Dad

My dad would have been 75 today.  Eight years ago, just a week after his birthday, he passed away from complications following surgery for an aneurysm.  Hard to believe it's been that long already.

I don't remember my dad being around when I was a kid.  I have flashes of memories, like the bottles of Gilbey's gin under the bar in the kitchen and Dad sitting in the bright yellow chair at the dining room table.  But these memories are few. 

I remember him mostly after my parents divorced.  The first several years afterwards, we did a lot of fun things on the weekends with him - San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, TRW Night at Disneyland, Magic Mountain.  Maybe he was trying to make up for not being there all week, but he hadn't been around during the week before the divorce.  More than amusement parks, I loved when he read to us in that wonderful baritone voice - Animal Farm is still one of my favorites.

I was always glad that my parents were divorced.  My dad was a hard ass whose opinion was the only one that mattered.  I could never tell him what kind of music I listened to when he wasn't around.  I couldn't tell him about things that were important to me.  My teenager years were tough enough, figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be, without his oppressive presence.

He may not have been the best dad, but I think he tried.  He came to every event, even if it meant driving from LA on a Wednesday night and going back to work the next day.  I don't think he missed any softball or baseball games or choir concerts.  I always felt a great deal of performance anxiety when he was there, but the fact that was there meant something.

And then he got grandkids.  He could still be an jerk, but I think he finally was learning what he did wrong as a dad.  He was a gentler man with his grandkids.  He was a really good grandpa, and I am so sad that my daughter never got to meet him. 

We butted heads a lot, but I miss him.  I wish he could have been there when I got my Master's degree.  I wish he could see how his grandkids have all grown up.  I wish I knew more of his crazy stories about his childhood.  I wish I didn't miss him sometimes.

Peace, Dad.

   

P90X - Week Five Redux

I am doing Week Five over again, though I didn't start until Tuesday, so I missed two days of the week.  I started back to work on Monday (teaching), so I need to figure out how to get my workouts in on my work days.  I did get up early two days to work out first thing.  That seemed okay, but once the kids go back to school next week, I'll have to get up even earlier if I'm going to keep that up.  I'm a night owl - waking up early is tough because going to bed early just doesn't happen.  If I try to sleep before I'm really ready, I don't sleep well at all.  

Workouts
This week has a couple of new workouts from P90X.  I did the first one yesterday - Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps.  I am so sore today!  I love those arm workouts, and I love feeling the muscles getting toned - I can actually feel my triceps!  I really enjoy working out, but as you will read below, it's not going to do much for me if I can't change my eating behavior. 

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
So totally off the wagon.  If I can't make myself get back on track, I'm going to very quickly undo the work I've done so far.  I already have been bummed that I only lost five pounds in a month, when I should have been able to do more had I stayed on the plan.  Now, here I am, totally sabotaging myself yet again.  I have done this again and again and again.  Any time I make some progress and start to feel good about the process, I kill the process.  I stop tracking, stop eating well, stop prepping.  I just stop doing all the things that I know work and go back to old, bad habits.  It's time to start figuring out why I continue to do this to myself.

P90X - Week Five Recap

Not good.....  Week Five was just not good.  On Sunday of the week, we went to Yosemite to do some hiking - nothing major, but I was looking forward to getting up to the mountains.  It was great almost the entire time, but just before we were getting ready to leave, I fell.  I twisted an ankle and came down on my wrist.  I figured I would be done for a day, but my ankle was sore for two days and my wrist was sore nearly the entire week.  Not good.....
Weight Loss Week Two: +0.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.8 lbs

Workouts
None.  I didn't work out at all the entire week.  For the first part of the week, I was really feeling bad about not working out, but I didn't want to hurt myself more.  The second half of the week, I just didn't make the time, and that's not good at all.  I let myself get totally derailed.
Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
More badness.  I didn't track.  And I didn't stay on track.  I know I made terrible choices because I didn't go to the grocery store and buy the things I should.  And it was hot, so I didn't feel like turning on the oven to cook.  And I was lazy - I just didn't feel like doing anything to eat well.  No prep, nothing.  I'm lucky I only gained 0.4 pounds this week.

P90X - Week Four Recap

I'm really behind on blogging about my workouts and weight loss.  But here goes with some recaps.  At the end of Week Four, I measured myself to compare with my beginning measurements.  I lost 9.1 total inches!  That was crazy!  I didn't lose any weight in Week Four, but I had a feeling that would be the case - I didn't eat as well as I should have, and I knew it.  But that was okay.  I was excited to see the loss in inches because I could tell that my clothes were looser.  I just didn't think it would be that much in a month!
Weight Loss Week Two: 0.0 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 5.2 lbs
Total Inches Lost: 9.1
Workouts
Through Week Four, I did all my workouts - 3 days of P90X strength workouts, 3 days of Walk Away the Pounds 4 Miles, and X Stretch on Saturday.  The P90X workouts were focused on abs - there were two days of Core Synergistics.  I loved it!  Just feeling the core engage is always good.
Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
And this is where I am not doing well.  Week Four was still okay, but I was slipping.  I was still tracking, so that was good, but I was going over points more often and using more than just my activity points, actually cutting in to the weekly points a lot.  And I already know that I don't lose weight if I use weekly points.  I definitely let myself slide, and I need to work on getting back on track.

P90X - Days 22 and 23 Recap

After Friday's margarita madness (two drinks - woo!), I've let myself slip going into this week.  My loss was low for last week, and I'm sure I'm letting that affect me now.  I need to continue reminding myself that a loss is still a loss - I'm still moving the scale in the right direction.  And I know the reasons why I lost such a small amount, so all I have to do is fix it.  Instead, I've been beating myself up.  I don't want to rehash that day in every post - I did what I did, and now I need to focus on today.  Today I will stay within my points.  Today I will drink enough water.  Today I will make the best choices.  Today I will be nice to myself.

Workouts: Walk Away the Pounds 4 Miles and Core Synergistics
Day 22 was WATP.  I'll be doing this 3 days each week.  I am going to need some variety, so I'm looking to get another version of the DVD to mix it up.  While I like this DVD, I know I'm going to get bored at some point.  There are so many WATP workouts out there, so I'll be able to have a good variety.

Day 23 was Core Synergistics.  Engage!  That is the "tip of the day" on this DVD.  All the exercises are focused on the core.  I really like it!  I can't do some of the moves (sciatic nerve for some, inability for others), but I did as much as I could and tried everything!  I could probably have a wildly popular YouTube channel if I posted videos of myself attempting these workouts.  It's not a pretty sight, but it's probably funny as hell! 

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
Blah, blah, blah.  I've gotten off track in the last week or so, and I really need to be more strict.  Obviously, my new plan has not become habit yet.  I've got to be more strict if I want to make the changes long term.  Part of the problem is that I'm getting bored.  I really need to figure out a wider variety of salads.  I do like having salads for lunch - they can be filling but not heavy, and I like something that I don't have to cook at lunch.  When the semester starts in a couple weeks, I'm going to want something quick to prepare on the days I teach.  There are so many good, healthy foods - I just need to keep temptation out of the house. 

Here's what I ate on Day 22 and Day 23.

What kind of activities do you like to do to keep yourself moving (besides workouts)?

P90X - Day 21/Week Three Recap

Yesterday was Day 21 of my P90X weight loss journey - the end of Week Three.  I've had some ups and downs that I've written about, but I'm really learning about myself.  When I put my mind to something, I am always successful, but I tend to fall into laziness and procrastination very easily.  I've always procrastinated, but I've let myself think "I just don't care" for so long that it's hard to break the habit.  The truth is that I do care.  Very much.  I don't want to be 40 and fighting my weight.  I want to be 40 and enjoying my life and being active.  I've got a few years before I get there, but I also don't want to go to my 20-year reunion next year at this weight.  My mind is on this now, and it's a priority - I just have to remind myself every day that I do care!   

Weight Loss Week Two: 0.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 5.2 lbs

Workout: X Stretch
I'm considering adding this workout at least once more during the week in addition to another workout.  It feels so good to move! 

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I did really well all week except for Friday when I drank margaritas and ate more points than usual.  The other days, however, I stayed within points or used activity points.  Each week, I try not to use any of the weekly points allowance because I want to keep the weight loss steady (glad I lost anything this past week!).  But I can go out to eat and make better choices.  Even though the salad was more points than I normally eat for lunch, I can usually compensate for those extra points by having fewer points elsewhere. 

Yesterday, I didn't even eat all my points.  I stayed in bed until about 11:00 AM and ate breakfast then.  By the time I got to dinner, I still had a ton of points left.  I was hungry before bed, so I ate a bowl of cereal, but still had six points left for the day.  I felt it this morning when I woke up - I was hungry!

To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

Are you watching the Olympics?  What are your favorite events?

P90X - Days 18, 19, and 20 Recap

I've really loosened up this week as far as eating is concerned.  I haven't totally gotten off track, but I'm not quite as strict as I should be.  I have been eating carbs, but I am still keeping them a small part of my overall plan.  I'm still thinking about the changes I'm making in the workouts.  I was discouraged a little when I decided to stop some of the P90X workouts, but I was reminded by my best friend that I have to do only what I can do right now.  I will get stronger, and the workouts will come in time.  I knew that, but I was very glad to have someone remind me of how much progress I have made in just a few weeks.

Workouts: Walk Away the Pounds 4 Miles and Legs & Back
Day 18 was WATP.  This is a 4-mile walk (a 15-minute mile pace) and since I had been doing so much walking, I was able to just jump right into this workout.  It's not just walking for an hour - there are side steps, knee lifts, kicks and kickbacks, and arm movements.  It works out everything - arms, legs, waist, and abs.  I love it!

Day 19 was Legs & Back.  I am still rethinking whether I will continue this workout in Month Two.  So many of the leg moves are not comfortable on the knees.  I'm having to modify them so much, I almost feel like there's no benefit.  I'm sure I'm working out something, but I hate this feeling.  Next week is a different set of workouts, so I won't do this one again for two weeks.  I'll see how it goes then. 
Day 20 was WATP.  I had a workout buddy!  My best friend was in town visiting and I made her work out with me.  She actually liked it!  I gave her my set of WATP DVDs with the 1-, 2-, and 3- mile walks so she can start her own workout program.  I'm excited to see how she does with it. 
Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I did okay on Day 18, staying within my points but not eating enough fruit and vegetables.  Day 19 was also okay, but we grabbed grilled cheese sandwiches from a great local place (Grilled Chz), but when I counted all the points (which I didn't do until the next day - not good), I was really glad I hadn't eaten anything the rest of the day.  Day 20 was not a good day if you're just looking at total points.  I went over by 55 points - 55!  I don't know that I have ever gone over by that much before in my history of going to Weight Watchers.  OMG.  I am still kind of shocked that two margaritas equal my daily points.

I don't drink much or often.  When I'm with my best friend, we have a tradition, though.  We get two drinks and we spend hours talking.  That's what we did.  We went to Red Robin and ordered our margaritas and I was good and ordered a salad - no tortilla strips on top and dressing on the side, of course.  Those two things saved me a ton of points.  And I have to say that Red Robin's customizable nutrition guide (link is on the right side f page) is AWESOME - you pick a menu item and then customize how they prepare it for you and calculate it.  Very very cool to be able to really see the difference between the original salad and the choices I made instead.  I also ate a couple of incredible whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookies from Barefoot Bread.  I estimated them at 5 points each, but I need to find out the nutrition information to get a solid number.  
 
Here's what I've been eating:

• Day 18
• Day 19
• Day 20

I should take a second to say that I am not at all discouraged by yesterday's major points overage.  I don't see my friend very often, so the margaritas aren't a usual occurrence.  I haven't been eating out in the past few weeks, so that's not a usual occurrence either.  I got Barefoot Bread as a treat so my friend could take some home with her since she doesn't live in the area, but I don't usually keep bread and cookies around either.  Yesterday was a special day.  I still made good choices overall, but I indulged in some treats that I don't have often, and that's okay.  That's part of life - it's not sustainable to be so strict all the time.  I am going to still want a cookie every now and then.  I'll just make sure it's a high quality, homemade cookie!  And next time, I'll probably just have one margarita!

Do you let your off days get you off track or are you able to pick right up and get back on track?

P90X - Days 15, 16, and 17 Recap

I am sore!!!!  I am still feeling Sunday's workout in my pecs - ouch.  I've been thinking about this whole P90X thing.  Week 1, I was so motivated and raring to go.  Week 2, I still felt good about it, but my body was reacting to things in ways that I was and am not happy with.  The allergic reaction was bad enough (still there, but getting better), but the sciatic nerve issues that were feeling like they were finally going away before I started P90X came back (luckily not in full force), so I have to modify some moves.  OK, that's not too big a deal.  My getting-closer-to-40 body has other ideas.  My knees are sore.  Sure, they have to carry more weight than they should, but I worry that I got my mom's knees.  I'm not ready to see the doctor - she'll just tell me weight loss is the first step. Duh.  But after modifying workouts for 17 days, I find that I need lower intensity for the time being. 

And finally my wrist.  I have had tendonitis in my right wrist since junior high.  Usually the only way to help it is to rest, but I have also found that working it out more can actually help.  I got rid of tendonitis in my foot by walking - amazing!  In between workouts, I'm in a wrist brace.  I'm going to stick with the P90X weight workouts each week, but instead of Cardio X, Yoga X, and Kenpo X, I'm going to substitute Walk Away the Pounds DVDs.  These were my go-to workout when I lost weight six years ago, and while I like the P90X workouts, my joints are not quite as thrilled.  The WATP workouts are low intensity, but incorporate arms and sometimes weights, so it's not just walking.  The kicks and knee lifts are great for the abs, too.  When I get through the second month, I will revisit the P90X cardio workouts.
Workouts: Chest & Back, Cardio X, Shoulders & Arms
Day 15 was Chest & Back.  This is probably the toughest workout of the week (other than the cardio).  It's all push ups and pull ups, so this one bothers my wrist, though not usually until the next day.  I think if I put the brace on my wrist right after the workout each week, I should be OK.  I quit using the pull up bar (or horribly attempting to use the pull up bar) and switched to using a resistance band over the door instead.  I feel like I'm getting a much better workout than trying to do actual pull ups.
Day 16 was Cardio X.  It's good, but see above.  My joints will thank me if I lower the intensity for a while.  I'll come back to this, though.  I like the workout and want to do it again in Month 3 to finish strong. 

Day 17 was Shoulders & Arms.  This is still my favorite, probably because it's the one in which I've shown the most progress. Next Sunday, I'm moving up to 8-lb weights for a couple of the bicep exercises. I'm still on 5-lb weights for the shoulder and tricep exercises, but there are a couple that I may move up to 8-lbs after next week. I can't wait to have rockin' biceps and triceps again!  Don't worry, I'm not going for big bulky muscles, though I do want definition.

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I'm staying within my points, but I'm tired of always being in the kitchen.  Planning and preparing is so much harder than getting in a workout every day.  It's hot, and my house is hot, and the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven.  I've been trying to make more than one thing at a time so that I can have things that I can throw in the microwave and eat quickly, but sometimes it doesn't happen.  Day 17, I was tired and didn't feel like waiting to make my dinner, so I ate pizza with the munckhin (and earlier in the day, I ate chips and salsa, too).  It was a lot of points, and I wish I had spent it on a good delivered pizza (because DiGiorno is NOT the same as Pizza Hut), but I had the points from my workouts this week, and I didn't use it as an excuse to blow the rest of the night.  I looked at the damage points-wise, and it wasn't that bad.  I used a lot of activity points, but I didn't use any weekly points; it wasn't bad!  Plus, I haven't felt all that hungry this week, so that has helped, especially considering that my points target dropped when I lost weight last week. 
Here's what I've been eating:

• Day 15
• Day 16
• Day 17

How do you keep motivated?  What are some things you do when you find yourself losing motivation?

P90X - Day 14/Week Two Recap

Yesterday was Day 14 of P90X - the end of Week 2.  Wow, wow, wow.  I am amazed at the progress I have made in two weeks.  I have upped my weights on some of the exercises, learned how to modify some exercises to my ability, and gained so much strength!  I feel stronger, taller, energized, empowered, and, most importantly, in control of my eating.  Even with the whole allergy thing going on, I am not letting it get me off track.  If anything, I'm using it to be more careful and more mindful about what I'm eating.  My work showed on the scale this week, too, though I was hoping for a little more.

Weight Loss Week Two: 1.2 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.8 lbs

Workout: X Stretch
This is the reward workout for making it through the other six.  I still have the sciatic nerve issues that keep me from doing one of the moves, but I see a lot more flexibility even from last week.  The move that I so want to be able to do is the shoulder stand (see the photo).  I used to be able to do it as a kid (when I had no idea what yoga was), and I would really like to do it again.  I am working on the abs to keep my legs straight up, but what really makes it difficult is boobs.  OK, look at the picture.  Now think of gravity for a well endowed gal in that position.  You see my problem....

http://beginnerasanas.blogspot.com/2010/08/shoulder-stand.html

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
Life is happening while I do this.  I am figuring out how to eat my meals around doing other things and getting my workouts in.  I had to start adding carbs the last few days to compensate for losing some of my protein sources.  My energy was flagging in the middle of last week, and it's possible that it was lack of carbs with all these workouts.  I have felt less hungry since adding in some carbs, so I think as long my meals are still focused on the protein and veggies with carbs as just a minor addition, I think I'll be good.  I need to review the nutrition guide for adding in carbs, but so far so good.  I'm not craving carbs, at least, so that helps!
To see what I ate yesterday - click here! 

What have you done for yourself this week?  What are you going to do for yourself this coming week?

Summer of Movies - "Brave" and "The Dark Knight Rises"

I'm not seeing as many movies as I hoped to this summer, but I managed to get a couple more in this past week.  Of course, I went to see "The Dark Knight Rises" on opening day because, well, I like adding my stats to the opening day numbers.

Brave
I was very excited to see this movie about another strong female character blazing her own trail in the world.  And it's Scottish - I love the accent!  We took our munchkin - I think she's been looking forward to the movie as much as I have. She likes saying that "Merida is better than the boys."  The movie had a great story about family and doing what's right.  There were some parts of the movie with more violence than the munchkin is used to (which is not much), so she was a bit scared, but once it was over, she was okay and didn't dwell on those parts.  I really enjoyed the story of the mother and daughter learning to understand one another.  What teenage girl doesn't have stories about butting heads with her mom?  This was a great movie that will become part of our movie collection and will be watched many times, I'm sure.

The Dark Knight Rises
I won't give anything away for anyone who hasn't seen this yet!  I love Batman.  Seriously.  I didn't read the comic books, so I don't know all the stories, but I was hooked in 1989 and 1992 when the Tim Burton films came out.  I watched them both many times, loving the look of the Burton-esque Gotham.  That and I thought Michael Keaton was a great Batman.  The two later films, "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin," killed the series for me. 

Then "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" came along.  Wow.  I love them.  I like the backstory of Batman's origins, and Heath Ledger's Joker was eerily creepy.  I liked "The Dark Knight Rises" though it was difficult to understand Bane with the weird almost TV-announcer lilt to his voice behind the strange mask.  My niece said the movie was predictable, and I found it to be true in some places, but I go to the movies without any preconceived ideas and I don't analyze what's happening while I watch so that I can be surprised and just let the action unfold.  There was some foreshadowing in this film, so while I wasn't surprised at some turns of events, I didn't think they were ruined by the foreshadowing. 

As always, Christian Bale and Gary Oldman turned out good performances (I love Gary Oldman!) and the additions of Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were interesting.  Hathaway has the sex appeal down (she's come a long way from "The Princess Diaries"), but I didn't completely buy into her character.  I always see Levitt as the little kid as "Angels in the Outfield," but he showed that he's grown up in this film.  I thought he played the part of the NY cop quite well.  Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Matthew Modine were also very good.  I do think these films were well casted and have always enjoyed the onscreen rapport between Bale and Caine and Freeman. 

P90X - Days 12 and 13 Recap

Back to business after the previous two days, feeling off track and hungry all the time.  These two days were good.  I had to make adjustments and worked out at different times, but I felt good, though a little tired during the workouts, which makes me thing that even though my points are right on for WW, I probably should be eating more.

Workouts: Legs & Back and Kenpo X
Day 12 was Legs & Back.  I'm still feeling this workout in my glutes this morning.  Ouch!  It's a tough workout, but I have made progress!  On the wall squats, I was able to do the whole time (90 seconds for both legs, 60 seconds for single leg), though I can't quite go to 90 degrees yet (close!).

Day 13 was Kenpo X, the martial arts workout.  The workout definitely gets the heart pumping!  I love it.  I can't kick all the way up yet, and I'm a little shaky on side and back kicks (working on balance), but as my legs get stronger, I'll get better.

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
As my eczema spread beyond just a random patch that could be due to the weather or pollen, which are usually small patches that go away in a couple days, I had to admit that something I've been eating is likely the cause.  You can read all about it here.  I finished my last protein bar on Day 13 because I couldn't stand the thought of it sitting there mocking me while I figured out if I was allergic to it.  And I had eggs for the last time until I figure the whole allergy thing out.  I didn't have any nuts (tree nuts) either, so now the waiting game.  I decided not to cut out dairy.  After giving it some thought, it's unlikely that it's the cause. 

Eating has been okay the past two days, but on Day 13 I ate nuts because I stayed up too late and wasn't really hungry, but I just wanted to eat something.  So I ate nuts and used up all my activity points again.  (But maybe I need to be eating those anyway, so I'm not too concerned).  Day 14 was off because I went to see Batman (yeah!) - I ate at midnight because I had way too many points left at the end of the day.

Here's what I've been eating - Day 12 and Day 13

Do you have any food allergies?

Allergies

I have a lot of allergies.  And not just, "oh I have hay fever" in the spring kind of allergies.  No, we're talking allergic to 89 out of 90 of the most common allergens in the Central Valley.  As in, I reacted to everything but eucalyptus - pollen, mold, grass, animals - if it was on the list, it had + next to it (well, except eucalyptus, of course).  In addition to that list was another smaller list of common food allergies.  I didn't give that much thought, but when peanuts came up with ++ next to it, I was a little concerned.  But the doctor explained that food allergies are really hard to test and false positives on the skin test are quite common.  I laid off peanut butter for a while because that ++ made me nervous, but slowly I've gotten back to having some occasional peanut butter. 

Skip ahead 6 years to my P90X adventure.  For the past 12 days I've been eating egg whites, fruits and vegetables, lean meats - you know, stuff you're supposed to eat to lose weight and be healthy.  Included in my new regime is a protein bar every day as one of my snacks.  Well, I already knew I was allergic to chocolate because when I would eat it, I would get eczema on my arm.  So about 3 years ago, I stopped eating chocolate.  Anyway, because of my chocolate allergy, I can't eat the majority of protein bars on the market, which leaves me with ....... peanut butter. 

I thought nothing of it.  It's been 6 years, after all.  So every day for 12 days, I have eaten a peanut butter protein bar.  And now I have eczema.  It started on my leg, just a little patch.  I thought nothing of it - I have eczema, it comes and goes.  But it's getting bigger and itchier (if you've never had eczema - it sucks!) and I have found more this morning around my armpits - not the center, just around the sides. 

But it may not be the peanut butter - those tests show false positives, remember.  It just as easily could be the eggs I'm eating every day for the past 12 days.  It could be dairy, which means that the whey protein I've been using for my protein shake every day is the culprit.  No matter what, the only real way to test for food allergies is to get the food out of your diet and then introduce it back in.  So I have to revamp my entire eating plan because all the possible culprits have to go.  And that means that some main sources of protein are gone from my meal plan.  Ouch.  At least I'm relatively sure I'm not allergic to chicken (I hope!).

Anyone know any good sources of protein that aren't dairy, egg, or nuts?

P90X - Days Ten & Eleven Recap

The last two days have been challenging.  On Tuesday (Day Ten), I felt hungry all day, even right after I ate.  I ate lunch late and then while I was making dinner for myself, I ate a slice of the pizza I made for the kids.  It totally wasn't worth the points.  I ended up using all of my remaining activity points and one weekly point, which I had hoped not to do. 

Yesterday was challenging because I wasn't prepared.  I hadn't finished laundry, so I had no workout clothes, which threw my schedule off.  That actually wasn't too bad.  I didn't technically eat "lunch" but I still went over my points when I ate a second protein bar at the end of the day.  I stuck to the plan, but my motivation was off (see below) and I didn't drink my water.  I had one serving the whole day and I'm feeling it today.

Workouts: Shoulders & Arms and Yoga X
Day Ten was Shoulders & Arms - my favorite!  I moved to 5-lb weights for all the exercises to see if I could do it.  For triceps, that's enough.  For the shoulder moves, it's enough.  But my biceps want more - I'm going to move up next week.  The progress I've made is amazing!

Yoga X - not my favorite.  Not my second or third or fourth or fifth or sixth favorite.   It is my anti-favorite.  I got on the Beachbody message boards to ask about substituting and a woman told me to skip to the second half where it's focused on balance poses.  Good - I can do balance poses.  Next week, I try again and hope it goes better.

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
This is going OK.  My motivation to stay on plan is flagging a little bit.  Even though I'm trying new recipes (quinoa!), I'm finding it difficult to be in the kitchen all the time.  And the number of dishes is crazy.  If I'm not cooking, I'm doing dishes.  And I'm thinking ahead to next month when the semester starts and I'm teaching again.  I'm only teaching one class, but it's right in the middle of the day two days a week.  When will I eat?  When will I do my workouts on those days?  What about when I'm grading? 

I guess I need to focus on now, and just do what I need to do now.  And I need to streamline my processes - cut up fruit ahead of time so it's ready and things like that.  I know I can do this.  As I sit here, eating another egg white omelette, though, I'm feeling like I can't eat another egg or I'll scream.  It might be time to add in a little more carbs to my day to fuel these workouts. 

Here's what I've been eating - Day Ten and Day Eleven

Do you drink enough water every day?  Do you find it difficult to get it all in?

P90X - Days Eight & Nine Recap

So Week One is over and I'm two days into Week 2.  Last week I was so focused on doing everything right.  This week, I am working to fit the program into my life right now.  Figuring out when to eat, when to workout, when to do things I need to do.  I am dealing with things not going as planned and having to adjust, to be flexible, and to not let that get me off track.

Tonight I got a massage from a local massage school and she really dug in.  She spent extra time on my pecs and upper back.  It was definitely something I needed!

Workouts: Chest & Back and Cardio
I reviewed what I did last week for Chest & Back and decided to go with a heavier weight for the exercises with weights.  I'm using 5 pounds (for now) and feeling it, so I'm good for now.  I want to move up to 8 pounds when I go to Phase II.  For the pull ups, I'm using a resistance band instead of the trying the pull up bar.  I need to get the kind of band that hooks around the door.  I can't do pull ups yet and trying on the bar was getting frustrating.  With the bands, I feel like I'm actually doing something to gain strength.  I'll get those pull ups, but I need to get stronger.

Ah, cardio - what can I say?  I do love cardio!  Especially when it has martial arts moves.  My knees have been hurting, so I was a little nervous about the workout.  No problem, though - my knees survived!

http://thescreamingbuzzard.files.wordpress.com/

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
While I'm still following the plan and adding new recipes, I am feeling the rigidity of this first phase.  It's not horrible - I still get to eat a lot, but I really want some bread.  I can have whole grain English muffins, so I'm adding those to the grocery list, so I can have one once in a while.  I had my first trip going out to eat.  My friend is always open to watching what we eat and she had a great recommendation.  We went to a small Mexican place and ordered tostada salads with no tostadas and no sour cream.  We still got guacamole and went easy on the cheese (they really didn't put all that much on there).  When I counted the points later, I found it was right on track.  So I know I can go out to eat and still make good choices.

Here's what I've been eating - Day Eight and Day Nine
What have you done just for yourself today?

P90X Day Seven/Week One Recap

Yesterday was Day Seven of P90X - the end of Week 1.  I made it!!!  It's tough, yes, but not quite as bad as I had imagined it would be.  I have a long way to go to be able to do some of the complete workouts, but I've got lots of time to get better! 

Sunday is weigh-in day, so I'll update my stats each Sunday:

Weight Loss Week One: 3.6 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 3.6 lbs

Workout: X Stretch
Day Seven is always a recovery day, which means no intense cardio or weights, just stretching to rest the body and get ready to do it all over again :)  I love this workout.  I did this workout twice before officially starting P90X and was able to do a lot of it, but there were a couple things I just couldn't do.  In just a week, while there are a couple moves I still can't do completely, I can do part way.  One of them I still can't do at all, but that because of the sciatic nerve issues (damn you, sciatic nerve!).  Success - in just a week, I've gained back a lot of flexibility!

I had some carbs for breakfast.
It's low carb, not no carb, after all!

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
Still hanging in there, though I have my moments where I just want to eat something sugary.  The only thing I've eaten this week that wasn't on the plan was about 10 pieces of popcorn at the movies on Saturday.  Other than that, I've been really good all week.  It can be difficult eating at home.  It takes time to prepare food, to menu plan, and to shop.  I've been to the store three times in the past week, so I need to really plan more carefully to get everything in one shot (especially my protein bars).  And I had some carbs for breakfast today - steel cut oatmeal with apple and cinnamon and some Truvia.  Yum!

To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

So anyone want to join me now that you've seen the first week in action?

P90X Day Six Recap

Yesterday was Day Six of P90X - and it was a really good day for both the workout and eating.  My knees are "crunching" (it's the only sound I can think that comes close), possibly from the leg workout on Day Five and aggravated by lots of kicks.  They don't hurt, so I'm not concerned yet.  Today is a recovery day, just the stretch workout, so my knees can get a break.  My main concern is that I might have bad knees.  My mom is about to have her other knee replaced this year (first was 6 years ago), so I wonder if I inherited them.  All I can do is wait, get my knees in shape, and hope not!

Workout: Kenpo X
Kenpo is a martial arts workout that starts off with a lot of upper body exercises (jab, cross, hook, uppercut and variations thereof), moving into lower body (lots of kicks).  It was a tough workout and I had to do a lot of the exercises more slowly, so I didn't do as many, but it felt good.  I love kickboxing.  The first time I tried it was in 2003 while attending Cal State San Marcos.  There was a free lunch time class.  OMG.  It was a killer hour and I felt strong, powerful, like I could do anything after that.  My teacher was about 4 inches shorter than I was, a slight little guy, but he had me going full force on those kicks and even told me I should really get more serious about it.  I wish I had, but maybe I will now. 

I can't kick that high.  Yet.

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
Yesterday, my schedule got off a bit because I went shopping (stocked up on cereal for the kids - couponing, baby!) and planned to get some protein bars, since I was out (gasp!).  No protein bars at Vons, at least not the kind I wanted (MetRx Peanut Butter).  There were others but they didn't have as much protein.  So I had to take the food home (in the blazing heat) and go to another store, where I know they have what I want (usually).  And CVS came through.  Not only did they have the bars, but they were Buy One, Get One 50% off.  Yippee!  I took what they had (only 6), so I'm set for a little while, but I'll be back. 

Anyway, enough about my protein bar caper...  I have to be careful not to slip into old habits, like eating when I'm bored.  Last night, I stayed up late (I think I've established that going to be before 11 isn't ever going to happen) and almost talked myself into having another serving of nuts.  I had all kinds of justifications in my head: "You worked out hard today" and "You have SO many activity points left over" and "It's just one time, no big deal."  Well screw you little voice in my head - I win!  I didn't have the nuts after all - my other voice, the one saying, "You have worked hard for five days. You are not going to throw that away," came out victorious!  Now that's something to celebrate.

And what I really wanted to mention was that I ate dinner late and then really didn't feel like cooking, so I just kind of through stuff together.  I think it worked out OK.

Turkey, avocado, tomato basil string cheese (yes, it's yummy), and vegetable soup

To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

If you slip up, what are the reasons?  What do you do to keep from slipping up?

P90X Day Five Recap

Yesterday was Day Five of P90X - I am still going strong!

Workout: Legs and Back
This was a tough workout, but a great one (or it will be great when I get some weight off and have better knees and improve my balance A LOT)!  Yeah, I have some knee issues, likely from not working out and gaining weight - duh. All the lunges and squats were killer, but I can see this one being at the top of my list as I improve. 

Oh yeah - steak for dinner!

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I ate steak for dinner - it's awesome!  I love this recipe, and I'm so glad I've been able to incorporate some of my favorite WW recipes into this plan.  There are some good recipes in the nutrition plan, but I will go crazy if I have to eat the same things ALL THE TIME....  Basically, I just have to increase the amount of protein (meat) I am eating and recalculate the points, but so far, that has not been a problem - it's only a couple points increase.  Bonus - the teenager loves this recipe (gotta love when the teenager sees what's for dinner and says, "Yes!" instead of, "Is there anything else for dinner?"

Some things are the same every day - the protein shake and the protein bar - but I try to mix it up with my meals.  I need to figure out some new things for breakfast.  It feels weird to be eating eggs every day (albeit egg whites), almost indulgent and wrong.  I make a different omelette or scramble every day, but still, it's eggs. Every day. 

To see what I ate yesterday - click here! 

Help! I need some low carb breakfast ideas?  Any suggestions?

P90X Day Four Recap

Yesterday was Day Four of P90X - my worst day so far.  Not the eating so much as the workout.  It was kind of emotional for me yesterday.  The regular workout was Yoga X, so I started it and the first 30 minutes was variations of one basic move.  I was so frustrated because part of the move I couldn't do because of my sciatic nerve.  Another part of the move, I couldn't do because of my belly.  I figured that I would skip the part on the floor and just do the standing movements, but I was so frustrated that they were all just variations of the same thing - there was no variety in that first part. 

When I started yelling at the TV, I knew it was time to do something else, so I decided to try the ab workout.  This is where I completely broke down.  Six years ago when I lost all the weight, one thing I was most proud of was that I had a (relatively) flat stomach.  I worked hard for that stomach.  I loved doing ab workouts.  But then, you know, pregnancy happened and life happened after that and I never worked out that hard again (until now).  It was hard for me to finally realize how far I am from that in-shape person that I was.  But I think that was finally a wake-up call for the work I need to do now.  It's not going to fix itself.  I know I have to work at it, but it's been hard to make myself do it.  It's only going to get harder if I don't start, so here I go.  I'm starting. 

Workout: Yoga X, Ab Ripper X, Walk
See above for yoga and abs - not a good morning for me.  I did end up doing a lot of crunches and other moves using my exercise ball to get a nice core workout.  I love working out the abs, but I have a long way to go before I can do all the exercises on the Ab Ripper workout.  I've been kind of bummed this week not walking when that's been the main exercise I've been doing for the three months, so I decided to walk.  I walked about 45 minutes before it just got too hot, but I felt better, calmed down.  My sciatic nerve stopped aching down my left leg.  Yep, I have to keep walking every day - I like it too much to stop!

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I had to make another trip to the store - apparently I didn't buy enough food!  Maybe we need a separate freezer - I eat so much damn chicken!!  Last night I made turkey burgers from a recipe in the nutrition guide.  Breadcrumbs, yeah that's normal.  Buttermilk, uh, that's weird.  But I tried it and it was OK in a "diet" sort of way.  Would I make them normally? Probably not.  But I broke down and used ketchup because I burnt it and didn't want to waste it.  Mustard, too.  Don't you love how ketchup and mustard make (almost) anything taste better? 

With my three workouts, I had a lot of extra activity points, so I ate a whole protein bar last night.  It was like dessert (see, told ya it was like a treat).  I only have one left!  Overall, my eating has been really good.  I use some of my activity points each day and never go over into my extra weekly points.  I'm excited to see some good weight loss when I weigh in on Sunday.

To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

What gets you motivated to keep going?  What holds you back?

P90X Day Three Recap

Yesterday was Day Three of P90X - my favorite workout so far!
Workout: Shoulders & Arms
Awesome!  It's been a long time since I've worked out, so I figured I would start with my itty bitty 2-lb weights just to see where I am right now.  I want lean muscle not bulk, so I should be doing 12-15 reps with a weight that's heavy enough that the last couple reps take more effort.  What I found is that for most of the exercises, 2 lbs is OK, but I can probably go up to 3 lbs for now.  There are several exercises that 2 lbs was nothing, so on the second set, I used 5 lb weights.  Apparently my biceps are still strong, but I need a lot of work on the triceps!  After a couple weeks, I should be doing 5-lb weights for most of the exercises and 8 lbs for the others.  Here's to having some rockin' arms once again!

My protein bar - it's actually tasty!

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
I feel like I'm always thinking about food.  Always.  And I feel like I'm eating SO MUCH food!  I'm already feeling a little tied down to the nutrition plan - it was good to get me started, but it's time to branch out a little.  WW has some great recipes that I can incorporate without getting off track.  Two of my favorites are an Asian chicken salad and feta-stuffed chicken breasts.  Another recipe I really like is roasted garlic-rubbed sirloin.  I was planning to make it last night, but my sirloin had gone bad (before the date dammit), so I made pork tenderloin.  The one I bought was seasoned and I really didn't like it.  I tried to mask the flavor by covering the pork and rice with my vegetable soup (the veggies and only some of the broth), but it really wasn't that good.  I might try an unseasoned one, but not for a while.

A note on protein bars: I had eaten protein bars before.  They're thick nasty bars that taste nothing like they're supposed to, so I was pleasantly surprised when this one turned out to be really good.  Granted, it is the only I've tried, but I could totally eat the whole thing and feel like I had a treat.  For those who don't know, I have a chocolate allergy, so I stay away from anything with cocoa, which means I'm limited on protein bars (this is me in the store: "Are there any without any freaking chocolate?!?!?!?!"), but as long as there is peanut butter, I'm a happy girl.  And on a side note, I got about 30 bars for under $1 each by using coupons during a sale - oh yeah!
To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

I want to hear about your favorite workouts!

P90X Day Two Recap

Yesterday was Day Two of P90X - I'm staying strong and pushing play!

For those of you who haven't done one of these workouts, "Keep Pushing Play" is one of the slogans they use.  It's kinda cheesy, I know, yet a good reminder to put that DVD in and do the next workout!

I'm still sore today, mostly in my pecs, but it's getting better (slowly).  I'm feeling the legs a little this morning after yesterday's workout - I hope that's as bad as it gets!

Workout: Cardio X
Officially, the workout for Day Two is Plyometrics, which has a lot of jumping moves.  The (getting old) knees aren't ready for that action yet, so I switched to Cardio X.  I will probably do this workout for the first month in place of Plyo, then try it next month.  This was a good cardio workout with some jumping moves that can be modified for lower intensity and some martial arts moves (love it).  One thing I really like about the program is the trainer in the DVD, Tony Horton, is a normal guy and the workouts are fun because he jokes around and keeps it light.  It's not super cheesy like some other workouts can be.  It's really like working out with your buddy.

Tuna Salad over Romaine (I added some ranch) and vegetable soup (see those potatoes - yum!)

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
So Day Two was good.  I modified a couple of the recipes to make them lower points (3/4 cup of brown rice instead of 1 cup) and because I felt like I ate SO much on Day One.  I ate everything, though, and even had the nuts at the end of the day, so I went over my daily points by 3.  The great thing is that I have activity points from my workouts that cover those extra points, so I didn't dip into my weekly points allowance.  These workouts, according to WW eTools, are 6 points each day, so if I wanted to, I could eat those points, but I want a slight deficit each week to maximize weight loss.

To see what I ate yesterday - click here!

What are some good, healthy recipes that you like?  I could use some more variety!

P90X Day One Recap

Yesterday was Day One of P90X - click here to read more details and see the pictures of lunch and dinner (yum!).

Very successful day yesterday!  I ate everything I was supposed to eat, drank a protein shake for the first time ever, and worked my back and chest - wow!  I felt awesome bar some soreness, but that's to be expected.

I woke up today sore in the neck and shoulders from yesterday's workout, but I knew I would. Advil is my friend right now. I also didn't sleep very well - I got up 3 times I think to use the bathroom and was restless a lot of the night. I don't know if that's because of my workout and getting used to it or something else, but I hope I sleep soundly tonight!

Workout: Chest and Back
Lots of pull ups and push ups in this workout.  I modify both, since I don't have the upper body strength yet.  For the push ups, I use an exercise ball to lie on.  I roll on the ball until my hips are resting on the pall (ok, like the whole pelvic region is ON the ball).  My legs are straight out behind me, so it's like a decline push up, but I'm supported in the middle of my body.  I can adjust my hands for standard, military, wide, and diamond push ups and still get a great upper body workout without having to support my entire body weight on my arms.  For the diamonds, I have to roll the ball under my stomach and have my hands about 4 inches apart, but hey, it was Day One - I'll get stronger!

For the pull ups, I squat on a chair and extend my arms completely,  When I pull up, I'm able to keep my feet on the chair, which allows me to only pull as much of my body weight as I can - I try not to let my legs do any pushing, so I can strengthen my arms.  The reverse grip chin-ups are the hardest, and I am only able to get about 1/2 way up.  The other pull ups are OK - I can pull myself up from the squat position about 3 times right now. 



My gear: mat, yoga blocks, pull up bar, resistance band, weights, shoes, water, and P90X!

Eating: P90X and Weight Watchers
Just after a day on this plan and knowing that I can still track everything I eat use the Points Plus plan from Weight Watchers, I feel really comfortable with being able to continue eating this way.  The first month is low carb (there are SOME carbs - I eat brown rice), so I'm mainly eating protein and fruits and vegetables.  I eat every 3 hours, so I'm never hungry (well, except this morning when I woke up ravenous), and every time I eat, I have protein.  Lots and lots and lots of protein.  Did you see those pictures yesterday, by the way?

If you want to see what I'm eating and how this works with WW - click here!

Schedule
So I'm drinking my protein shake right now (seriously, it's good) and recovering from my workout and planning out my day.  I was planning to get up and work out right at 6, but I was so hungry that I realized I will definitely need to eat before I work out.  This is my new plan for most days of the week (weekends, especially Sunday when I weigh in at WW will be slightly different):

7:00 AM -- Breakfast, plan lunch and dinner
9:00 AM -- Workout
10:00 AM -- Protein shake, blog about previous day
11:00 AM -- Swim (more like float)
1:00 PM -- Lunch, work
4:00 PM -- Snack, work
7:00 PM -- Dinner, play time with the munchkin
9:30 PM -- Snack, TV time
10:30 PM -- Bed, read

Now that I put it out there, it seems so regimented, and it kind of is, but I know there is flexibility.

Anyone else working out?  What are you doing?  What works for you?  I'd love to hear about it!

P90X

Today is the day!

I've been struggling with my weight for a long time (you can read the old posts about this here and here and here and here), and while I've made great progress in being more active (walking nearly every day at least 3 miles, usually 5), any effect on my weight the walking would have is completely undone by the fact that I can't be bothered to eat well.  I have used every excuse in the book why I'm eating so badly: I just walked, so I deserve a treat; I'm too tired; I don't have time; it's too hot to cook; etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.  Every post I've written previously has been a poor me, pity party post, and I realized that the problem is ME.  I have time to cook (I'm working from home after all) and the reason I'm tired is that I'm eating crap food.  And yes, I walked, so I probably do need to eat SOMETHING, but maybe I should try a banana.  And if it's too hot to cook, to damn bad!  Anyway, all of this is to say that I've decided not to struggle anymore.  It is a choice, after all.

I've heard some great stuff about P90X from Beachbody, so I'm giving it a try.  I'm doing the full-on program, not just the workouts, which means that I'm going to have to take my multi-vitamin like I'm supposed to (you know, like, every day) and drink protein shakes (aren't these just for body builders?) and go low carb for the first month.  Today is DAY ONE, and I feel the need to report that this day thus far is a resounding success!  Here's how my day is shaking down:

6:30 -- Up early to get the coupon lists posted on my coupon blog.  I only ate half my breakfast because I had to weigh in a WW - 1 cup of fat free cottage cheese and 1 cup of cantaloupe.

9:30 -- Weighed in at WW.  Up 3 lbs from last time (I haven't gone for 3 weeks) and now my heaviest weight ever.  While this may seem quite depressing, it's a very effective catalyst for moving forward and taking better care of myself.

10:30 -- Back home to eat the second part of breakfast, an egg white omelette.  6 egg whites, 1/8 cup of shredded cheese, tomatoes, and green onions (I opted out of mushrooms - they're nasty).  Hello huge omelette!

11:30 -- First official P90X workout.  I've been doing X Stretch the last couple days after walking, but this was the first "workout."  Workout #1 is Chest and Back with lots of pull ups and push ups.  I bought a pull up bar just for this (the teenager gets on it and shows off - punk) and there is absolutely no way I can do a full pull up.  I had to modify by using a chair.  Of course, my legs are on the chair, but I made a serious effort to really pull myself up and not use my legs.  I can do 3 this way, which is much better than the ZERO I can do otherwise.  On the reverse chin ups, I can only pull myself about halfway up, but I'm not discouraged.  This is Day One, after all.  I have 90 days to do pull ups!  I modify the push ups, too.  Back when I lost weight before, I used the exercise ball to do pushups, so I got the ball back out.

12:30 -- Done with workout #1.  Sweating, breathing heavy, and feeling amazing!  I was glad I took Advil before the workout, though.  I was sore, of course, but I'm sure tomorrow I will really be feeling it.  Then I drank my first every protein shake.  I got vanilla and added in a banana and strawberries - it was good!  I couldn't finish it, though, so H got to try it, too. 

3:15 -- Time for lunch now that I'm trying to eat every few hours.  This is something I knew I needed to do.  Last time I lost weight, I ate every 3 hours.  Today I'm a little off because I had my breakfast in two parts, and I'm eating a little more often than every 3 hours, but it's all good.  Lunch was a chef salad with romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado, ham, turkey, and mozzarella chese topped with low fat ranch dressing.

Today's lunch - lots of protein!

6:30 -- For dinner, we're having garlic lemon chicken with brown rice and broccoli.  The recipe looks good (fingers crossed). (Edited to add dinner picture).  OMG so delicious!!!!

Look at all that chicken!

9:00 -- Nuts (cashew, macadamia, almond mix) for a snack

10:00 -- Going to bed at a decent time will be difficult for me.  I'm a night owl, and after the munchkin goes to bed, I like my alone time to watch shows I've recorded and play around on Facebook.  That is going to be replaced with reading in bed.  I'll go to bed at 10, but probably won't fall asleep until 11.  I plan to wake up at 6 and do my workouts first thing in the morning, so I have to be getting enough sleep.

Until I sat down and planned out my meals for the day, I wasn't sure how the meal plan was going to fit with the WW Points Plus program.  It seemed like I was going to be eating too many calories, but the points calculated out perfectly.  My workout adds points in, so I could eat part of a protein bar if I want to, but I don't think I'm going to be hungry between now and dinner, and I don't want to eat too much before bed, but if I'm hungry close to bed time, I'll try that protein bar and will still come in within my points for the day.  My little WW tracker isn't going to be enough, so I'm going to track in a spreadsheet which I'll post on my blog. 

Part of making this whole thing work is making myself accountable, so I plan to post on here every day (or at least every other day), so it's out there.  I'm not ready to post photos yet, but I will probably post my before shot at some point so I have a comparison (same with my starting weight - I'm not ready to admit that number quite yet).  Feel free to comment, and if you are working on your own weight loss, I'd love to hear from you and give my support, too!

Thanks for reading this super long post (they won't all be like this)!!

Summer Reading - "The Woods"

I've started several books, but I haven't gotten further than the first couple of chapters.  All I wanted to do this summer was read and watch movies, and I'm hardly doing either one!  So I was getting some books I've been wanting from Paper Back Book Swap and came across "The Woods" by Harlan Coben.  The description was intriguing, so I decided to get it.  It arrived right before we left for a quick out-of-town trip, so I threw it in my suitcase in case I had time to read.  Of course, when we're on a trip, I always read a lot more and get on the computer a lot less! 

The book's protagonist is haunted by the death of his sister 20 years before, presumably a victim of a serial killer at a summer camp when they were kids.  The story follows Paul Copeland as new information about his sister's disappearance comes to light and he learns more about his family.  Interestingly, Coben writes in the first person, but the reader is a participant in the narrative, as the text is written as though the narrator were speaking directly to the reader.  The pace of the writing was also good, making for a fast read.  Suspense, plot twists, and interesting characters make for a great mystery thriller.

The only issue I had with this book was the ending.  The book is considered a stand-alone book, but Coben leaves an end untied and an opening for a follow-up book.  In a stand-alone novel, I prefer the ending to end the book, not leave me wondering.  This is not a major issue, however, considering that the rest of the book was well written and fun to read.

Summer of Movies - "Prometheus"

I waited too long to write this!  So we went to see Prometheus in IMAX 3D about two weeks ago - I have not seen a 3D movie at a theater since Captain EO at Disneyland as a kid (I just aged myself).  I wasn't keen on 3D, but we thought we'd give it a shot anyway.  I'm glad we did - I really liked the movie.  I was waiting for the aliens, as I had read that this film is a sort of prequel to the Alien films.  I was not disappointed.  I liked the action and the story was interesting. The film was decently acted, and I was shocked by Guy Pearce's role (yes I looked up the plot summary, but didn't bother to see who is in the movie - oops).  Overall, I liked it and would watch it again (on DVD).  

Summer of Movies - "The Avengers"

I had a date with my teenager to see "The Avengers" on the big screen today.  What can I say - I really like these comic books turned movies.  I'm not a comic book reader, but I like the action of the film versions - the fighting, the crashing, all of it.  A lot of my students saw "The Avengers" when it first came out and told me I needed to see it after I told them I like "Batman" and "X-Men".  They were right - it was a great movie.  It had lots of action and fighting, but I also enjoyed the repartee between the characters.  I have loved Robert Downey, Jr., since first seeing him in "Weird Science" and his portrayal of Tony Stark is so much fun to watch in this film.  There were a lot of laughs, even if I was the only laughing (at least out loud).  I was surprised by Scarlett Johansson's performance, though her ass and lips got more screen time than was necessary.  Yeah, we all know she's hot, but c'mon, guys!  If you haven't seen "The Avengers," you should, but make sure you stay through the credits!  And now I need to see if Iron Man is on Netflix - it's time I finally watched those movies...

Marriage Maturity

I've been thinking a lot about when a person knows that he/she is mature enough to be married. (Not for me - if you don't know, I'm not married and don't plan to be married, but enough about me).  My oldest nephew, at the advanced age of 23, recently announced his engagement and we were told to save the date - 2 whole months later.  That was my first concern - that was awfully quick for a girl we had all just heard about.

Her age is another major concern.  At 19, I didn't know what I wanted out of my life; I sure didn't know who the right person was to spend my life with.  Had I chosen a person at 19 to spend my life with, I likely would have chosen very very badly.  This is not to say that my nephew, J, at 23 would not choose correctly, but he hasn't had a lot of experience in this area - another concern.

So the date was set and plans were being made.  And the main reason for the short engagement and quick wedding was so that the kids wouldn't be tempted to do what they're not supposed to do before marriage (according to a particular religious view, not my own - do it if you wanna do it, I say) and have "an accident."  The girl's dad is serving overseas, so he wouldn't even be there.  Isn't the father being there for the wedding much more important?  I think it is.  If it's important for you to wait to have sex until you're married, then what's a few more months?  If it's important, you'll wait.

J's  prospective future MIL, I found out later, is kind of a bully.  The girl is kind of meek.  Another problem.  Why would you want to get married to a girl whose mother is still telling her what to do?  Do you really want her all up in your business after the wedding?  She will be.

The biggest issue of all, though, is straight up immaturity, on both sides.  After working a full 8-hour day in the sun, the girl wanted J to visit her.  That would all be fine if they lived in the same town, but she is more than 2 hours away.  Practically speaking, working 8 hours outside in the heat of summer then driving 2+ hours there and back doesn't sound like a good time for anyone.  She accused him of putting his work first.  Um, hello, honey - if he doesn't put some importance on his job, won't it be difficult for him to support the new family ya'll are about to have?  Grow up! 

There is so much more to write, but really what I wanted to write is that it's hard to know when a person should get married.  Who's to say when the time is right?  For these two, it's not yet time.  They got into a fight and broke up.  J is hurting and realizes he made some mistakes.  But he is not fully to blame here.  A young girl, not yet ready for this kind of commitment, was feeling pressure to take a very adult step in her life.  She's not ready for this - there are so many signs that she's not.  And J, well, he's not ready either.  He still needs to learn how to take care of himself, to live on his own, and be responsible for his own shit.  Most of all, he needs to accept what he's done wrong here and learn from it.  Stay strong, J. 

Summer Reading

In addition to watching lots of movies, I plan to read and read and read some more all summer long (and hope that it I can make time to continue in the fall).  In the past week, I've read 2 books.  One I've been working on little by little for about 3 weeks and finally finished.  The other I finished off in about 2 days.  Would it surprise you that I devoured the 849-page "11/22/63" in just under 48 hours (actual reading time was much less - I did get some sleep in there)?  Gawd, I love his books.  I think I'll do the same with books as I'm doing with the movies, just a little review to share with anyone who happens to stop by my blog.  The same disclaimer applies to books as to movies - I can find something I like in just about everything I read.  If I can get through the first chapter, I'll finish the book.  If I can't get through it, I won't finish it.  Simple as that.  My main criteria for books are (1) give me believable characters and dialog and (2) get me hooked from the get-go.  If an author can do those things, I can step into the pages and be lost for as long as it takes to get to the last page.  Sometimes it's 3 weeks, sometimes 2 days - one never knows.

Eiger Dreams - Jon Krakauer
This book is a collection of essays that Krakauer has written, some previously published individually in outdoor magazines.  The stories are geared toward mountain climbers of the extreme variety, so the name-dropping meant nothing to me.  The descriptions are what get me every time with his books - vivid descriptions of people and places and objects and events that I get drawn in and stay there, wondering what happens or who I'll meet next.  It was the same with this collection.  Another aspect of Krakauer's writing that I particularly enjoy is his laid-back style of writing.  He's a storyteller, and his stories read as though he were sitting in the room, telling the story to a rapt audience. 

More by Jon Krakauer:  Under the Banner of Heaven, Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and various essays on Byliner.com (read "Three Cups of Deceit if you've read "Three Cups of Tea" or "Stones Into Schools" by Mortenson)

11/22/63 - Stephen King 
He's done it again.  I love love love love this book.  I was intrigued as soon as I first heard the idea of this book - a time traveler who goes back in time to try to stop the Kennedy assassination.  It's the story of a pretty regular guy with problems like everyone else has.  He goes back and the bulk of the story is his life in the past, leading up to 11/22/63.  There's love, suspense, mystery, history (both truth and fiction), and characters that make you root for them.  Just like every King novel, I'm always sad at the end when it's over, but I am never able to slow down when I read, to savor each word, sentence, and paragraph - when I said I devoured the book, I wasn't kidding.  I'm sure I'll read it again, and catch many more bits and pieces that I missed this time.  Until then, I'll think about time-strings and the butterfly effect and wonder how this blog changes the future.....

My favorites by Stephen King: The Dark Tower Series, Different Seasons, and The Stand

Some of the books I'll be reading

• The Wind through the Keyhole - Stephen King (newest addition to the Dark Tower series)
• The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
• Let's Go Play at the Adams' - Mendal Johnson
• The Last Summer (of you and me) - Ann Brashares
• Shoe Addicts Anonymous - Beth Harbison
• East of Eden - John Steinbeck
• Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

 
What are you reading this summer?

Summer of Movies

In 2001, between May and August (4 full months), I saw about 2-3 movies every week and remember it as one of my favorite summers.  I've decided to do it again.  In the last few years, I've been lucky to see 2-3 movies a year and feel very much out of the loop.  Beginning June 1, I've decided to see as many movies as I possibly can this summer.  I've already seen 3 since Saturday - woo!  And I will document my Summer of Movies here with reviews of all the movies I see.

I should make a disclaimer about my movie reviews before I begin.  I love the movies.  Going to the movie theater is one of the best things in life.  I go to be entertained, and I can see just about anything and find something good to say about it.  I don't go to the movies to be critical - if I've chosen to spend my money on it, I plan to get lost in the movie.  So on that note, my reviews will mostly be positive most of the time - except, well, when they're not.  Please comment if you've seen the movies and have anything to add!

Men in Black III
I still watch the original once in a while and always have a good laugh.  The second film was also quite funny, though not as good as #1.  I expected to be entertained in the third film, and I was.  There were a few little tie-ins to the previous movies that I thought worked really well.  Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones make a great pair as always, and Josh Brolin was a great addition.  He did the whole "Tommy Lee Jones" accent so well!  The twist at the end was a fantastic way to bring the whole trilogy to a close.  I was waiting for a little joke after the credits, though, so I was a bit disappointed when there wasn't one. 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
I knew I wanted to see this movie from the first time I saw the trailer.  The cast is an outstanding group of actors that I have enjoyed watching in many movies, especially Judy Dench and Tom Wilkinson.  The movie was focused on the characters and how they learn about themselves, and I felt like I was part of their lives.  They were so believable.  I laughed and cried and will definitely have this in my Instant Queue on Netflix when it comes out. 

Snow White and the Huntsman
I was a bit skeptical about this one before I went.  I like Charlize Theron, but am not a fan of Kristen Stewart.  In fact, I don't think she was the best choice for Snow White - she just was not believable as a strong female lead and her acting still needs work.  Despite my dissatisfaction with KS, the movie as a whole was a good piece of action.  I enjoyed Charlize Theron's portrayal of Ravena - she does evil very well.  And I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Bob Hoskins played the part of Muir.  We all know how the story basically goes, and this adaptation was a good one. 

Movies I'm looking forward to seeing:

• For Greater Glory
• Prometheus
• Rock of Ages
• Brave
• Magic Mike
• The Amazing Spiderman
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Bourne Legacy
• Total Recall
• And many more once I read up on them all!

What are you seeing this summer?
 

Writer's Block

I don't know what to write.

I could write about the semester being over this week and how I have been anticipating this summer break for weeks - anticipating the sheer amount time I'll have to do things to take care of the house, my family, and myself. 

I could write about the students who didn't pass the class and are now scrambling to do extra work to pass - seriously?  How about doing the homework that was assigned and actually passing a test?  But I feel like I'm always griping about students, so no. 

I could write about the Bay to Breakers coming up this Sunday, which I'll be walking for the 6th time, and how unprepared and old I feel.  Ugh, I don't want to think about it! 

I could write about the fact that I didn't lose any weight in the last year, but at least I maintained, so I should be comforted, right?  Isn't that what people are supposed to say?  "But at least you stayed the same.  It could have been worse!"  Yeah, I feel all sunshiney now, thanks.

Maybe I could write about what I really feel about my nephew being on a mission is a South American country with the goal of converting people to a religion that was started by a con man (I suppose you can guess how I feel about that). 

I could write about my Mother's Day, but then I'd have to admit that it wasn't as good as I wish it had been.  I saw Dark Shadows, and I went alone.  (And that was the good part.) 

What about books?  I could list the start of my summer reading list.  I'll tell you that it starts with Stephen King - is anyone really surprised?

I could write about couponing and how my lack of time hasn't allowed me time to do much shopping lately, but we're not lacking for anything because I have a small stockpile.  Yes, small - I don't need $25,000 worth of stuff!

I could write about the trash TV I like to watch.  Every once in a while it's fun to watch the paternity test results on the Maury Povich show.  A woman had been on there NINE times for the same kid. Ouch.

Or I could write about paying off my student loan.  It will be paid off in the next year - only about 10 years early.  That's a great feeling.  And paying it off will mean that we are debt free - no car payments, no student loans, no credit cards - absolutely no credit of any kind ever again.  Amazing.

I could write about my offspring.  A teenager and a toddler-going-on-teenager.  It's a wonder that the gray hair is limited to only a few strands.  The munchkin is not thrilled with the word "no" lately, so she's been a real treat to deal with.  The teenager actually took out the trash cans last night without being asked.  He even brough them in today without being asked.  Wow!

I could write about Howard Stern on America's Got Talent.  He's a nice change of pace from Piers Morgan, though he hits to buzzer faster than Piers did.

But I guess I won't write about any of those things, at least not tonight.

Resolution Time!

Everyone starts talking about resolutions - it's the NEW YEAR; we must set goals!!  I can't help but think about those things I've been wanting/needing to do.  The beginning of the year does seem like a good time to write them down, create a checklist, if you will.  I may not accomplish them all, but here is what I have so far:

1.  Lose about 35 more pounds by May 20 for the Bay to Breakers and for Sylvia's wedding on May 26 (spaghetti straps - eek!!!).  This one is a must - I want to beat my time at Bay to Breakers and want to have rockin' arms for the wedding!

2.  See more movies at the movie theater - I miss seeing movies!  The summer I saw everything that came out is still one of my favorite summers.....

3.  Read at least one "for fun" book every week.  The book club book is one, now I just need to do 3 more a month.  Right now, I am reading "Nickled and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich.  Well, I started it anyway..... 

4.  Blog more - at least once a week.  My poor blog gets neglected when I get busy, but I want to make it a priority.  Writing has always been something I've enjoyed, and I feel good when I do it.  So I need to get to it!

5.  Get organized and stay that way.  Yeah, I don't know about this one.  I am semi-organized, but I have a hard time keeping the clutter at bay.  I used to be sooo neat at my old job.  My desk was always neat when I left for the day, and everything had a place.  I was super organized at work, but I've never been able to completely carry that over to home.  I think I might have to call a professional organizer for this one.

6.  Pay off the last debt - my student loan.  With my new, old job, we should be able to pay off the balance this year.  I am so excited to be done with debt. 

So there they are - my "resolutions" for 2012.  I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing!

Happy New Year!!