on a single item, I probably still wouldn't. But I'd want to.

Anyway, MyShape is running a 25% off sale for everyone with a personal shop for the last 3 days of January. If you browse through the sale items, there are quite a few bargains. I'm picking up the washable suede snap front jacket ($49, less 25%) from the first photo, so hands off.

Lemons... Lemonade

It's a good news, bad news kind of a day. Bad news - two of my children are home with the upper respiratory ick I had last week. Good news - it's a milder case than I had. More good news - one of the children home is of the teenage variety.

As long as they are both comfortably resting and have the phone handy, I will be able go for a short run before picking my healthy daughter up from school this afternoon. (Yea!)

Less than two weeks to the Chattahoochee Challenge 10k.... gotta run.

MyShape Test - The Skirt

I'm almost back to human after the flu, so I figured I'd dress like a real person today. Pulled the denim skirt I picked out from my personal shop at MyShape. It was the perfect choice for today, since I'm still in the mood for cozy t-shirts and warm tights.

Of the MyShape body types, I am an M. I was skeptical - was sure I should have been type Y. When I first pulled this skirt from the box late last week; it just looked like the waist would be too small for me. Maybe I just have a slightly more distorted body image than I thought.

When I tried it on, it fit. It sits slightly higher on the waist than I normally wear, but that's okay. Running is slowly changing my shape, and as the next few months shave a bit more of the stored fat off my middle, the skirt will drop slightly to just below my belly button. I don't have to worry about it falling off, as it's not any danger of ending up larger than my hips.

I really like this skirt. The 'V' stitching across the back (pictured) does something near miraculous. It creates the illusion of a curvy rear. If you click on the image, you can get a close up of the stitching detail. The front has the same detail, but the fly breaks up the 'V', so I don't have the appearance of a curvy tummy.

So far, I'm going on record as a fan of MyShape. I'll post photos of the other items I purchased as I work them into my wardrobe this week. Assuming, of course, the rest of my family doesn't come down with the bug I had last week. If that happens, I'll be in jeans and robotussin spotted t-shirts for a while longer.

Clearing Camera

I sync'd up my phone last night, and this picture popped up in iPhoto.

It's supposed to hit 60 degrees for the next couple of days, but this is what last Sunday looked like.

Lunch for Aliens

New Parenting Rule - Do Not Call Children to The Kitchen for Lunch When This Is The First Thing They'll See
The fear and panic was evident in their voices. "What IS that?!" they asked, completely overlooking the peanut butter & honey sandwiches on whole wheat with fruit sitting on plates next to the stove. I was tempted to start spooning it into bowls. But it wasn't finished, and I can't say I'd have been likely to try it myself at this stage.

It's a Cilantro Shake, loosely based on the recipe over at We Like It Raw. I don't have all the ingredients, so had to improvise. I thought it was pretty good, but I was the only one of that opinion. Since the veggies and fruit were pureed, rather than juiced, I wasn't left hungry a half hour after finishing. I'm not a big fan of grapefruit in any quantity or form, but this was tolerable. (Plus, I get bonus points on the Try Something New Rule I use with the kids.)
Here's the list:

Cilantro
Lemon, peeled & sectioned
Grapefruit, peeled & sectioned
Cucumber, peeled & seeded
Pineapple Chunks (fresh)
Tablespoon of honey
Sprinkling of Cinnamon (generous)
1/2 cup strong green tea (cold)
2 Tablespoons Ground Flax Powder
2-3 Handfuls of Spinach

Place in blender and mix until as smooth enough to drink through a straw.

When I fix this particular variation again, I will probably pick up some of the Superfood green powder and either the Agave Nectar or Stevia called for in the WLIR version. That's a future Whole Foods splurge. For now, I think I'll stick with my juiced Apple, Ginger, Carrot, Parsley, Celery, Cucumber combo.

I will be making the WLIR Mango & Avacado Salad again though, and often. It was wonderful. The Yerba Mate Latte was pretty good, too. My favorite part about it was the cashew milk. It was very tempting to drink that on its own while I was stirring in the honey & cinnamon.


Big hat tip to Gala Darling for her links to WLIR last week!

The More Things Change

During my daily reading, I came across this quote at The Agitator:

“I am suspicious of this railroading of bills through our House of Representatives, and I refuse to vote for a measure unseen and unknown. … I want the RECORD to show that I was, and am, against this bill and this method of procedure; and I believe no good will come out of it for America. We must not abdicate our power to exercise judgment. We must not allow ourselves to be swept off our feet by hysteria, and we must not let the power of the Executive paralyze our legislative action. If we do, it would be better for us to resign and go home-and save the people the salary they are paying us.

“I look forward to that day when we shall read the bill we are considering, and see the author of the bill stand before the House and explain it, and then, after calm deliberation and sober judgment- after full and free debate-I hope to see sane and sensible legislation passed which will lift America out of this panic and disaster into which we were plunged.”

He followed the quote with an admonition to click through, for the who & when.

I figured it was Ron Paul. Probably about the Patriot Act. Or the Patriot Act II. Or the war funding. Or Medicare Rx coverage. Or maybe the current economic stimulus package that's on Rush Order. I couldn't think of many lawmakers, or any really, who talk like this these days. So I clicked the link...

...and ended up reading the answer at Downsize DC. I'm a big fan of this group, though they tend to get overshadowed by Reason, Cato, and Mises when I'm looking for answers. Downsize DC is a grassroots group working to get a law passed to make mandatory a certain amount of time before a vote on new or changed bills, in order to ensure everyone has had time to read through the entire text.

While reading through the papers we sign is a habit for most of us Regular Joes and Janes, we apparently have a Congress full of people who don't even bother to skim the content of the bills which have so much power over the lives of millions. Even worse, this has been the status quo for quite some time. That speech I quoted earlier? It was made by Rep. Ernest Lundeen from Minnesota in March, 1933 upon passage of the Emergency Banking Relief Act.

Different Congress, same legislative B.S.

MyShape Test - Pt. 2

My order from MyShape.com arrived today! All four items were included, so I guess that 2-3 week delay on the pants... wasn't. I opened the box to find a lovely drawstring bag containing my items, and a personalized thank you note (see white envelope), and details on the return policy (free shipping). They request that you give them details on returns, so they can adjust fit and color preferences for future orders.

I'm still feeling pretty icky, so playing dress up in my wardrobe is not in the cards for today. I will try everything on, and will get a couple of photos when I can stand being out of my fuzzy slippers.

Before trying anything on, I'd say there's one item which may not work for me. The skirt, which is a really cool A-line cut is probably going to be too small for my waist... at least for the part of my waist where I like to hang my skirts. It would probably fit perfectly if I wear it exactly half way between my hips and ribs.

Both shirts will probably be great, and the pants appear to be correct, as well. I hope the pants work, because I L-O-V-E the color. Bittersweet is the name, and it is the super dark brown of a french roast coffee bean.

UPDATE: Everything fits. Not just fits, but fits properly. Even the skirt... heck... especially the skirt. The white blouse fits across my broad shoulders without being too loose around my waist. The pants, fantastic!

The red stretchy shirt I bought is more vivid than I anticipated, but since I'll likely be wearing with dark blue jeans and a neutral cardigan or jacket, not a problem. My mom has always said I ought to wear more color, and I'm finding that she's right about more and more of this stuff as I get older. Just don't tell her I said that.

Flu

Saturday was fantastic. Had a big weekend of snow play, movies and housework planned. The three day weekend made all things seem possible. Then, the Sunday morning headache turned into a fever, chills, sore throat. M took over most kid matters. Somehow, it was still necessary for me to rise from the grave - sorry, bed - to fix dinner. I must have been close to delirious, because I didn't think to question that until today.

Anyway, after three days of soup, hot tea and popsicles, I'm semi-human. Still have a whole lot of congestion and sinus pressure, but it's managable... mostly. So far, it looks like rigorous use of lysol and an OCD amount of handwashing may have prevented the spread through family. (I hope, I hope!)

Which leaves me with a cup of hot lemon/honey water, bundled in my fuzzy sweater, pondering the same thing I wondered when sick as a child. Is it possible to sneeze out your brain?

I miss running. Not as much as I miss breathing through my nose, but close.

It's SNOWING!

Somewhere around 10:30-11:00 this morning, the eagerly awaited snow began to fall. I was up and ready to run at my normal time, but purposefully put it off until the snow started. I mean, seriously, how often does a girl in Atlanta get a chance to run through big fluffy snowflakes?

Plus, now I can claim that nothing will stop my training program.
Not rain, nor sleet....

When I left, the flakes had just begun to stick to the wet muddy mess from the first half hour or so of sleet. You can barely see it in the photo.

25 minutes, 2.5 miles later, everything was beginning to look quite wintry... including me. The photo is not so great, as my camera lens on the phone was suffering from perma-fog.

Running in the snow was great. I scrunched up my nose to see snowflakes up close, and stuck my tongue out to catch a few. Was probably the most actual fun I've had on a run. Was more like playtime.

Anyway, went for an easy, but steady, pace and tried to maintain it on the hills. My only regret is that I didn't have another 30 mins to keep going. Now, I'm off to make lunch, stuff my sneakers with newspaper, and begin the mitten hunt for the small people. I hear we're building a snowman after lunch. I'm hoping they won't be too disappointed when the snow only yields a snow-keebler elf.

Mainstream Media Commercial

From Funny or Die. Love it! Laughter was lessened slightly by realization at how very close this spoof is to reality.

Testing MyShape

A few weeks ago, Rebecca posted about body shapes, and a website called MyShape. You go through a rather thorough process of measuring arms, natural waist, low waist, shoulders, thighs, the distance from the center of your knee to the ground.... you get the idea. Using these measurements, a personal shop is built for you based on your body type.

I was expecting to be a Y, since I have broad shoulders, slim hips, little waist definition and a rather flat rear view. According to their system though, I'm an M.

With the post holiday sale prices, and the $25 discount for the first purchase through your personal store, I shopped MyShape today. The size recommendations are handy. No looking at a different size chart for each different label. It was interesting to see. Size 6 in one skirt, size 2 in another. Love that vanity sizing, eh?

I ordered a white blouse, a pair of pants, a denim skirt and a long sleeve shirred tee. Total price after discount, $73. There's a 2 week shipping estimate on the pants, but the skirt and tops should be along sooner.

Logging In

Ugh. Busy, busy couple of weeks. Kids are back in school, I'm almost caught up on map projects, and the house is half-way cleared of legos & barbies. Not a lot of time to post, but I have been keeping up with my running. I'm not cycling much right now. Will be back on the bike when temps are above 50 degrees. I admit it, I'm a wimp.

Here's my workout summary for January so far:

12/31-1/6 - 11.5 miles
Easy Run (2x) - 7.5 miles
Walk w/kids (2x) - 4 miles

1/7-1/13 - 19.5 miles
Beginners Running Clinic (Mon)
Easy Run - 5.5 mi, 59:06
Hill/Trail - 5(ish), 66:07
Long Run - 7 mi, 1:18

And, my updated January chart:

2008 Resolution - Keep Moving!

2007 was an odd year for me. I'd already lost the weight in 2006. In 2006, I also faced my anxiety over swimming by taking lessons and losing the panic over having my face under water. I also started guitar lessons back in November of 2006. I didn't really have any definite goals for this last year. I wanted to exercise and be fit, not just "not fat". I wanted to work on healthier eating habits, too.

Here's what happened:
Started cycling.
Took our summer vacation in the mountains, tent camping. Proved kids can survive full week without cartoons & xbox.
Ate more veggies, less meat.
Ate breakfast more than half the week.
Cut my caffeine intake from two pots of coffee per day to one cup of coffee or a cup or two of tea.
Switched from generic guitar lessons to classical.

Sometime this fall I started running, too. Not sure how that happened. Maybe it was as part of a plan to jog next to my 6-year-old while she's trying to get rid of the training wheels. (She's not quite tall enough for her new bike, so training wheels are still on. Oh well.)

And the healthier food has caught on with the family. The kids might not be ready to dig into sweet potato curry with spinach yet, but they've been very good about trying new things alongside the normal main dish. They like the cauliflower, tolerate butter beans, hate black-eyed peas, and love when we pick up a sampling of three or four different types of apples to slice up for a taste testing as a snack or side. Or when we get one type of apple from three different countries and compare (fuji is great for this).

The healthier eating meant more homemade food. This lead to a drop in the money spent on eating out. The change in diet also made a difference in the number of people taking allergy meds. And in the number of colds, all good for the budget.

All good things. I'm happy with what's been accomplished. There's not that much I want to CHANGE this year. So, 2008 is going to have to be about momentum. Need to keep going on this path, and to see if I can pull everyone else in this house along for the ride. Not in a kicking-and-screaming way. More like the way the trail-a-bike allows the kids to pedal along while attached to my bike.

So, for 2008:
Health/Fitness Goals - I'm going to start training now for the Thanksgiving Half-Marathon. Signed up for a Monday morning running clinic with the Atlanta Track Club that starts January 7. The group is training to run the Atlanta Women's 5k on March 22. On my own, I'll be prepping for the Chattahoochee Challenge 10k. That's February 9, so the next four weeks are the first big push for this year. (Reminder - SIGN UP this week!) I'll pick another few races for between now and fall, but one of them will not be the Peachtree on July 4. I prefer the bike when temps are over 90, thank you very much.
I'm also going to ride a half or metric century later this year. I remember seeing a few listed in my area last year, but will have to do my research for 2008. 30-40 mile rides were the norm for my summer Saturdays, so I should be able to take it (gradually) up to the 50-60 mile mark.

House/Home Goals - Stick with "try something new" with the kids. I'll keep working in new fruit/veggie combos, and see if I can work in a meatless day or two for everyone each week. Simplifying is another area on which we all need to work. It's easier with the boys than with my daughter, but the one toy in, one (or more) toy out policy needs to be enforced. I'm applying the same rule to myself, as I'm replacing more of my now oversized wardrobe pieces.

In addition to the items above, I'm going to work on planning. Mini-goals, checkpoints, calendars. This one will have to begin once the kids are back in school. Between, school, music/sports lessons (theirs & mine), travel, work, and life, there's too many variables before we settle into the new schedule.

Ticker Tracker

I love the internet! You can find anything... sometimes even something useful. And free. Did I mention free?



It's my January goal for run/cycle miles. Didn't want to set it too high, since I have the kids home for another week, and 10-20 mile cycling days might have to be replaced with two mile runs on the treadmill or indoor track.

More on goals later - right now I need to break up a fight over chairs. The game, not the furniture.