blog it unblog it

Blog it unblog it
There's a snazzy kids video series out there from yesteryear called "Threads." I remember a particular video the kids and I watched numerous times with some very memorable tunes. We still sing the 2 major ones we remember. The one is about "unpigging the pond" (literally, taking all the pigs out of the pond, which requires music...of course). So, the lyrics in the tune mention a lot of opposite verbage like "pig it, unpig it" "clog it, unclog it" and so on. Naturally, in the spirit of beating dead horses in which I was raised and still live, I am always bringing up such notions and my gracious wife tolerates and ever appreciates such madness. And hence, my title today! Blog it, unblog it. But wait. There's more. If you act now, I will tell you about the other song. It's about the elephants who have the birthday cake that the posse lost in the mine shaft coaster thing. And, the memorable line is "this band's so hot I'm soakin." In other words, the band makes you want to dance and you just keep on dancing and dancing and dancing and then you're soakin (or something like that). So, here I go. When I am on the treadmill, ultimately I am soakin. Recently it is never because the band I'm listening to is hot, nor the television program that is in front of me is hot. The words to notice here are "I am on the treadmill" and "recently." This is good sign. Today, I will do so again and it will most assuredly be 'crisp like lettuce.' I will mow the lawn before I walk though. And, yes, it is a nozone action day and I will be defiant and mow now anyway. I'm still exercising for the long haul. I'm running less and walking more so I don't burn out like I used to when I would train for marathon or do the lifting for 6 and 8 months at a time. My usual routine is 45 minutes at (ultimately) 8% incline at somewhere between 3.5 and 4 mphs. If you asked me 3 years ago, I would have said that is wimpy and lame. But, i realize it is sustainable and that it doesn't get so taxing that it annoys the crap out of me such that I won't do it anymore. When we were in Lebanon and prior, I would run 2 miles and shoot for 7:30 minute split times on the miles and, frankly, that just got to be taxing on the old bod such that I would dread it and then I was like, "what are you doing this for?" and besides...it's way hard to pick up all the screws and nuts and pennies on the street when you run that fast!!! So, I modified to walking again so I could get the jar of rusty metal crap stocked up again. I find it more amusing to pick up rusty metal crap with my hands than in my car tires cuz that usually means you have a leak in your tire if not a flat.Here's a wacky secret that I wouldn't tell everyone. It is actually more expensive for my family when I exercise more cuz I eat more and then, also, because I need the calories, I crave stuff. It's cool that I can eat it and use the calories efficiently but it's not cool that I have to pay for it. :-) I know that's silly. It won't make me stop exercising but I'm just sayin. That's probably way more topically relevant then me singing you more lyrics from "Threads."Blog it, unblog it. Billy Blanks (Tae Bo dude) says something like, 'folks that think about exercising are always surpassed by the ones actually doing it.' Ron from my old house church used to always say, "ain't nothing to it but to do it." Those are both good quotes I believe. I will now, in this order, mow my lawn, hit the treadmill, order text books for the physical trainer certification exam, make 2 phone calls to prospective employers, eat some lunch, and wait for amusing theological emails from my favorite sister. Here's my parting remark on moods. I quote Billy Crystal. "You know dahling, you look mahvelous. it is better to look good then to feel good." While you know the line of thinking breaks down at some point, I say this (Scripturally sound even) - feelings deceive us as we know - and, secondly, the quote speaks a positive message to us exercising cuz it helps us 'look good.' That was very disconnected but you get the point.Blog it unblog it.

I'm exercising every day, so why do I still feel so lame?

Walked Wed, Thu, Fri of last week, and again yesterday and today. Hoping to do some core strengthening exercises later today. Trying to get that in, as the thickness around the middle is starting to bother me. (I think some of that is also just extra flab, which losing 10-12 lbs would take care of.) (10-12 is all I ask. I would like to match my driver's license again. I used to lie on my driver's license by about 15 lbs (it said 135 when I was 150), but when I was 138 [for approximately 8 years, from 1998 until 2006, with fluctuations around pregnancies of course] I was so pleased that I went ahead and let it say 140. But now it's off again.....)

Still struggling with monthly mood issues. (aha! that answers the question posed in post title!)

Picked 4 cucumbers from plants yesterday and have a few more still growing. One ginormous tomato (ok, not ginormous; you'd need about 5 of them to equal 1 of Steve Loyal's mammoth onions (did you see those things?)), anyway, one largeish tomato is starting to turn red and it looks like I might be able to harvest our first cherry/grape tomatoes later this week. Also could have harvested about 10 snap peas, but I left them on and will get them when there are more like 20. (You know, some number that is divisible by 4, to make a reasonable side to the dinner.) (Though I'm sure I could eat 20 snap peas as I'm harvesting without putting a dent in what I eat at dinner.) (This is my problem, you see.) Zucchini plants: one looks just about dead and the other one has some blossoms but I still don't see any baby zucchinis. I'm still hopeful though. (I thought zucchini was supposed to take over the garden and way over-produce.....) Lettuce was a big disappointment this year. There is one long skinny pepper--I thought it was supposed to be a jalapeno plant, but it sure doesn't look like it. I will let you eat it, in case it's something super hot.

Did you see comment from Carol (Collins)? She's showing me up on my own blog! I saw her at church and she asked if I had a blog, since she knows I read hers....and I told her about ours and the purpose, and commented on hers about something else, and that's how she found it. (Tell Christie about this project--they are taking wedding dresses to Cambodia so a bunch of women who have been rescued from sexual slavery can start a dress-rental business. They rent wedding dresses there--isn't that smart? Anyway, I commented that my dress was too big as they are asking for size 0-8. But tell C. in case she wants to donate her dress, if she hasn't already done something with it.)

Perhaps I will write again later. I am looking for an outlet for some theological stuff that's been floating around in my brain. we shall see!

Ox blox.

no window shopping

Despite many grand awesome eating functions in Cali. - I think balance was achieved. There were many long walks. Several miles were walked on the beach each time we went. At one juncture it was so cold we walked the whole beach twice. Bonus! Also, Santa Barbara and Solvang are apparently nice for window shopping. I still cannot speak to that but I can say they are great for walking! We briskly walked around the entire city of Solvang one beautiful afternoon! Sweet.

Back home again in Indiana. There is more than corn in Indiana. Examples: My lawnmower and my treadmill. Both will be used today.

Fitness is a journey and not a destination. That's what it says on the baked lay's bag. I like it. Really I like that I have more energy and sleep less when I exercise. I like guacamole too. I'm not exactly sure why we don't include it in thanksgiving dinners and remove the potato, corn, and stuffing. I say we add whole new meaning to the term "being green.". It's not easy being green.

west coast shuffle

Walked about 5 or 6 miles down to the coast and then on over to east beach, yesterday. Nothing too strenuous but enough to keep the juices flowin! Wednesday before flyin out, I did do a reasonable set of isometrics, figuring a half day in plane wouldn't do me any justice.

Last week I was good about doin something every other day. My typical now is about 45 minutes on treadmill with incline.

Seems like there'll be plenty of time for walkin during the vacation week. Sweet.

Plenty of fresh fruits too. Bonus!

update

4 days last week, plus today, of walking.

Eating habits still bad.

Plus, no additional exercise.

Calgon, take me away!

choppin broccoli

Okay. That's not really exercise. But it is amusing remembering old snl skits now and again. Choppin the sugar maple tree and loading wood into a van, now THAT was saturday's major exercise. The double whammy was that I hasd spent 45 minutes on the treadmill earlier that day also. I get an extra shiny sticker in my composition book this week.

So, saturday did a number on the ol' bod. Felt good though.

On Monday, I spent 60 minutes on the treadmill. I'm increasing the speed and grade these days. Most of the fast walk is at 5 percent though I'm now hitting 7.5 percent for a good part also. Feel the burn. ;-)

I have been trying to stretch my neck and back and shoulders more these days. I don't have ritual yet but I do think about now and again so go ahead and engage.

What? Did you say another shiny star in the composition book??

Thank you!!

Today on my drive back from running errand, I was speaking spanish with an australian accent with a lisp. I may not be a former member of the Falcons like Fonzie but you can see that I'm still a rebel and a maniac with cutting edge ways of partying. I am partying the Red Sea.

Boo-yah!

I don't know what that means but it probably affirms my coolness.

(Insert shiny star here)

amazingly tricky

Did you say five in a row??!! Pretty sneaky sis!!! That's better than four in a row diagonally!!

On a scale of one to ten....we would never be more than ten pounds. Wow.

So last friday I kept the t-mill runnin (though I was walkin) for 1 whole hour. I got in the groove during some cheesy Cosby episodes on channel 40. It felt good. I got sweaty. Sweaty like Eddie. Through the weekend I was a steady sweaty Eddie. On saturday we went to lafayette and walked the downtown streets after checkin out C's girlfriend's art gallery amidst the music and arts festival thingy there. On sunday I hit many golfballs at the range and then mowed the grass. It was reasonably active weekend. I'm not sure what tape we'll pop in tonight but it is sure to be captimulatingly stumuvating.

We watched all three matrix movies over the weekend. Groovy. That proves that I'm not always active.

Keep on walkin in the free world!!

And that, as you can see, is amazingly tricky.