Wednesday Workout #3

Disclaimer: I have not tried this workout. But my computer was out of commission for so long and this Wednesday came up so fast, I just pulled it out. It's on my to-do list. It looks tough, I won't lie. But I am going to try it someday this week.

The 100 workout:

100 jumping jacks

90 crunches

80 squats

70 leg lifts

60 jumping jacks

50 crunches

40 squats

30 leg lifts

20 jumping jacks

10 min run

Thanksgiveaway!

More often than not, my bloggity blog brings me happiness. And mostly because of you. Yes, you. With the month of thankfulness around the corner, I'm doing a thankful challenge/giveaway in honor of you. Like I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to make you work for it. Except it isn't really going to be work because you will reap the rewards from it, whether you win the giveaway or not. (This challenge is a spin-off of the one that Leanne had and I WON!! I LoVe the concept. Sorry- no links. I don't know how to copy and paste with my new computer)

I really love the idea of paying-it-forward. Whoever coined the concept is brilliant. When I lived in NM, I got really sick for about a week one winter. Just your run of the mill winter type sick that hit me really hard for whatever reason. And for a few days, I just couldn't get off the couch for much of anything. And my friend Irene (love her dearly) happened to call me. I sounded like complete crap- I couldn't even fake it that I felt good. And she immediately hung up the phone and arranged to have meals delivered to me. Seriously. It's one of my favorite friend moments in my life. And I'll never forget it. Some day I am going to pay that forward. That does not include new baby/serious illness/expected medical moments. I just mean a friend that is temporarily under the weather and can't make supper for her family. We just all need a break some days.

I'm not expecting you to pay it forward, necessarily. I just want you to do something for someone that you would not normally do. Or never have done. I want it to be someone that you are really thankful to have in your life. Double points if it is ME. Kidding. Seriously kidding. Do something that they will definitely take note of and will make them feel really good. Make it a favorite friends moment. It doesn't have to be extravagant, just meaningful. Bring somebody a surprise lunch with a sweet note, bake them fresh homemade cookies, double your supper and give half to a friend, bring them a "hug in a cup" aka Starbucks, drop a card in the mail just because, etc. Anything that you can think of that you haven't done before. And I give you until the end of November. You can enter on the comments or in an email to me: mindjo1 @ live dot com.

The prize is to be determined. I'm thinking Pampered Chef, though. Drawing will be Thursday, December 1st. Be creative! Be thankful.

back atcha!

Oh, I am feeling the LOOVE. Yes, pronounced with an "oo" sound. MUAH! And today is a better day. Even though it is the day of sad goodbyes.

I won't lie, I wasn't lucky enough to know Evan personally. But. I know his family. They are sort of a natural extension of ours. My mom and Greta are really good friends. Like, talking or texting daily. Most likely. My siblings are friends with their kids. My dad, friends with Kenny. Our families are just kind of tied together. Although I'm older than G & K's oldest, I can understand that suddenly empty space in their family and the pain that is filling it. I can look at my kids and fathom a small percentage of the pain G & K must be experiencing to lose a child. So my heart hurts for them. You know? It's just one of those things. It hurts to know that people in your life are hurting.

Still struggling with the road, but I'm trying for the high one. It feels better already. Mostly because of all of you. Look at you, sending me love! Even when I'm a bit vague about it. There are times, I won't lie, when I blog really honestly about going through a harder than normal time and I get a lot of support from y'all and it sort of embarrasses me for a minute. It's weird. Why be embarrassed by it? Obviously, nobody has a life filled with only roses. That would be bo-ring! And you would never appreciate the good times if you never had the bad. Am I right?

Anywho. I really appreciate you, I really do. I'm sending the love back atcha. Tomorrow I am going to do a giveaway post! But you need to work for it. Stay tuned. I would tell you all about it today, but I want it to be its own separate, happy post.

Oh, and I really hate brown paper bags. They give me the chills. Cardboard does, too.

Heavy and hurty

It's been a heavy month. Heart heavy. Heavy heart. Hurty head. Headache inducing. Heartsick. Homesick. Head hurts, heart hurts.

That's not why I was gone, but it's probably why it's good that I was gone. We had computer problems, amongst other issues. Most incredibly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, some not as much. Some that leave me wondering when it's good to make a stand and when to let it be. And I still wonder. What is right? What is not? Sigh.

If you have nothing good to say... Which would leave me with no inner battle, if people just practiced that. And I have nothing good to say. So that's why I'm trying really hard to not say anything at all.

But more than anything, I want to be home. Home, where I really know people and they really know me. Where I run into people that know where I came from. That I never have to guess how people will react, and completely strike out. But, mostly home where I can wrap my arms around friends and tell them that I'm so sorry for their loss. If only you could mail a hug. Or twenty. And have one mailed to me.

Head and heart hurt. Home and heart sick.

I'm baaaaaaack! I'll explain later.

But for now, I wanna go home. I'd give my left eyebrow if I could make it there in a wink. Wait. My right eyebrow. It doesn't behave as well as the left one does.

Let's be honest here.

I'd totally do another 50 mile bike ride. Or more. You didn't hear me say that second part. I said it in my head. I didn't think that the day I finished. Or the next. Or the next. But now I think so. It was such an accomplishment. My eyes (must have been allergies) filled up with tears when I saw the parking lot at the end of my ride. I'd love to push myself that hard again. To be totally honest, I really underestimated how much of a challenge it would actually be. Thankfully, my rumpus was not that sore after the fact, thanks to my granny seat. Granny seats rock. But my back! Oh, my aching back. It was the only sore thing. I'm not used to backpacks. Not even with my Tax Prep class. Which I don't really love, btw. (My opinion will pry change a million times about that by the end of the coarse) Tax prep and all it's info is overwhelming. Taxes suck. Even though they are necessary. Unfortunately. They probably paid for that bike trail I rode on. Heh.

I was really intimidated by the thought of going on a bike ride with 6 ladies, 5 of which I didn't know. But. I loved it. It's so important to me to have friends of all ages. Everybody has so much to contribute in life. Quite frankly, it was nice to hear about "older kids" issues and get a little heads up on what is to come. One of my bestest friends in NM was the lady who worked at the nursery at the gym I went to. Her grandkids were the same ages as my youngest kids. I really valued the advice/wisdom she shared with me. And she was hispanic, so it was really interesting to compare our two cultures. I learned a lot from her and miss her dearly. You just never really know who will touch your life the most.

So. Long story short, I stepped out of my comfort zone and ended up having boatloads of fun in the process. And was basically upstaged by a lady twice my age during the bike ride. And I'm willing to do it all again. Biking, comfort zone, being upstaged.

Oh! And I found a fabulous deal on a mirror that I have been searching for. It's my reward and souvenir from the trip. Just the other day, I became friends with the spray paint and gave it a facelift. It's completely fantastic.

And, no. I'm not pregnant. And I do have boobs. Somewhat. But thanks for wondering. What? Oh my hair? It IS super sweet. It's called I-could-have-used-a-shower-but-instead-wore-a-hat. It's hard to duplicate. But worth the effort. Thank you. You should be jealous. Just keepin' it real, people.

The detailing on the mirror. I know it's fuzzy. But have you seen my camera? It blows. It's one of the first point and shoot digital models available. So, it's memory card is like the size of MN. The thing is older than most of my kids. If not all. Come over with your fancy-schmancy camera if it bothers you so much. I'll fix your hair like mine. It's a good trade. Wait. I just remembered. That isn't me in the pictures. It's my friend. You'd like her.

One last thing. I LOVE peanut butter and (homemade) jam sandwiches. You were wondering. I could tell.

Workout Wednesday #2

I tried this workout yesterday.

It's not much if you do it once,

so I did it three times.

And between each move I did a minute of cardio.

A minute of strength, a minute of cardio.

Cardio bag of tricks: jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jump rope,

jog in place, high knees, burpees, football run, kick boxing, etc.)
Click on image to enlarge. I had to print mine to read it.

Then I did abs to cool down. And I stretched. It took me an hour.