Well we have certainly been busy the last couple weeks. First thing was Oyster Festival and it was the bestest one yet... even if one of us had thrown out his back, but it was properly medicated with Gin so no worries there. We had a fantastic visit with the Family, and Goosy stayed at home with Grandma, making this also the first time that both of us were away from the kid (only the second time for me).
Then we had a weekend off - and got lots done around the house and did crazy things like get to know our next door neighbor a little better (we have only been in the house for almost 4 years, we rare getting much better!). Then last weekend we went up to Kingston Springs to spend the weekend with my Godmother. Taking both dogs and the kid. We left our house at about 6:15 and it took until almost 8 before we were clear of traffic and into Tennessee. Thankfully the kid slept almost the entire way, and the dogs settled down nicely. We made very good time, and once we cleared a very surreal Chattanooga we had smooth sailing all the way to Cindy's house. The dogs got along great with hers (POSH and Rudy) and Polly the cat even got into the spirit and teased Maggie . We had a fantastic visit, Goosy got to play outside as much as she wanted and she became best friends with Rudy. And even though her sleep got all messed up (hello 4:30 am) she went to bed nice and early Saturday. I spent Friday evening getting kicked by a toddler and shoved by a Moose. Not my best sleep. Chris took Freya when she woke up Ungodly:30 and I was able to get some sleep. Which was great because we got to go to a lovely Farmers Market - that had several grass fed beef vendors (and there are like none at our Farmers Market) and we just had fun looking at everything. We ended up getting some kale, goat cheese, tangerines and apples, to go with the chili that was waiting for our dinner. Then it was back to the house for some lunch and wine in the back yard. (The weather was just perfect - warm and sunny.) The dogs played and played and played and the kid played and played and played with them. We had a bonfire that Freya collected the sticks for and it was just a great evening telling tall tales and drinking. Sunday we went to the dog park in the morning and then drove home that afternoon. I really didn't want to come home. Took lots of great pictures and I have totally fallen in love with the little hunting lodge and the city of Nashville.
Then - Thanksgiving was last week. We stuffed ourselves silly over at The Jones' and a lovely time was had by all. We provided the Sangria and Tammy's cousin made the greens and Tammy made the rest of it. And oh boy! It was soooo good. I broke Paleo and had some bread - which I regretted the next day, but it was totally worth it at the time. Sunday we put the tree up and Freya has been going full on Christmas since.
This weekend, we have "off" and then my parents are coming in for a visit - so we get to have Christmas twice. Woohoo! And Sally is going to be here for Christmas, and the week after, when Freya's school is closed. Grr. (on the closed school, not Sally). Thank god I have paid vacation this year. And... that's all for now. I'll post some more exciting scatterbrained rambling later.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How Come?
When the crazies start talking about their “spirit guide” and the like it is always something cool like an Otter, a Cat or (the always popular) Wolf... it's never anything like a goat or cow or duck. Not sexy and romantic enough I guess. I am pretty sure that there are Spirit Guides, but they are a part of a more pagan religion; like Native American, African Tribes or South American indigenous people practiced. Not so much a Catholic or Church of England thing. And most surly nothing like a spirit guide would come within 100 meters of the Puritans.
I guess it’s funny to me… because I have night terrors, and I have hallucinations at night when I wake up from a particularly vivid dream (my favorite is when I read the Great Gatsby in high school, after reading a party scene and going to bed… now every time I have to go to the loo at night in my folks house, I see a 1920’s party going on in the living room) that all these people talking about seeing “ghosts” and “demons” when what it most likely a sleep disorder (and I have it but can’t remember what it’s called and am too lazy to look it up). Wow. That was quite a sentence. And, now that I'm thinking about it, I have a tendency to see things that aren't there all the time, not just at night. I remember seeing the movie A Beautiful Mind, and thinking: holy shit I have schizophrenia! (Schizophrenia can present in early stages as auditory and visual hallucinations; of course that is dumbing it down a lot; but the gist of why it freaked me out.) It does make for interesting walks to the loo in the middle of the night. It also means that I have at least two people (Husband and Brother) that will see movies like Blair Witch and that Paranormal State and tell me that I am under no circumstances allowed to watch said movie. This is after they have both had to deal with a Sivy post creepy movie.
Don't get me wrong - I totally believe in ghosts. I have lived in a house that had a ghost cat living in the basement; a little black and white fella that would play with Misha and Sassy. And I will swear that for years after she died, I could feel my cat Sabrina jump onto my bed. Most people I know have at least one story of unexplained phenomena. Perhaps at this point, I should also state, that I really find myself agreeing with the premise of Gods and so forth from the novel American Gods. Yes, I am aware that we are talking fiction here, but there is a rather sound bit of reasoning in there. As this is a country made up of immigrants, having shoved the native peoples as far away as possible, the people that then settled the country brought their gods and belief systems with them. Think about it... all those little bits and pieces of folk lore, or even that Oden would be here because the Vikings settled Greenland and Iceland. All the little imps, demons and creatures from the African folk tales would have found their way over from the slave trade; and all the pixies and other bits and pieces that would have shuffled on over with the highly superstitious people immigrating from Eastern Europe. So they would all mix up together with the native religions and Viola! You get ghost stories. Or something like that.
Now, the creepiest and also saddest thing that I have ever had happen to me was when I was in high school. There was this big white abandon farm house where my friends and I would go and hang out because we were all cool and goth and shit. Well, before we started hanging out there someone had painted a pentagram on the floor of one room, and there was the typical "satanic" gibberish on the walls. (I have a feeling that if met by a true Satanist these suburban weenies would have wet themselves, but I digress). Eventually, I got more hours at work and daylight savings ended, and generally I just didn't have time to go and hang out at the house. I really liked the house, it had a fantastic layout, and this super little room on the second floor, that had only a bathtub sitting in it. I used to talk to the house when I would hang out there, telling it how pretty I thought it was; and then one night, I had this very vivid dream that there was blood running down the walls, like the walls were bleeding, and blood covering that silly pentagram on the floor. And I had the oddest feeling, like the house was in trouble and very cold. The next day, I drove out to where the house was, and discovered that it was being torn down. The property had been sold and house was about half demolished when I saw it that day. And I just burst into tears. I remember telling the house that I was so sorry, but there was nothing that I could do; and to date, I have not had any more dreams about the house. Where the house stood is now as gas station.
I guess it’s funny to me… because I have night terrors, and I have hallucinations at night when I wake up from a particularly vivid dream (my favorite is when I read the Great Gatsby in high school, after reading a party scene and going to bed… now every time I have to go to the loo at night in my folks house, I see a 1920’s party going on in the living room) that all these people talking about seeing “ghosts” and “demons” when what it most likely a sleep disorder (and I have it but can’t remember what it’s called and am too lazy to look it up). Wow. That was quite a sentence. And, now that I'm thinking about it, I have a tendency to see things that aren't there all the time, not just at night. I remember seeing the movie A Beautiful Mind, and thinking: holy shit I have schizophrenia! (Schizophrenia can present in early stages as auditory and visual hallucinations; of course that is dumbing it down a lot; but the gist of why it freaked me out.) It does make for interesting walks to the loo in the middle of the night. It also means that I have at least two people (Husband and Brother) that will see movies like Blair Witch and that Paranormal State and tell me that I am under no circumstances allowed to watch said movie. This is after they have both had to deal with a Sivy post creepy movie.
Don't get me wrong - I totally believe in ghosts. I have lived in a house that had a ghost cat living in the basement; a little black and white fella that would play with Misha and Sassy. And I will swear that for years after she died, I could feel my cat Sabrina jump onto my bed. Most people I know have at least one story of unexplained phenomena. Perhaps at this point, I should also state, that I really find myself agreeing with the premise of Gods and so forth from the novel American Gods. Yes, I am aware that we are talking fiction here, but there is a rather sound bit of reasoning in there. As this is a country made up of immigrants, having shoved the native peoples as far away as possible, the people that then settled the country brought their gods and belief systems with them. Think about it... all those little bits and pieces of folk lore, or even that Oden would be here because the Vikings settled Greenland and Iceland. All the little imps, demons and creatures from the African folk tales would have found their way over from the slave trade; and all the pixies and other bits and pieces that would have shuffled on over with the highly superstitious people immigrating from Eastern Europe. So they would all mix up together with the native religions and Viola! You get ghost stories. Or something like that.
Now, the creepiest and also saddest thing that I have ever had happen to me was when I was in high school. There was this big white abandon farm house where my friends and I would go and hang out because we were all cool and goth and shit. Well, before we started hanging out there someone had painted a pentagram on the floor of one room, and there was the typical "satanic" gibberish on the walls. (I have a feeling that if met by a true Satanist these suburban weenies would have wet themselves, but I digress). Eventually, I got more hours at work and daylight savings ended, and generally I just didn't have time to go and hang out at the house. I really liked the house, it had a fantastic layout, and this super little room on the second floor, that had only a bathtub sitting in it. I used to talk to the house when I would hang out there, telling it how pretty I thought it was; and then one night, I had this very vivid dream that there was blood running down the walls, like the walls were bleeding, and blood covering that silly pentagram on the floor. And I had the oddest feeling, like the house was in trouble and very cold. The next day, I drove out to where the house was, and discovered that it was being torn down. The property had been sold and house was about half demolished when I saw it that day. And I just burst into tears. I remember telling the house that I was so sorry, but there was nothing that I could do; and to date, I have not had any more dreams about the house. Where the house stood is now as gas station.
Paleo Challenge, Benchmarks, and Other Goings On
The Paleo Challenge has officially ended, and we are now doing the benchmarks to gauge performance. So - that is three different things - the one rep max of power clean, deadlift, bench press and back squat; the Benchmark: 500M row, 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups and 10 pull-ups; and "Hugo". Hugo has been this nasty looming thing for the entire challenge for me. It is 5 rounds for time of: 400M run, 21 box jumps, 21 kettle-bell and 21 pull-ups. I am pretty sure that it almost killed me doing Hugo in August. (I had brilliantly donated blood the day before, having no idea what Hugo was.) But as we are doing these with the same modifications as at the beginning, I am hoping for a sub-45 min Hugo. So far, my "benchmark" was 6:06, down from 7:49 and my deadlift has gone up to 190 (from 185). My back squat is 145 up from 105! WOOO! That leaves the power clean and bench press for after Urbanna, as Hugo is tomorrow. And I'm sure I posted this already - but going from 160 to 146 was pretty cool too. And, at 146 I am officially weighing less than when I got pregnant. I still have about 6 pounds of fat to go - my target is 139. OH! And my face is like 90% better, still get some flushing from nerves and heat but the painful puffy zit infested red flushing is gone. The best part: no more medicine!
Now, for the other goings on.... Grandma is arriving today to stay with Freya for Oyster Festival. It is no kid this year, and we are really looking forward to this vacation. It will be the second time I have been away from her overnight. I am a little nervous, but we both really need this break. I have been looking forward to and planning my wardrobe for this trip for the last 2 months! Surprisingly the wardrobe hasn't altered much at all. Atypical of me, usually I've overhauled the planned wardrobe at least 3 times! But - can't go wrong with jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. Biggest issues have become: which shoes and jacket or puffer vest?? We aren't checking luggage and it will all have to fit in the massive NRA backpack (that thing is a pocket universe) but boots take up a lot of room! And do I really want a coat? Decisions, decisions! Oh, my bag - do I carry a tote, my purse, which purse.... oh heavens to Betsy! That whoosh you just heard? That was Chris rolling his eyes. But if I am focusing on this, then I am not freaking out about leaving Freya. So it's all good. Besides the most important things on the what to pack list are: camera, "ears", cords for the phones and the iPod. Because everything else can be obtained once we are there if we have forgotten anything.
Now, for the other goings on.... Grandma is arriving today to stay with Freya for Oyster Festival. It is no kid this year, and we are really looking forward to this vacation. It will be the second time I have been away from her overnight. I am a little nervous, but we both really need this break. I have been looking forward to and planning my wardrobe for this trip for the last 2 months! Surprisingly the wardrobe hasn't altered much at all. Atypical of me, usually I've overhauled the planned wardrobe at least 3 times! But - can't go wrong with jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. Biggest issues have become: which shoes and jacket or puffer vest?? We aren't checking luggage and it will all have to fit in the massive NRA backpack (that thing is a pocket universe) but boots take up a lot of room! And do I really want a coat? Decisions, decisions! Oh, my bag - do I carry a tote, my purse, which purse.... oh heavens to Betsy! That whoosh you just heard? That was Chris rolling his eyes. But if I am focusing on this, then I am not freaking out about leaving Freya. So it's all good. Besides the most important things on the what to pack list are: camera, "ears", cords for the phones and the iPod. Because everything else can be obtained once we are there if we have forgotten anything.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween
I was a little worried about Halloween this year. With the not wanting to wear her Witch Dress at the birthday party about 2 weeks ago and working on "trick or treat" and saying thank you .... that is a lot! But, magically she wanted to wear her witch dress (that daddy fixed the itchy arms of) and she NAILED the trick or treat. She went around our end of the street, Chris was also dressed up (in his Kendo gear) and I stayed home to dish out "treats". They were gone for just about an hour (had to take puppy meeting breaks) and when they got back, she helped me hand out candy to the last 3 or 4 groups to hit the house.
All our Trick or Treater's said trick or treat and they all also said thank you. Which is huge as many people I have talked to the kids just stuck out their bags, not saying anything and then turning around and going. The candy is OK - but the fun part is getting to say Trick or Treat!! This is the first year since we had Freya that we participated in Trick or Treating, and we sure made up for lost time!
All our Trick or Treater's said trick or treat and they all also said thank you. Which is huge as many people I have talked to the kids just stuck out their bags, not saying anything and then turning around and going. The candy is OK - but the fun part is getting to say Trick or Treat!! This is the first year since we had Freya that we participated in Trick or Treating, and we sure made up for lost time!
No Time to Sit Still! ~ a fragment
It is finally fall! The weather is chilly in the morning (46 degrees) and just a little warmer than I would like in the afternoons but still cooler that it has been! Woot Woot! We have a super busy couple of weekends coming up. Next weekend we have Barbells for Boobs, Nocturnal Nature Walk, and our body fat dunk tank tests. Sometime in there we want to go talk a little hike and see the fall foliage and get some Dutch Monkey donuts*. The following weekend is Halloween and we have a party to go to! As well as taking Goosy our for the first time. Oh - and I'm starting school! Whew.
This past weekend Freya attended her first birthday party that wasn't for her. It was a dress up party and she was all excited to wear her little punk witch costume.... well that lasted for all of 5 or 6 minutes then it was full on melt down and "I want it offffff" so (thanks to Grandma) we had a substitute Elmo dress up costume and she wore that instead. She was so damn cute. We got there and we had a great time painting mini pumpkins, eating all the marshmallow's out of the snack mix and having cake with ice cream. After what might have been the longest two hours of my life (we are full on potty training and are going without pull-ups these days) we made it home without having an accident took the shortest nap on record and then went out for dinner.
This past weekend Freya attended her first birthday party that wasn't for her. It was a dress up party and she was all excited to wear her little punk witch costume.... well that lasted for all of 5 or 6 minutes then it was full on melt down and "I want it offffff" so (thanks to Grandma) we had a substitute Elmo dress up costume and she wore that instead. She was so damn cute. We got there and we had a great time painting mini pumpkins, eating all the marshmallow's out of the snack mix and having cake with ice cream. After what might have been the longest two hours of my life (we are full on potty training and are going without pull-ups these days) we made it home without having an accident took the shortest nap on record and then went out for dinner.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
huh.
It is totally fascinating to me when I think about my self image. Before I had Freya, I would have told you that I was "athletic". I worked out, and I also drank A LOT of beer and wine, so while I had a flat stomach - I also had some pretty impressive fat pockets on my hips. Because I like numbers: I weighed 147 when I got pregnant, wearing a size 8/10. I gained A LOT of weight when I was pregnant, I was 215 on their scale two days before I gave birth. Almost a year later, I was holding at 164 and wearing a size 12. I felt like shit. To me - I was fat. I had this huge saggy and distorted stomach and a huge ass. And lets not forget the chins! So it was that in the summer of 2009 I did a fantastic Carb Cycling diet. And I lost the weight. I was 147 for like a day. The problem with the Carb Cycling diet, was that I just didn't have the time to prepare food and have it ready to go for lunch at work. I ended up eating so much chicken and steamed veggies that the second I hit my target weight, I went back to "normal"eating. And, we can see where this is going can't we??? Well as well as going back to my bad eating habits, I also got a new job that had mandatory overtime. So not only was I eating bad, but I was super stressed out as well. And: Hello 20 pounds!
By now, I am back in my fat clothing, feeling miserable. I couldn't see going to the gym doing the treadmill at all at this point. I was so tired, I missed my family. I was doing a lot of complaining. Then, right around my birthday this year, I started to do Cross-Fit. And along with Cross-Fit came the "Paleo Challenge". Now, I knew about Paleo already, had the book and everything. But, we had never put it into place. Just seemed to hard. Now, I was ready. And as of this past Saturday, the challenge end date: I am 145 pounds, and my body fat went from 32% to 26%. I have about 6 more pounds of fat to get to my "optimum" range. And I will get there because, as I have said here before, we are staying Paleo. And I love Cross-Fit. It really did save me (and my 6 am class means that I can still work out when the overtime kicks up again).
So, I am now "skinner" than I was before I got pregnant. Except - the jeans that I have been wanting to get into - will never fit. Becasue now I have muscles where I had fat. And I am so much happier - I feel good and have an outlet for that aggression that is always just under the serface for me.
And in totally Piffle news - no hair cut yet.... will trim and change the color instead. I have realized that I really love my hair long. Just without the split ends.
By now, I am back in my fat clothing, feeling miserable. I couldn't see going to the gym doing the treadmill at all at this point. I was so tired, I missed my family. I was doing a lot of complaining. Then, right around my birthday this year, I started to do Cross-Fit. And along with Cross-Fit came the "Paleo Challenge". Now, I knew about Paleo already, had the book and everything. But, we had never put it into place. Just seemed to hard. Now, I was ready. And as of this past Saturday, the challenge end date: I am 145 pounds, and my body fat went from 32% to 26%. I have about 6 more pounds of fat to get to my "optimum" range. And I will get there because, as I have said here before, we are staying Paleo. And I love Cross-Fit. It really did save me (and my 6 am class means that I can still work out when the overtime kicks up again).
So, I am now "skinner" than I was before I got pregnant. Except - the jeans that I have been wanting to get into - will never fit. Becasue now I have muscles where I had fat. And I am so much happier - I feel good and have an outlet for that aggression that is always just under the serface for me.
And in totally Piffle news - no hair cut yet.... will trim and change the color instead. I have realized that I really love my hair long. Just without the split ends.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
I Need New Hair
And it want it to look roughly like this:
The red will be a little darker (since I dye it anyway - I sorta get skeeved by the idea of dying it the same color as the husband and kid have naturally). I am currently sporting a long, unshaped beast of chocolate brown that hangs in a knotted wad down around my shoulder blades. Can you say "hair up in a knot on the top of my head!"?
This cut has the look of something that I can (gasp) blow dry and go. And one day, when I am a big girl, I will actually curl the ends. You would think, as much time as I spend longing for pretty hair that I would actually, I don't know, DO SOMETHING with my hair. Hmm. Perhaps it is time to put on the big girl knickers and schedule an appointment, procure a curling iron and finally just get into the habit of doing my hair. God lord. After all - I can get out of bed at 5:15 AM to go to CrossFit and I changed my diet to Paleo, this is easy after that!
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